Are satellites (or satellite parts) ever made from metal salvaged from pre-1945 shipwrecks? Possibly to ensure that those metals were refined before atmospheric A-bomb explosions increased the background radiation levels? [more inside]
posted by metaBugs on Aug 4, 2009 - 17 answers

Stuck trying to install Geant4 on my laptop. I get "Error 2", and warnings that multiple libraries are not in the expected locations (ordinary libraries like stdio.h). Are there any experienced installers out there who can kibbutz with me on this?
posted by IAmBroom on Jun 8, 2009 - 4 answers

How can we test granite countertops to ensure there are no unusually high levels of radiation? Looking for someone near Berkeley, CA who can do this for us ASAP. Who should we call? [more inside]
posted by quinoa on Mar 28, 2009 - 16 answers

Where can I get some small quantities of radioactive materials for science fair type projects? [more inside]
posted by neuron on Mar 3, 2009 - 10 answers

What can you tell me about black body radiation? [more inside]
posted by PaulingL on Jan 15, 2009 - 8 answers

Can anyone tell me if a blue tooth headset or a handsfree kit will help lessen the frying of my brain? This corded handset claims that radiation emissions are reduced by 95%. Is that right? What's my best option, other than speakerphone or not worrying about it?
posted by surenoproblem on Dec 17, 2008 - 13 answers

What can I expect in terms of side effects for radiation treatment of brain cancer? [more inside]
posted by Atom12 on Sep 29, 2008 - 16 answers

Which strains of (harmless) bacteria are most susceptible to radiation? [more inside]
posted by iconjack on Aug 14, 2008 - 6 answers

HypochondriacFilter: I got a chest x-ray taken while travelling in Africa. No protective garmets used. Any potential for damage done to myself or potential future kids? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 9, 2008 - 11 answers

Please-help-me-identify-a-book-filter. Trying to track down a young adults hardish sci-fi book from the mid 80s in the UK about a space medic in trouble. [more inside]
posted by ArkhanJG on Jul 1, 2008 - 3 answers

According to this chart, there have been 2,422 nuclear explosions since 1945, including above ground, under ground, and in the sea. I'm somewhat amazed that this isn't having more of permanent negative effect. Does spreading out all the nuclear activity allow our ecosystem to absorb the radiation in reasonable intervals? Chernobyl has been a wasteland since the reactor meltdown. Was it simply that much more radioactive than actually testing bombs?
posted by SpacemanStix on Apr 24, 2008 - 47 answers

Is it safe to ship electronics through the US diplomatic pouch? [more inside]
posted by k8t on Jan 19, 2008 - 14 answers

Is there any truth to the suggestion that, "Many scientists believe that cancer deaths among smokers are due to the radioactive content of tobacco leaves and not to nicotine and tar" (source). If so, where does one get non-radioactive tobacco?
posted by MetaMonkey on Nov 11, 2007 - 36 answers

My friend's wife is recovering from breast cancer. They removed the tumor a couple weeks ago, and they found no sign that the cancer had spread to the lymph system. She's expected to make a full recovery. But in order to kill any remaining cancer cells, for the next 2 months she'll be undergoing chemotherapy, and then 1 month of radiation therapy afterwards. What can I do to make life easier and/or lift the spirits of her and her husband? [more inside]
posted by Vorteks on Oct 25, 2007 - 28 answers

What else can be sensed passively? [more inside]
posted by viewofdelft on Jul 17, 2007 - 17 answers

My question has two parts: -What are some reliable resources that would allow me to form an intelligent opinion about the possible health-risks of wifi exposure - specifically for a pregnant woman surfing the 'net wirelessly from a laptop for a few hours a day. -Where is the built-in wifi antenna on a Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop? (If it's in the screen vs. the keyboard area, then at least it's a few inches further from the womb-area - but again, I have no idea if that even matters). [more inside]
posted by ericbop on Feb 5, 2007 - 28 answers

IANAD do I do not know is this is a riduculous concern or not that I have. My son is 28 and I have reason to believe that he and his partner are trying to conceive. When he was 3 or 4 he had some fllings done on his teeth and the (old country) doctor who did them " forgot" to cover his lap when he took the xrays and I have always wondered if that sort of exposure to radiation ( 25 yrs ago roughly) could have damaged the motility of his sperm, or somehow compromised the general overall health or production of sperm. I have not mentioned this to him and I do not know if I should or just wait and see. Any thoughts or helpful informed repsonses? Thanks
posted by anonymous on Jan 27, 2007 - 15 answers

Is it safe to live directly underneath a large number of radio and/or cell towers? [more inside]
posted by lorimer on Jan 8, 2007 - 21 answers

Help me find the name of a graphic novel, in which a naive elderly couple deal with the aftermath of an atomic bomb. . . [more inside]
posted by changeling on Dec 15, 2006 - 12 answers

My roommates have a really annoying habit of leaving the microwave door ajar after they're done using it. In other words, the microwave beeps, they take their food out, and then leave the door hanging. Am I being exposed to unsafe levels of radiation?
posted by invisible ink on Oct 15, 2006 - 34 answers

I like to carry my cellphone in a cargo pants pocket, on the outside of my body away from vital organs. I believe this is good for my health because the odds of microwaving my kidneys and intestines and all that other good stuff are reduced. Am I being crazy?
posted by clango on May 12, 2006 - 36 answers

How close would a Near-Earth Supernova have to be to Earth to cause immediate surface effects? And what would those effects be? [more inside]
posted by Chanther on Dec 28, 2005 - 11 answers

I want to buy someone a spinthariscope but want them to have something to look at through it. However the only firm I can find selling a legal alpha-emitter ( Polonium 210) is in the US and won't ship to the UK. What could I find or purchase in the UK which would emit alpha radiation and put on a good light show for a spinthariscope?
posted by Flitcraft on Apr 24, 2004 - 3 answers