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billw · 3rd August 2011, 09:35 AM

Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home

http://news.yahoo.com/swedish-man-ca...153341057.html

Quote:

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby.
Richard Handl told The Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.

Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.
"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home."

Damien Evans · 3rd August 2011, 09:41 AM

One wonders how he got his hands on Radium and Uranium.

The Central Scrutinizer · 3rd August 2011, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Damien Evans

One wonders how he got his hands on Radium and Uranium.

One wonders how he got his hands on an atom? They're quite small.

ApolloGnomon · 3rd August 2011, 10:01 AM

Geez, and I get nervous just experimenting with homemade hooch in my kitchen.

dafydd · 3rd August 2011, 10:23 AM

He's going to need a very sharp chisel.

Jalok · 3rd August 2011, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Damien Evans

One wonders how he got his hands on Radium and Uranium.

Americum-241 is apparently used in some smoke detectors, radium was once used in watches with the glowing paint, and apparently uranium could be found in older enamels, jewelry, stuff like that. Not being a chemist or such, I do not know how easy it would be to isolate the components, or even if they are the correct ones for what he was trying to do, but apparently aquiring small amounts of materials might be possible; it's aquiring enough to be useful for more than table-top experimentation which is hard.

jalok

Beanbag · 3rd August 2011, 08:36 PM

Try United Nuclear:

http://unitednuclear.com/

Ask about their complete line of fissionable material. Their death ray supplies are superb.

Beanbag

Vorticity · 3rd August 2011, 09:15 PM

Off topic:

Originally Posted by billw

Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant in Buellton. I used to go there all the time when I lived in California.

Kopji · 3rd August 2011, 09:27 PM

I'm not even going to guess if this is legal in the US. If he said he was only exercising his 2nd amendment right to make nuclear weapons he'd probably draw a crowd of supporters.

I love this story though, he makes me feel less naive about the world.

Southwind17 · 3rd August 2011, 09:28 PM

"... created a small meltdown on his stove."

Either he's come across an appliance brand that, thankfully, has eluded my missus so far, or the article's alluding to some kind of variant cheese and tuna concoction that one spreads on warm toast?!

MG1962 · 3rd August 2011, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Beanbag

Try United Nuclear:

http://unitednuclear.com/

Ask about their complete line of fissionable material. Their death ray supplies are superb.

Beanbag

And sold out

Kevin_Lowe · 3rd August 2011, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by billw

Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home

http://news.yahoo.com/swedish-man-ca...153341057.html

http://www.peasoupandersens.net/Hap-Pea-trans-3.gif

Oh no! The atom-splitting boogyman is coming for us!

Unless he's got a critical mass of enriched uranium or plutonium in the cupboard, which strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely, I don't see why he shouldn't split all the atoms he wants.

Southwind17 · 3rd August 2011, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin_Lowe

Oh no! The atom-splitting boogyman is coming for us!

Unless he's got a critical mass of enriched uranium or plutonium in the cupboard, which strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely, I don't see why he shouldn't split all the atoms he wants.

Forget uranium and plutonium, if he starts splitting peas it's curtains for us all!

Captain Obvious · 3rd August 2011, 09:50 PM

I didn't think you needed a licence to go fission in Scandinavia.

Furcifer · 3rd August 2011, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin_Lowe

Unless he's got a critical mass of enriched uranium or plutonium in the cupboard, which strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely, I don't see why he shouldn't split all the atoms he wants.

He sounds like a copy cat of this kid in Michigan that collected a bunch of smoke detectors and glow in the dark stuff. I think he also ordered radioactive teaching materials from NIST and took them out of the plastic casings. There may have been tracer rounds too. Anyways, despite not being able to make a bomb he made quite a mess, radiation levels were off the charts and they had to destroy most of the stuff and send in a contamination team. I'll see if I can find the article.

ETA: http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html

Kevin_Lowe · 4th August 2011, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Furcifer

He sounds like a copy cat of this kid in Michigan that collected a bunch of smoke detectors and glow in the dark stuff. I think he also ordered radioactive teaching materials from NIST and took them out of the plastic casings. There may have been tracer rounds too. Anyways, despite not being able to make a bomb he made quite a mess, radiation levels were off the charts and they had to destroy most of the stuff and send in a contamination team. I'll see if I can find the article.

ETA: http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html

Heh, that's awesome but I can see why you don't want it next door.

billw · 4th August 2011, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

I didn't think you needed a licence to go fission in Scandinavia.

Especially on a new clear day like this.

Fredrik · 4th August 2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by dafydd

He's going to need a very sharp chisel.

I thought I was the only one who saw that movie.

The Central Scrutinizer · 4th August 2011, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Kopji

I'm not even going to guess if this is legal in the US. If he said he was only exercising his 2nd amendment right to make nuclear weapons he'd probably draw a crowd of supporters.

Libertarian hero and failed Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik would certainly support him.

The Central Scrutinizer · 4th August 2011, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Southwind17

Forget uranium and plutonium, if he starts splitting peas it's curtains for us all!

What if he splits hairs?

Sledge · 4th August 2011, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer

What if he splits hairs?

Then he'll be right at home on this forum.

CapelDodger · 4th August 2011, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by ApolloGnomon

Geez, and I get nervous just experimenting with homemade hooch in my kitchen.

And now you've blogged about it

. Did you miss the moral of this tale?

ApolloGnomon · 4th August 2011, 07:00 PM

What with this being splitting-hairs-jref and all...

this isn't a blog. It's a forum. The correct verb isn't blogging. It's posting.

And Apollo Gnomon isn't my real name. I also post at a home-made-hooch forum. Ain't been busted yet. "Don't tell, don't sell, and don't make a smell." I challenge feds to identify my rig when disassembled from the rest of the chaos of mad science in my shop.

jasonpatterson · 4th August 2011, 10:18 PM

Pitchblende is fairly easy to come by. Heck, they sell it on eBay. If you want uranium and are willing to pay for the ore, it's right there... Getting something that could produce an actual meltdown is a whole other story though, of course.

Southwind17 · 5th August 2011, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by jasonpatterson

Pitchblende is fairly easy to come by. Heck, they sell it on eBay. If you want uranium and are willing to pay for the ore, it's right there... Getting something that could produce an actual meltdown is a whole other story though, of course.

So what's your point, then?!

Beanbag · 5th August 2011, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by MG1962

And sold out

I understand some guy in Sweden bought them out in one large order.

Beanbag

elgarak · 5th August 2011, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by jasonpatterson

Pitchblende is fairly easy to come by. Heck, they sell it on eBay. If you want uranium and are willing to pay for the ore, it's right there... Getting something that could produce an actual meltdown is a whole other story though, of course.

I don't believe he actually had a 'meltdown' in the nuclear sense. He even put quotation marks around it on his blog.

What he wanted to do was processing/blending the materials by dissolving them in hot sulphuric acid, and experienced a superheating event. Fairly common lab accident. I happen to work in a lab which occasionally does chemical processing; at one time in my career it was everyday work for me. Working with hot acids is one of the processes I dread most, only topped by hydrofluoric acid. Which is why you have labs with safety equipment like fume hoods, and don't do it in a kitchen.

I'm not even sure he can be charged with illegal possession of radioactive materials (which, as I understand, is the only outlawed activity of his in most jurisdictions). I glanced over his blog, and most of the stuff was everyday, legal to obtain merchandise that just happens to have radioactive parts, like smoke detectors and uranium glass objects.

ApolloGnomon · 5th August 2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

I don't believe he actually had a 'meltdown' in the nuclear sense. He even put quotation marks around it on his blog.

Link, for the curious:

http://richardsreactor.blogspot.com/

epepke · 5th August 2011, 03:59 PM

It was only a pickled herring atom.

blutoski · 5th August 2011, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by elgarak

I don't believe he actually had a 'meltdown' in the nuclear sense. He even put quotation marks around it on his blog.

What he wanted to do was processing/blending the materials by dissolving them in hot sulphuric acid, and experienced a superheating event. Fairly common lab accident. I happen to work in a lab which occasionally does chemical processing; at one time in my career it was everyday work for me. Working with hot acids is one of the processes I dread most, only topped by hydrofluoric acid. Which is why you have labs with safety equipment like fume hoods, and don't do it in a kitchen.

I'm not even sure he can be charged with illegal possession of radioactive materials (which, as I understand, is the only outlawed activity of his in most jurisdictions). I glanced over his blog, and most of the stuff was everyday, legal to obtain merchandise that just happens to have radioactive parts, like smoke detectors and uranium glass objects.

I was actually trying to figure out how he even broke a law in Sweden.

Surely if it was illegal to possess these materials, they would have been stopped at customs?

CapelDodger · 6th August 2011, 03:09 AM

Originally Posted by ApolloGnomon

What with this being splitting-hairs-jref and all...

this isn't a blog. It's a forum. The correct verb isn't blogging. It's posting.

Colour me chastened. (I wanted to keep the connection with "he blogged about it", and knew I was taking a risk here.)

Quote:

And Apollo Gnomon isn't my real name. I also post at a home-made-hooch forum. Ain't been busted yet. "Don't tell, don't sell, and don't make a smell." I challenge feds to identify my rig when disassembled from the rest of the chaos of mad science in my shop.

There's more than a hairbreadth difference between "Don't tell" and "I post about it" but let's not meet at dawn over this

.

(CapelDodger isn't my real name either.)

RossFW · 6th August 2011, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by Fredrik

I thought I was the only one who saw that movie.

No, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only sucker who paid to see his NEXT Movie!

Checkmite · 6th August 2011, 08:20 AM

If I see a man with fissile material on a plane, etc.

Southwind17 · 7th August 2011, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by elgarak

I'm not even sure he can be charged with illegal possession of radioactive materials (which, as I understand, is the only outlawed activity of his in most jurisdictions). I glanced over his blog, and most of the stuff was everyday, legal to obtain merchandise that just happens to have radioactive parts, like smoke detectors and uranium glass objects.

Isn't it all about intent? Like it's not illegal to possess fertilizer, or sugar, for example, but get caught with 10 barrels of each in your garden shed and ...

Myriad · 7th August 2011, 09:07 PM

In the U.S. many laws of this type fall under licensing requirements. Regardless of the legality of possession of the materials, when the activity the materials are being used for falls under a category or definition that requires a license, and you don't have a license, you're breaking the law. And applying for a license to build and operate an experimental nuclear reactor of unspecified design in a residential zoned area would be no small task.

Respectfully,
Myriad

Checkmite · 8th August 2011, 08:01 AM

Just like you don't need a license to own a vehicle, just to operate it on public rights-of-way.

rjh01 · 8th August 2011, 02:52 PM

A scientist discusses the news

YouTube Video This video is not hosted by the JREF. The JREF can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website.

I AGREE

3rd August 2011, 09:35 AM	#1
billw Critical Thinker Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Far North Glendale Posts: 471	Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home http://news.yahoo.com/swedish-man-ca...153341057.html Quote: STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby. Richard Handl told The Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material. The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove. Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police. "I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home."
	__________________ I may be going to hell in a bucket But at least I'm enjoying the ride. -- John Perry Barlow Last edited by billw; 3rd August 2011 at 09:36 AM. Reason: Added link

3rd August 2011, 09:41 AM	#2
Damien Evans Up The Irons Tagger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 25,505	One wonders how he got his hands on Radium and Uranium.
	__________________ WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN? - Death

3rd August 2011, 09:49 AM	#3
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 42,572	Originally Posted by Damien Evans One wonders how he got his hands on Radium and Uranium. One wonders how he got his hands on an atom? They're quite small.
	__________________ If I see somebody with a gun on a plane? I'll kill him.

3rd August 2011, 10:01 AM	#4
ApolloGnomon Aluminum Tripod Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Time Zone Zed Zed Plural Zed Alpha Posts: 2,009	Geez, and I get nervous just experimenting with homemade hooch in my kitchen.
	__________________ Lunar Sample Compendium ............Apollo Lunar Surface Journal "I'm ignoring the rest of your foaming rant. " JayUtah

3rd August 2011, 11:26 AM	#6
Jalok Thinker Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 205	Originally Posted by Damien Evans One wonders how he got his hands on Radium and Uranium. Americum-241 is apparently used in some smoke detectors, radium was once used in watches with the glowing paint, and apparently uranium could be found in older enamels, jewelry, stuff like that. Not being a chemist or such, I do not know how easy it would be to isolate the components, or even if they are the correct ones for what he was trying to do, but apparently aquiring small amounts of materials might be possible; it's aquiring enough to be useful for more than table-top experimentation which is hard. jalok
Jalok Thinker Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 205	__________________ I put on brightly colored poofy pants and dance sideways* *considering my high armor and defenses along with half my spells having the word 'hammer' in them I am basically telling the mob that it is in fact hammer time and no he cannot touch this. - Cwalner

3rd August 2011, 10:23 AM	#5
dafydd Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belgium (Flatland) Posts: 31,680	He's going to need a very sharp chisel.

3rd August 2011, 08:36 PM	#7
Beanbag Master Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Posts: 2,709	Try United Nuclear: http://unitednuclear.com/ Ask about their complete line of fissionable material. Their death ray supplies are superb. Beanbag
	__________________ Nothing divides an indivisible nation quite as well as religion. Know god, no peace. No god, know peace. If Jesus is the answer, it must be a real dumb question.

3rd August 2011, 09:15 PM	#8
Vorticity Fluid Mechanic Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Los Alamos, NM Posts: 2,651	Off topic: Originally Posted by billw Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant in Buellton. I used to go there all the time when I lived in California.
	__________________ Free lunch. Final wisdom. Total coverage. http://stopsylvia.com

3rd August 2011, 09:27 PM	#9
Kopji Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mogollon Rim Posts: 7,710	I'm not even going to guess if this is legal in the US. If he said he was only exercising his 2nd amendment right to make nuclear weapons he'd probably draw a crowd of supporters. I love this story though, he makes me feel less naive about the world.

3rd August 2011, 09:28 PM	#10
Southwind17 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Location: Location Posts: 4,496	"... created a small meltdown on his stove." Either he's come across an appliance brand that, thankfully, has eluded my missus so far, or the article's alluding to some kind of variant cheese and tuna concoction that one spreads on warm toast?!
	__________________ The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the unanimous view of all parts of my mind "Always" and "never" are two words that you should always remember never to use. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. Why is it that when I ask for a pair of hands a brain comes attached?

3rd August 2011, 09:29 PM	#11
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by Beanbag Try United Nuclear: http://unitednuclear.com/ Ask about their complete line of fissionable material. Their death ray supplies are superb. Beanbag And sold out

3rd August 2011, 09:31 PM	#12
Kevin_Lowe Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Queensland Posts: 10,375	Originally Posted by billw Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home http://news.yahoo.com/swedish-man-ca...153341057.html http://www.peasoupandersens.net/Hap-Pea-trans-3.gif Oh no! The atom-splitting boogyman is coming for us! Unless he's got a critical mass of enriched uranium or plutonium in the cupboard, which strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely, I don't see why he shouldn't split all the atoms he wants.
	__________________ Thinking is skilled work....People with untrained minds should no more expect to think clearly and logically than people who have never learned and never practiced can expect to find themselves good carpenters, golfers, bridge-players, or pianists. -- Alfred Mander

3rd August 2011, 09:35 PM	#13
Southwind17 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Location: Location Posts: 4,496	Originally Posted by Kevin_Lowe Oh no! The atom-splitting boogyman is coming for us! Unless he's got a critical mass of enriched uranium or plutonium in the cupboard, which strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely, I don't see why he shouldn't split all the atoms he wants. Forget uranium and plutonium, if he starts splitting peas it's curtains for us all!
	__________________ The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the unanimous view of all parts of my mind "Always" and "never" are two words that you should always remember never to use. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. Why is it that when I ask for a pair of hands a brain comes attached?

3rd August 2011, 09:50 PM	#14
Captain Obvious Suspended Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Phone kiosk / Penthouse suite / Arctic ice palace Posts: 333	I didn't think you needed a licence to go fission in Scandinavia.

3rd August 2011, 11:07 PM	#15
Furcifer miscreant Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: hohm Posts: 13,379	Originally Posted by Kevin_Lowe Unless he's got a critical mass of enriched uranium or plutonium in the cupboard, which strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely, I don't see why he shouldn't split all the atoms he wants. He sounds like a copy cat of this kid in Michigan that collected a bunch of smoke detectors and glow in the dark stuff. I think he also ordered radioactive teaching materials from NIST and took them out of the plastic casings. There may have been tracer rounds too. Anyways, despite not being able to make a bomb he made quite a mess, radiation levels were off the charts and they had to destroy most of the stuff and send in a contamination team. I'll see if I can find the article. ETA: http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html
	Last edited by Furcifer; 3rd August 2011 at 11:09 PM.

4th August 2011, 12:18 AM	#16
Kevin_Lowe Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Queensland Posts: 10,375	Originally Posted by Furcifer He sounds like a copy cat of this kid in Michigan that collected a bunch of smoke detectors and glow in the dark stuff. I think he also ordered radioactive teaching materials from NIST and took them out of the plastic casings. There may have been tracer rounds too. Anyways, despite not being able to make a bomb he made quite a mess, radiation levels were off the charts and they had to destroy most of the stuff and send in a contamination team. I'll see if I can find the article. ETA: http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html Heh, that's awesome but I can see why you don't want it next door.
	__________________ Thinking is skilled work....People with untrained minds should no more expect to think clearly and logically than people who have never learned and never practiced can expect to find themselves good carpenters, golfers, bridge-players, or pianists. -- Alfred Mander

4th August 2011, 11:12 AM	#17
billw Critical Thinker Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Far North Glendale Posts: 471	Originally Posted by Captain Obvious I didn't think you needed a licence to go fission in Scandinavia. Especially on a new clear day like this.
	__________________ I may be going to hell in a bucket But at least I'm enjoying the ride. -- John Perry Barlow

4th August 2011, 11:16 AM	#18
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912	Originally Posted by dafydd He's going to need a very sharp chisel. I thought I was the only one who saw that movie.
Fredrik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,912

4th August 2011, 11:21 AM	#19
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 42,572	Originally Posted by Kopji I'm not even going to guess if this is legal in the US. If he said he was only exercising his 2nd amendment right to make nuclear weapons he'd probably draw a crowd of supporters. Libertarian hero and failed Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik would certainly support him.
	__________________ If I see somebody with a gun on a plane? I'll kill him.

4th August 2011, 11:22 AM	#20
The Central Scrutinizer Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The White Zone Posts: 42,572	Originally Posted by Southwind17 Forget uranium and plutonium, if he starts splitting peas it's curtains for us all! What if he splits hairs?
	__________________ If I see somebody with a gun on a plane? I'll kill him.

4th August 2011, 11:33 AM	#21
Sledge Grammaton Cleric Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Swingin' on a star Posts: 7,123	Originally Posted by The Central Scrutinizer What if he splits hairs? Then he'll be right at home on this forum.
	__________________ "The perfect haiku would have just two syllables: Airwolf" ~ Ernest Cline "Science knows it doesn't know everything, otherwise it would stop" ~ Dara O'Briain.

4th August 2011, 05:40 PM	#22
CapelDodger Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Cardiff, South Wales Posts: 16,760	Originally Posted by ApolloGnomon Geez, and I get nervous just experimenting with homemade hooch in my kitchen. And now you've blogged about it . Did you miss the moral of this tale?
	__________________ It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward - Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) God can make a cow out of a tree, but has He ever done so? Therefore show some reason why a thing is so, or cease to hold that it is so - William of Conches, c1150

4th August 2011, 07:00 PM	#23
ApolloGnomon Aluminum Tripod Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Time Zone Zed Zed Plural Zed Alpha Posts: 2,009	What with this being splitting-hairs-jref and all... this isn't a blog. It's a forum. The correct verb isn't blogging. It's posting. And Apollo Gnomon isn't my real name. I also post at a home-made-hooch forum. Ain't been busted yet. "Don't tell, don't sell, and don't make a smell." I challenge feds to identify my rig when disassembled from the rest of the chaos of mad science in my shop.
	__________________ Lunar Sample Compendium ............Apollo Lunar Surface Journal "I'm ignoring the rest of your foaming rant. " JayUtah

4th August 2011, 10:18 PM	#24
jasonpatterson Philanthropic Misanthrope Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Space, The Final Frontier Posts: 2,197	Pitchblende is fairly easy to come by. Heck, they sell it on eBay. If you want uranium and are willing to pay for the ore, it's right there... Getting something that could produce an actual meltdown is a whole other story though, of course.
	__________________ Sandra's seen a leprechaun, Eddie touched a troll, Laurie danced with witches once, Charlie found some goblins' gold. Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susie spied an elf, But all the magic I have known I've had to make myself. - Shel Silverstein

5th August 2011, 01:38 AM	#25
Southwind17 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Location: Location Posts: 4,496	Originally Posted by jasonpatterson Pitchblende is fairly easy to come by. Heck, they sell it on eBay. If you want uranium and are willing to pay for the ore, it's right there... Getting something that could produce an actual meltdown is a whole other story though, of course. So what's your point, then?!
	__________________ The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the unanimous view of all parts of my mind "Always" and "never" are two words that you should always remember never to use. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. Why is it that when I ask for a pair of hands a brain comes attached?

5th August 2011, 10:28 AM	#26
Beanbag Master Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Posts: 2,709	Originally Posted by MG1962 And sold out I understand some guy in Sweden bought them out in one large order. Beanbag
	__________________ Nothing divides an indivisible nation quite as well as religion. Know god, no peace. No god, know peace. If Jesus is the answer, it must be a real dumb question.

5th August 2011, 11:26 AM	#27
elgarak Graduate Poster Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: No matter where I go, there I am Posts: 1,868	Originally Posted by jasonpatterson Pitchblende is fairly easy to come by. Heck, they sell it on eBay. If you want uranium and are willing to pay for the ore, it's right there... Getting something that could produce an actual meltdown is a whole other story though, of course. I don't believe he actually had a 'meltdown' in the nuclear sense. He even put quotation marks around it on his blog. What he wanted to do was processing/blending the materials by dissolving them in hot sulphuric acid, and experienced a superheating event. Fairly common lab accident. I happen to work in a lab which occasionally does chemical processing; at one time in my career it was everyday work for me. Working with hot acids is one of the processes I dread most, only topped by hydrofluoric acid. Which is why you have labs with safety equipment like fume hoods, and don't do it in a kitchen. I'm not even sure he can be charged with illegal possession of radioactive materials (which, as I understand, is the only outlawed activity of his in most jurisdictions). I glanced over his blog, and most of the stuff was everyday, legal to obtain merchandise that just happens to have radioactive parts, like smoke detectors and uranium glass objects.

5th August 2011, 11:54 AM	#28
ApolloGnomon Aluminum Tripod Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Time Zone Zed Zed Plural Zed Alpha Posts: 2,009	Quote: I don't believe he actually had a 'meltdown' in the nuclear sense. He even put quotation marks around it on his blog. Link, for the curious: http://richardsreactor.blogspot.com/
	__________________ Lunar Sample Compendium ............Apollo Lunar Surface Journal "I'm ignoring the rest of your foaming rant. " JayUtah

5th August 2011, 03:59 PM	#29
epepke Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 7,953	It was only a pickled herring atom.
epepke Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 7,953	__________________ "It probably came from a sticky dark planet far, far away." - Godzilla versus Hedora "There's no evidence that the 9-11 attacks (whoever did them) were deliberately attacking civilians. On the contrary the targets appear to have been chosen as military." -DavidByron

5th August 2011, 05:40 PM	#30
blutoski Philosopher Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 6,014	Originally Posted by elgarak I don't believe he actually had a 'meltdown' in the nuclear sense. He even put quotation marks around it on his blog. What he wanted to do was processing/blending the materials by dissolving them in hot sulphuric acid, and experienced a superheating event. Fairly common lab accident. I happen to work in a lab which occasionally does chemical processing; at one time in my career it was everyday work for me. Working with hot acids is one of the processes I dread most, only topped by hydrofluoric acid. Which is why you have labs with safety equipment like fume hoods, and don't do it in a kitchen. I'm not even sure he can be charged with illegal possession of radioactive materials (which, as I understand, is the only outlawed activity of his in most jurisdictions). I glanced over his blog, and most of the stuff was everyday, legal to obtain merchandise that just happens to have radioactive parts, like smoke detectors and uranium glass objects. I was actually trying to figure out how he even broke a law in Sweden. Surely if it was illegal to possess these materials, they would have been stopped at customs?
	__________________ "Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." - Terry Pratchett

6th August 2011, 03:09 AM	#31
CapelDodger Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Cardiff, South Wales Posts: 16,760	Originally Posted by ApolloGnomon What with this being splitting-hairs-jref and all... this isn't a blog. It's a forum. The correct verb isn't blogging. It's posting. Colour me chastened. (I wanted to keep the connection with "he blogged about it", and knew I was taking a risk here.) Quote: And Apollo Gnomon isn't my real name. I also post at a home-made-hooch forum. Ain't been busted yet. "Don't tell, don't sell, and don't make a smell." I challenge feds to identify my rig when disassembled from the rest of the chaos of mad science in my shop. There's more than a hairbreadth difference between "Don't tell" and "I post about it" but let's not meet at dawn over this . (CapelDodger isn't my real name either.)
	__________________ It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward - Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) God can make a cow out of a tree, but has He ever done so? Therefore show some reason why a thing is so, or cease to hold that it is so - William of Conches, c1150

6th August 2011, 08:12 AM	#32
RossFW Muse Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 845	Originally Posted by Fredrik I thought I was the only one who saw that movie. No, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only sucker who paid to see his NEXT Movie!
RossFW Muse Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 845

6th August 2011, 08:20 AM	#33
Checkmite Skepticifimisticalationist Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Third in line Posts: 14,976	If I see a man with fissile material on a plane, etc.

7th August 2011, 08:22 PM	#34
Southwind17 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Location: Location Posts: 4,496	Originally Posted by elgarak I'm not even sure he can be charged with illegal possession of radioactive materials (which, as I understand, is the only outlawed activity of his in most jurisdictions). I glanced over his blog, and most of the stuff was everyday, legal to obtain merchandise that just happens to have radioactive parts, like smoke detectors and uranium glass objects. Isn't it all about intent? Like it's not illegal to possess fertilizer, or sugar, for example, but get caught with 10 barrels of each in your garden shed and ...
	__________________ The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the unanimous view of all parts of my mind "Always" and "never" are two words that you should always remember never to use. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. Why is it that when I ask for a pair of hands a brain comes attached?

7th August 2011, 09:07 PM	#35
Myriad Hyperthetical Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8,218	In the U.S. many laws of this type fall under licensing requirements. Regardless of the legality of possession of the materials, when the activity the materials are being used for falls under a category or definition that requires a license, and you don't have a license, you're breaking the law. And applying for a license to build and operate an experimental nuclear reactor of unspecified design in a residential zoned area would be no small task. Respectfully, Myriad
	__________________ The cosmos is a vast Loom, with time the warp and space the weft. We are all fruit of the Loom, unaware.