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I recall reading about using neutron beams to alter the chemistry of phonograph needles. I think the idea was to make them into a radioactive isotope that conti
by DoofusOfDeath 6y ago
I recall reading about using neutron beams to alter the chemistry of phonograph needles. I think the idea was to make them into a radioactive isotope that continually ionized the needle, so that it repelled dust.
But maybe I'm remembering wrong. The closest article I can find is from Theodore Gray [0]. It talks about old phonograph needles made from osmium, which is very toxic in dust form.
[0] https://theodoregray.com/periodictable/Elements/076/index.s11.html https://theodoregray.com/periodictable/Elements/076/index.s1...
- VLM 6y agoYou're probably thinking of polonium record cleaning brushes sold by staticmaster. Its an interesting case study in planned obsolescence, the radioactive half life being only a hundred days the anti-static effectiveness of the brush would completely disappear a couple years after manufacture, requiring the purchase of yet another brush. Electronic / ham radio people would sometimes use staticmaster brushes in the winter when soldering RF preamp FET transistors to try and eliminate transistor-destroying static charge; I was never personally a believer in that technique at least at the amateur level.
- DoofusOfDeath 6y agoThank you! That was driving me crazy. And now I see why I got confused: it's another phonograph-related dangerous-element fact that I learned from reading Theodore Gray's book, The Elements [0] [1]. Now if I could only remember why I thought neutron beams were involved... [0] https://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Elements/084/index.s7.html https://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Elements/084/index.s7... [1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011IZNWZU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011IZNWZU