Radioactive rumour

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by TheArmourer

Was it only D+F+P=Hadouken! & CvilleFencer that read my post right to the end?

FYI - Inquartata I'm reasonably well aquainted with the differences between 235 & 238 and the nature of DU but I really didn't want to start a debate on fissile materials, half lives and the relative toxisities heavy metals. That's why I wrote the 3rd paragraph.

a) My post was directed at D+etc, not you. Not all comments revolve around you, even on threads you start.

b) Forum discussions tend to take on a life of their own. There's no call for annoyed sighs and general asperity when they don't confine themselves to your exactingly dictated restrictions.

c) When you say things like "Don't go into subject X!" it virtually guarantees that people will. It probably ought to be a law of internet discussions.

[Mergs]

Originally Posted by Artisan

There was a case a few years back where some iron / steel castings for restaurant / cafe style table bases were made in Mexico from recyled scrap of dubious origin. There was a recall of several thousand that were imported by the US. I forget what the source was - either medcal waste contamination or a shady deal made by a reactor decomissioning contractor. These things sent a geiger counter buzzing. Perhaps the blade thing was a drift of this, becoming an urban myth.

I remember this story.

It all started in Juarez. Some hospital threw out an xray machine of some sort and didn't remove the radiation source, a large canister of cobalt 60 pellets. The machine ended up in a scrap yard and because the casing was not magnetic, it just kind of rolled around the yard for awhile until someone punched a hole in the casing.

A bunch of pellets managed to get into the scrap metal being shipped for recycling, while some Einstein took it home in the bed of his pickup truck. The truck broke down and was left parked on the street of the bario.

Meanwhile the scrap metal was melted down and turned into pedastals for resturant tables and rebar. It was while a load of this rebar was being delivered to, I think, Los Alamos, the truck set off the radiation detectors as it was ENTERING the facility. And that is what started the investigation chain that lead back to the scrap yard and eventually found the canister in the parked pickup.

When they found it, the truck was so hot that rats and mice were found dead underneath it from the radiation. Needless to say there was a rash of radiation poisoning in the neighborhood, especially amongst the kids that used to play on or in the truck. They eventually filled the bed of the truck with concrete and hauled it away.

All in all a very tragic story. And we wonder why we get all bent out of shape about some countries having the ability to produce/handle this kind of material.

[TheArmourer]

Originally Posted by Mergs

And we wonder why we get all bent out of shape about some countries having the ability to produce/handle this kind of material.

You mean like the US , China and Russia ... amongst others. Perrish the thought that any of the super powers would have a reactor core go pop.

For the record - I'm pro nuke. Cleanest, most cost effective & most efficient source of non-renewable energy we have. If it's done properly and if the politicians are prepared to stand by it, that is!
As for omnilateral dissarmament - waste of time - you can't destroy knowledge.

[Mergs]

I'm more worried about a non-superpower having something that goes pop!

[CvilleFencer]

Mergs is right. If you can't handle your basic level Nuclear Medicine equipment properly you should not be trusted with Nuclear weapons. As they are by definition something that will affect their neibhors if they are misused or mismanaged the normal rights of national sovereignty are not as binding as normal in this issue IMHO.

[Artisan]

Back to the blades thing:

I remember seeing a news documentary in the past year about the amount and prevalence of stray radioactive material littering the Russian and Ukranuian country sides. One application they had developed was a cobalt gamma source used in agriculture to process seed or something, sterilizing it. It has a paint can sized container oof cobalt 60 which was very hot. These machines were "decomissioned in place" and promptly forgotten when the soviet union collapsed. Peasant hunters knew about them, because they made good places to camp for the night - it was much warmer if you pitched your tent within 10 ft of this small metal object. The "authorities cam to inspect these strange reports. They got sick and some died. An international organization got involved to help (IAEC ?) and started tracking these things down. There were hundreds all over the place. The workers took 5 minute shifts laboring to get these things and the surronding soil cleaned up. One shift and thats all you can do - forever - next worker. It took hundreds of men to just clean up after one of these things.
that was but one example of several covered in this documentary about the problem of unaccounted for radioactive materials from the former soviet union. It seemed abundantly clear that it would take relatively litter effort for a bad guy to get a hold of enough of this stuff to made a "dirty bomb" Its seems that it would also be very easy to see how contaminated material could find its way into the recycling stream and end up in a mnufactured consumer product like a fencing blade, as in the case of the Juarez Mexico incident.

I'l do some R & D on a new line of lightweight lead lames
for you foil fencers out there. For the epee guys I'll be selling a lead lined cup, and an extra strength supporter to hold it in place. Estimated retail price; $24.95.

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Artisan

The workers took 5 minute shifts laboring to get these things and the surronding soil cleaned up. One shift and thats all you can do - forever - next worker. It took hundreds of men to just clean up after one of these things.
that was but one example of several covered in this documentary about the problem of unaccounted for radioactive materials from the former soviet union. It seemed abundantly clear that it would take relatively litter effort for a bad guy to get a hold of enough of this stuff to made a "dirty bomb"

Wouldn't you in fact need "hundreds" of bad guys? Otherwise it's one to pick the stuff up and carry it to the truck, and die. Another to drive the truck 10 miles, and die. Another for the next ten miles, die. Etc...

Say, maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

[Artisan]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Wouldn't you in fact need "hundreds" of bad guys? Otherwise it's one to pick the stuff up and carry it to the truck, and die. Another to drive the truck 10 miles, and die. Another for the next ten miles, die. Etc...

Say, maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

nah... just a few - I don't think they'd die that quickly. Does FedEx check parcels for radiation?

[Inquartata]

If you were the pickup driver, would you accept a parcel from a guy covered in sores, with bleeding gums and hair falling out who kept vomiting on himself?

[Artisan]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

If you were the pickup driver, would you accept a parcel from a guy covered in sores, with bleeding gums and hair falling out who kept vomiting on himself?

No way...But the savvy Bad Guy will use a drop box, drive a stolen car and pay with a pilfered credit card number - or dupe a courier to deliver the parcel to the FedEx hub. Anonymity. C'mon Inq ! Focus man!

[sreckiki]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

I would blame the French for this round of rumor mongering. Why the French? Why not.

Too easy...

But if you had said: "I would blame the French for his round of rumor mongering because their Minister for the sports (JF Lamour) is a former saber Vodka addict..."

I would have to admit: "CvilleFencer, you're my idol!"

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Artisan

No way...But the savvy Bad Guy will use a drop box, drive a stolen car and pay with a pilfered credit card number - or dupe a courier to deliver the parcel to the FedEx hub. Anonymity. C'mon Inq ! Focus man!

"Look, dear, that Fed Ex box is glowing!"

"That just means it's open all night."

[D'Artag-NOT]

The rumor hadn't reached me, and I'm surprised it didn't die a natural death long ago.

Because who would buy Russian blades anyway?

[Louweasel]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Huh! And here I thought weasels subsisted on small rodents, fowl and insects! You are indeed extraordinary in so many ways!

BTW, whatever became of the "don't get sucked into jet engines" sig? ( You know how change distresses me! )

That'll be normal weasels you're thinking of. And, as we have established elsewhere, I am a magic weasel, and enjoy unusual snacks.

As for the sig, well, variety is the spice of life and it was time for a change. The origin of my current sig is as follows - it was a term applied to me by one of my closest friends, after a few intoxicating beverages. Referring to my boyfriend (his [my friend's] brother) and me, he said "You're very well suited to each other really. You're both...