 Many of Taylor's personal opinions regarding nuclear energy and safety are mentioned throughout McPhee's writing.McPhee voices one of Taylor's bigger concerns in particular—that plutonium can be devastating if left in the wrong hands.According to McPhee, Taylor suspected that if plutonium were to be acquired by someone with ill-intentions and handled improperly, the aftermath could be catastrophic—as plutonium is a rather volatile element and can be lethal for anyone within hundreds of miles.