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I wish these toys were available today. This one is not particularly dangerous (U-238 is barely radioactive), yet very educational and entertaining. I try to p
by atemerev 7y ago
I wish these toys were available today. This one is not particularly dangerous (U-238 is barely radioactive), yet very educational and entertaining.
I try to perform some chemical and biological experiments with my daughter, however, it is much more interesting when you can do such things without adult supervision; and e.g. home CRISPR kits, while available, require precision and many difficult steps to achieve the results (there are no guarantees).
- Gibbon1 7y agoReminds me of a friend mentioning his college friend talking about the micro biology lab procedures he had to do. Making a reagent using a 60 step process involving mixing colorless solutions to get another colorless solution. The dismay when you test the reagent and find it no workie.
- consp 7y ago> This one is not particularly dangerous (U-238 is barely radioactive) No, and uranium ore isn't that concentrated either (they probably didn't use high grade stuff). Though Zn-65, Rb-106, Po-210 and Pb-210 aren't as nice but the concentrations would probably have been negligible, otherwise I would stay away from those. I remember cloud chamber experiments we did at a special laboratory when in high school and it was really nice to see the beta radiation being deflected by a magnetic field and curl up a bit.
- atemerev 7y agoYes, I will try to build a cloud chamber myself, it is not particularly difficult. Low-grade needle sources should also be obtainable.
- consp 7y agoSmoke detectors for one are the easiest and most affordable source of a of any alpha radiation (Am-241). Though most new ones are based on other methods.
- atemerev 7y agoWe don’t have them in Switzerland, unfortunately.
- reaperducer 7y agoThere are no smoke detectors in Switzerland? Or do you guys use some other substance in yours?
- atemerev 7y agoA bit of both. They are much less of them due do different fire safety codes, and where we have them, they use different principles (optical, etc.)
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- reaperducer 7y agoI wish these toys were available today. Maybe if they were, fewer people would be afraid of science. And atomic energy. When we were kids one of my cousins was signed up for some kind of science experiment of the month club. The first kit came with a microscope and all kinds of instruments. Then each month a box would arrive full of slides and rocks and all kinds of things with instructions for performing five or six different experiments. Even as an adult, if such a thing existed I would subscribe to it today.
- adammunich 7y agohttps://www.thimble.io/courses/ https://www.thimble.io/courses/
- reaperducer 7y agoThat seems like a good choice for some. It's sad, though, that for Thimble, and so many others, that "science"=electronics, when there is so much more to explore.
- galaxyLogic 7y agoHave no fear for atomic energy, none of them can stop the time
- yk 7y agoWell U238 is still a heavy metal and as such pretty poisonous. (As is the rest in the kit.) So most likely the samples are encased in glass, however one should be pretty certain that that glass does not get damaged.
- atemerev 7y agoSo is e.g. lead. And yes, like chemical kits, these are targeted for kids who already learned not to swallow the components and materials. :)
- JorgeGT 7y agoI'm pretty sure the cleaning supplies in the average home are more dangerous than anything in this kit.
- yk 7y agoYes, both are pretty toxic.
- ethbro 7y agoI'd heartlessly hazard that weeding future nuclear engineers out who are unable to master reading "Do not consume" warnings is probably for the best...