In my latest work (which will probably be thrown into the bottom of my
file drawer along with my previous works), Our Hero discovers a
Mysterious Alien Artifact that, once activated, emits a blast of
radiation that sterilizes the entire Planet of Sufficiently Advanced
Technology. Whatever kind of radiation this is, it can travel through
the planet in question, so even being on the opposite hemisphere isn't
going to protect you. Essentially, it's a global bug bomb.
My first thought was neutrinos, since they can pass through a planet
effortlessly, but of course there isn't any such thing as "neutrino
poisoning". X-rays, gamma rays, alpha particles, etc. don't seem to
be able to turn the trick either. Any ideas?


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