Home Geiger Counters Geiger Counter Accessories UV Torches & Marbles Nuclear Novelties Science Signs & Labels Nibbles Sources
|
Archives -
|
US Military boffins want to explore, well, human waste - apparently..
DARPA's
recent Request For Information seeks a method to "enable the development
of deployable nuclear reactor technologies for the generation of electrical
power and military logistic fuels (JP-8) in forward land based and maritime
military operations." The technical approaches they cite as feasible
include water/seawater, biomass, waste materials. The
most obvious place to look for the latter? The ample human waste generated by
soldiers. As Wired points out: The
military’s already working on using seawater to create fuel, but that’s more of
an option for maritime operations. Without an endless supply of seawater they’d
need an alternative carbon source.
Enter the massive quantities of sludge that inevitably accumulate around
troop outposts. It’s been a problem for decades, according to environmental
management expert Dr James Lee. In an article for the Army’s Engineer School,
he writes that the military spent upwards of US$65,000 in annual fuel costs just
to burn off human refuse at base camp in the Balkans.So by using that waste as
a fuel source instead of burning it off, everybody wins! DARPA's accepting submissions until April 30th, so if you've got a fool-proof method for poop-fueled portable nuclear generators, it's time to put it to good use. (5/4/10) Images: Gizmodo / Impactlab It's been a while, but the ice man cometh to Vermont Yankee
A
man who delivered a truckload of ice to the Vermont Yankee plant
said he was astounded when he was waved through the front gate two weeks ago
without being searched. "It
struck me as weird to be able to drive through the first gate," said Peter
Caloon, Rice's Ice plant manager, in Greenfield, Mass. "Why do they have a
guy with an automatic rifle at the gate if they're not worried about checking
vehicles there?" “Caloon
and his ice truck only entered the "owner-controlled area," said Neil
Sheehan, spokesman for the NRC, and not the "protected area," which
is a fenced-in area featuring checkpoints to allow access to such structures as
the reactor building. "Vehicles
and materials that will be going through the vehicle barrier portals are
searched for contraband or other items that could be used to commit
radiological sabotage," said Sheehan. "The ice truck was not granted
access past those vehicle barriers and therefore did not have to be searched.
There was no requirement that the truck be searched." Caloon wondered what could have happened if 20 gun-toting terrorists were in the back of his truck...(12/2/10) Mr Muscle takes on Dounreay's cleaning problem
The
household cleaning product was used at Dounreay in Caithness, which is being
demolished at a cost of £2.5bn. Hi-tech
equipment had been developed to destroy radioactive materials. However, Mr
Muscle was found to be the best option to help make safe the tubes used at a
nuclear reprocessing laboratory.
Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said various options were
looked at for the disposal of the glass columns, some 10m long. Crushing was
tried and abandoned due to the potential for the spread of contamination. Eventually, the decommissioning project team found that the best option was to decontaminate the columns and dispose of them as low level waste. To clean the glass it was sprayed with a glue and this was then removed with Mr Muscle. Radioactive snowmen - it's "snow" joke, folks...
On
Friday, Feb. 2, 1951, residents near Rochester, NY, had something else to worry
about (other than the Korean War, Russia, etc) - radioactive
snowmen. A
batch of winter snowflakes that had fallen in Rochester in January had
registered on the atomic scale. Experts blamed bomb tests in New Mexico for
this unusual snow. Scientists said the level of radioactivity was too low to
bother humans and teenagers were not going to annihilate each other in snowball
fights. Still, the Atomic Energy Commission was on the job. “All necessary precautions, including radiological surveys and patrolling, are being undertaken to ensure that safety conditions are maintained,” read a commission report. Dr. Kenneth H. Kingdon, technical manager of the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna said: “It should always be kept in mind that measuring instruments are thousands of times more sensitive to radioactivity than is the human body and that, therefore, the detection of radioactivity by sensitive instruments is not a cause for alarm”.
Psstt! Want to buy a cell phone strap? Today' trend - Tritium...
The
Education, Science and Technology Ministry has started recalling about 5,500
cell phone straps that contain the radioactive substance tritium through
the Japan Radioisotope Association, officials said. The
Metropolitan Police Department arrested a couple in Hiroshima in July for
allegedly selling the cell phone straps without obtaining permission from the
ministry. The fluorescent cell phone straps reportedly have glass containers
holding tritium. Although
the tritium in the product is harmless to humans even if the glass container is
broken, the amount of tritium per unit is about 26 times the allowable level
under the radiation sickness prevention law. The law requires those who handle the radioactive material to obtain a national qualification. Those who bought the product may also be charged with violating the law.
Hey, man, have you seen my spliff? It's like, whoa, man, where's my weed...???
An
investigation has been launched into the discovery of an illegal
drug found in a protected area of Oconee Nuclear Station, a Duke Energy
spokeswoman said. Sandra Magee went on to say that a small quantity of
marijuana was found in the turbine building of the nuclear station – an
employee apparently saw the substance ‘lying about’ and reported it to
security. The
Oconee County Sheriff’s Office assisted in identifying the drug and Duke’s
security team is conducting an investigation. Duke Energy notified the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission of the problem.
Swedish plant gets slap on the wrists for using cleaning staff as guards
A decision by management of Sweden’s Oskarshamn
nuclear power plant to have custodial workers stand in as guards drew a sharp
rebuke from the country’s nuclear regulatory authority. For a week in early
October, members of a contract cleaning crew stood guard along sections of the
plant’s perimeter fencing during repairs to the plant’s alarm system. Home Geiger Counter Accessories Geiger Counters UV Torches & Marbles Nuclear Novelties Science Signs & Labels Nibbles Sources Glowing lift buttons - started life as nuclear subs - possibly..
If
the buttons in some British lifts are glowing more than usual, it could be
because they spent their earlier life as part of a nuclear
submarine. The possibility has arisen after a French
company recently acknowledged
Nuns labelled 'terrorists' in Baltimore
Dominican nuns Sister Ardeth Platte and Sister Carol
Gilbert have spent more than 40 years protesting nuclear
weapons and war, even doing time in federal prison for their actions. They
say they have devoted their entire lives to non-violent resistance. But after
spending two weeks out of town, Sister Ardeth, 72, and Sister Carol, 60,
returned to their Baltimore home to find letters and an e-mail from the
Maryland State Police saying they were wrongfully labelled as suspected
terrorists in a federal database between 2005 and 2006. Sister
Carol and Sister Ardeth make no apologies for their actions and demonstrations
in the past. In 2002, the two, along with another nun, broke into a nuclear
missile site in Colorado and used their own blood to paint crosses on a silo.
Sister Ardeth was sentenced to 41 months and Sister Carol was sentenced to 33
months in federal prison. But
the nuns maintain they did not participate in any rallies or protests during
the time period in which they were entered into the database as terrorists, and
demand answers from the state police regarding how and why their names ended up
in the database. "To
be labelled a terrorist is really very hard to hear and to accept when your
whole life has been one of loving non-violence.”
Rocking on in China - not the kind of takeaway you'd want!!
Three
Chinese tourists bought a 274-kg (604-lb) piece of depleted uranium
and brought it home from Kyrgyzstan as a souvenir. The tourists from Aksu
bought "the glittering treasure" for $2,000 at a flea market, hoping
to make money by reselling it in China. Not
knowing what they had actually bought, the tourists sliced off a piece of the
stone and took it to experts from Beijing's Tsinghua University. After
identifying the souvenir as a piece of depleted uranium, the scientists called
the police. Local prosecutors decided against filing charges of nuclear trafficking as the men obviously had no idea what they had bought.
Chinese cheese grater gets alarms buzzing at US waste site
When an ordinary household
(Chinese made) cheese
grater set off radiation alarms at a Flint scrap metal recycling
facility last month, workers were required to send it for testing -- and it
turned out to contain the radioactive isotope Cobalt-60. The radiation levels
weren't high enough to pose a danger, and the grater wasn't actually glowing.
But one Nuclear Regulatory Commission official called the incident
"reasonably rare." The
incident occurred in August, when a truck loaded down with metal parts was
stopped after the scanners alerted crews to contamination. After sweeping the
contents of the truck with hand-held scanners, workers traced the source to a
run-of-the-mill, triangular-shaped grater. More specifically, the monitors
showed the radioactivity located in the appliance's metal handle. "It
is not uncommon for our radiation detectors to be activated by trace
radioactive materials," said a spokesman for Genesee Recycling.
Warning sirens raise hackles in Battleboro - NIMBYs not happy Our thanks to Bob Audette, writing for
the Reformer web site in Vermont for the bones of this reassuring
article that shows NIMBY-ism is alive and well in the US – this time it’s an
on-going debate where to site the new warning sirens in Battleboro. Only in America, people… The news that the town has identified a
potential site for a new emergency
warning siren near the intersection of Bonnyvale and
Miller Roads is raising hackles with many of the residents who live in that
neighbourhood. Among
their concerns are that the sight of the siren would ruin a scenic vista, its
100-decibel warning signal could spook livestock and pets and its addition to
the neighbourhood could lower property values. A
resident pointed out that she was worried that the placement of a siren would
block the view toward the northwest from the corner of her land and affect her
property value. She continued: “Why ruin it with such an eyesore, when surely
there are other, less intrusive locations?" Residents are also complaining that they can hear a siren located at a nearby fire station….As I said, only in America, people…
Star Trekkin' with ray guns Here’s one for Star Trek fans everywhere: back in 2005, scientists unveiled details of a project that aimed to develop Star Trek-style ray guns that could keep "security adversaries" out of Department of Energy (DoE) nuclear sites. The US Department of Defence was "exploring the potential" of directed energy weapons based on millimetre-wave rays with plans to bring them into use in 2008. Home Geiger Counter Accessories Geiger Counters UV Torches & Marbles Nuclear Novelties Science Signs & Labels Nibbles Sources
Psst, this fell off the back of a lorry...
A
box weighing around 75 pounds (approx 34kg) containing a small amount of uranium
apparently fell from a truck in North Fort Worth and was retrieved by a
passer-by who took it home (and kept it there for 14 hours) before turning it
over to officials. Said a fire service spokesman: ‘It was clearly marked
radioactive’. The
package contained radioactive material from an X-ray camera and is used by
industrial workers to photograph welds on pipelines, officials said. There were
no leaks, and the box had not been tampered with; apparently there are a series
of steps you have to go through to get the thing open. The material may pose a slight health risk to someone coming in contact with it, officials said, even though it can’t be opened accidentally. Pipe bomb causes shutdown in Arizona With thanks to Ryan Randazzo, writing for
The Arizona Republic for this little gem. After a pipe bomb in his pickup
triggered the first lockdown in 21 years of operation at Palo
Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Arizona,
Roger W. Hurd is back at work, officials said. "Here's the bottom line: He's not a suspect," said Jim McDonald, a spokesman for plant operator Arizona Public Service Co.
Russian weapon take-away deal The following is not meant to be taken seriously: In the wake of the former Soviet Union's demise, there are literally thousands of high-quality nuclear weapons complete with intercontinental delivery systems going unused. So, why not lease a nuclear weapon? The advantages are many: just sign, point and go - and when you’ve had enough, you can just turn in the button and walk away
Power plant bosses get US$143m for non-collection of fuel rods WASHINGTON: The owners of three closed nuclear power plants have been awarded $143 million because the government has failed to take away their used reactor fuel rods. The award by the U.S. Federal Court of Claims settles a long-standing legal fight waged by operators of the three reactors in Maine, Connecticut and Massachusetts
Now, how do you dismantle this bomb? Found today (4th Oct) How to dismantle an atomic bomb: Sure, the odds are slim that you'd ever be faced with an atomic device ticking down to zero. But think how Jack Bauer (24) it'd be if you were. And then who are you going to trust? Us, or some do-gooder rock band?
Bush has many nuke arsenal secrets The Bush administration has begun designating as secret some information that the government long provided even to its enemy the former Soviet Union: the numbers of strategic weapons in the U.S. nuclear arsenal during the Cold War!!
Kabbalah fluid to clean up radioactive waste - just ask Madonna Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie have been lobbying the government and nuclear industry over a scheme to clean up radioactive waste with a supposedly magic Kabbalah fluid. Suspend scepticism and read on. Home Geiger Counter Accessories Geiger Counters UV Torches & Marbles Nuclear Novelties Science Signs & Labels Nibbles Sources
Who says farting isn't useful? With apologies, but here’s one we just couldn’t resist. If
you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is
produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb. ...
Canadian thief exposed to radiation Make your own mind up about this one…
A determined, but unlucky thief broke into a Canadian weather station on Vancouver Island. Not only did
he make off with more than $300 worth of tools, his efforts also exposed him to
a dose of radiation.
|
|
Copyright © 2006 - 2010 anythingradioactive.com |
|
All information on this web site is provided as is without warranty of any kind. Neither Rick Maybury Ltd nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from your choosing to use any of the information or products contained herein. |
This
is not an April Fool's post, says Brian Barrett, writing for Gizmodo
(we’ve checked – it’s for real!) This is a serious post about DARPA, the US
military's experimental research arm, and how they want to explore human waste
as a fuel source for
Our
thanks to Bob Audette for giving us a classic ‘just plain silly’ moment
with this report from the Brattleboro Reformer.
My grateful thanks to those nice people at the BBC
on-line service for this gem. Workers decommissioning a nuclear power complex
have found Mr Muscle to be more effective than specialised techniques for
cleaning contaminated glass tubes.
Jeff
Wilkin
Anna
Simon
With
apologies to Kim and Aggie for the picture – we couldn’t resist – we give
you this little gem we found on the pages of The Local, in Sweden and
filed by David Landes. 
This rather interesting article found on the Times Online
pages, came to us via a roundabout route so we thought we’d share it with you.
The
following was found on the Fox News web pages and was filed by Ashley
M Lewis.
Here’s
a cautionary spin on bringing back rock from your hols; and we are not talking
about the kind you find in Blackpool either!! The following was found on the
pages of RIA Novosti.
Just when you think that things
will never perk up, along comes a real gem that’s up there with radioactive
kitty litter! The following comes with grateful thanks from yours truly, via Jim
Lynch writing for the Detroit News web pages.
This little gem
was reported by Debra Dennis writing for the Dallas Morning News.