Can cockroaches really survive a nuclear explosion?

This widely circulated claim has some scientific basis but is seriously exaggerated.

Cockroaches do have higher tolerance to ionizing radiation than humans, about 10–15 times greater (the lethal dose for humans is approximately 4–10 Gy, compared to about 50–100 Gy for cockroaches).

However, the temperature at the center of a nuclear explosion reaches millions of degrees, instantly vaporizing any living organism near ground zero, and cockroaches are no exception.

The organisms truly possessing extreme radiation tolerance are not cockroaches but certain bacteria (such as *Deinococcus radiodurans*, which can withstand 5,000 Gy), tardigrades, and certain nematodes.

The popularity of this myth stems partly from reports after the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—cockroaches were indeed among the first organisms to reappear in the rubble.

But this was not because they are particularly radiation-resistant; rather, it was because they are naturally adept at foraging and hiding in debris, combined with their high reproductive rate and widespread distribution in urban environments.