Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with radioactive

Where did all the radium watches go?

rtimmel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:47:46 -0800

Is it legal for me to purchase a used radium watch? If so, where can I find one? If I had one, how hazardous would I be to the people around me, if at all?

What are these radioactive cylinders?

MiG — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:16:56 -0800

Can you identify what this truck is carrying? A truck towing two trailers, each with 4 cylinders. Marked radioactive. (photo inside) Please see photo at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/76069/dynamic/2011/06/radioactive.jpg

I'm trying to figure out what the cylinders might contain. They were landed at the container port in Prince Rupert, BC. The only regular container ships that visit Prince Rupert regularly come from China.

The containers were landed, and within 20-30 minutes, they were loaded onto this truck (with Saskatchewan plates), and driven through downtown Prince Rupert on their way down the Yellowhead Highway (route 16 in Northern BC).

Some have suggested that they are uranium fuel rods, heading to an American destination. Discussion on local Prince Rupert forum.

Anyone have any insight on this kind of thing? Do those cylinders look familiar to any mefites?

I don't want to become known as the "tiny rocks bomber"

kagredon — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:03:58 -0800

I want to give some trinitite as a Christmas gift. This involves transporting it across state lines. Am I going to run into problems? I'm putting in an order to a minerals site, which also happens to sell trinitite (a quick search through various hobbyist newsgroups says that this is a reliable supplier, so I'm not too concerned about getting a counterfeit.)

I think it'd make a fun Christmas present for my boyfriend. Trouble is, if I bundle it in with my current order (saves on shipping), I'd have to find some way to transport it across states (in the U.S.) That means either packing it when I fly down later this month, or mailing it. Are either of these going to cause problems? Trinitite is only mildly radioactive (and I'd only be getting a small sample), but I'm still concerned about running into problems with TSA/USPS. I suppose an alternative would be to put in a separate order and have it shipped directly to him, but I'd prefer the cheaper/more convenient route of packing it with me. Can I do this, or should I just suck up the separate shipping cost? Is it better to carry on or throw it into a checked bag?

Help me find the ending

ninazer0 — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:05:06 -0800

I'm trying to find a Japanese short film about two guys in a sushi restaurant who try to out-order an older man. There's no dialogue and it was weird and quite funny, finishing with a radioactive wasabi show-down. About ten minutes long, the plot goes as follows.

Two salarymen go into the little restaurant and order sushi. While eating it, they notice an older man who is also eating sushi. They are using chopsticks, but he is using his fingers and has a specific technique. The two guys immediately order more sushi and copy the older mans technique.

This goes on for some time until the older man orders wasabi nigiri (which is a small roll of rice with nothing except wasabi on it). There are some amusing special effects implying that the wasabi is radioactive. The old guy eats the sushi. Impressed the two salarymen immediately order wasabi nigiri each and follow the old man.

The VCR which was recording this gem after the end of my usual show CUTS OUT AT THIS POINT. I've no idea how it ends, what it was called or any further information. Google isn't bringing anything but I suspect a Japanese MeFite might be able to help.

Help?

WHERE ARE THE TRITIUM SPHERES?!?!

Phyltre — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:03:12 -0800

Who regularly sells 10-18mm tritium spheres (pictured at bottom), and where can I buy them reliably? For the past six years or so I've seen group-buys on flashlight forums for tritium spheres. They are basically a plastic/resin shell, somewhat lens-like, filled with tritium gas. Simple tritium fobs, sometimes called "Trasers," are relatively easy to find--but I have never seen an actual site selling tritium spheres. The design hasn't changed, which leads me to believe there is a constant supply of these spheres going somewhere for some purpose that is not readily apparent. (Tritium fobs are basically safe radioactive gas sealed inside a vial coated with material that glows when it is hit by radioation. They glow in the dark without the need for external light, for a minimum of ten years and possibly far longer.)

You can see the product in a group-buy image here. They are the glowing spheres near the top. My question is, WHERE are they coming from? I have seen them for sale in forums and nowhere else. I don't think some dude could make them in his basement, you need industrial equipment (and at least moderately pressurized/sealed tritium gas) to form clear plastics like that.

I never catch wind of the group buys on time and I'd rather not offend the poster (he is a mod there) by asking for his source (to circumvent him, basically.) In fact I wouldn't mention his thread at all if I could find any other links to them. Does anyone know where the heck these things are available?

All your beta are belong to us

neuron — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:32:51 -0800

Where can I get some small quantities of radioactive materials for science fair type projects? I recently acquired an old Gieger counter. I know about United Nuclear. I'm just wondering if there is another source. I'm interested in beta and gamma sources, so the polonium in antistatic brushes and the americium in smoke detectors is of no interest to me.

Help me remember the story of the hapless physics student.

Paul KC — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:58:35 -0800

I remember reading a true story online about an accidental death in a physics laboratory during the early studies of radioactivity and nuclear physics experiments. I think it involved a clumsy physics student who accidentally dropped a brick of radioactive material onto a stack of these bricks which set off some sort of chain reaction. Can someone find this story online for me?

Radioactive Man...

extrabox — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:51:16 -0800

My friend was just diagnosed with Graves Disease and the doctor decided it was so serious he should immediately get radioactive iodine treatment, and he was given a 16mCi pill today. So, apparently, he is very radioactive right now, and would set off Homeland Security terror alerts in airports if he walked through. The issue is that he and his wife have an 6 month old baby who had serious heart problems when he was only 2 months, and my friend's wife is seriously concerned about her (since she's breatfeeding) and her baby's peripheral exposure to my friend's radioactive emissions.

My friend's doctor said to follow the basic radioactivity safety precautions for a week, and then everything will be OK, but she is finding other contradictory information that says you should take precautions against the radioactivity for a month!

Right now, she feels like she doesn't want her husband coming near her or the baby for a year.

Does anyone know enough about the safety of this treatment to help us better determine if my friend's doctor is being far too cavalier about how long they need to follow the radioactivity safety guidelines? Or information I could share with them to help reassure them, and calm their fears?

Examples of radioactivity in nature

0bvious — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 06:54:50 -0800

Are there any animals that have evolved a use for radioactivity? If so, what ways is it used? If not, why has this not happened? Creatures have evolved that can use electric energy to search for food or stun their prey. Animals have evolved the ability to use chemical energy to light up their tails or attract food. Animals are well practiced in symbiotic relationships with chemicals, bacteria and each other, but what about radioactive elements?