Cobalt‑60 explained: The science behind precise brain radiosurgery

From a star’s explosion to life-changing brain treatment. In this video, we explain how the isotope Cobalt-60 helps clinicians perform precise radiosurgery for conditions in the brain. You’ll see how a very small amount (~20 g) of Cobalt-60 inside a Leksell Gamma Knife can deliver carefully shaped radiation, compared with the ~14 kg of Cobalt often used in a single electric car battery – an eye-opening contrast about cobalt’s role in healthcare vs everyday tech. We’ll break down the science simply and explain how extreme accuracy is achieved for brain radiosurgery. 00:00 - Origin of Cobalt 01:24 - Cobalt in everyday use 02.23 - What is Cobalt-60 03:42 - Global use of Cobalt-60 04:33 - Why Cobalt-60 for brain radiosurgery? LMMNX260204