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In 2012, there was the Raspberry PI computer for $25. As much fun as I'd have with a Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, the present isn't too shabby either. I've
by glimcat 15y ago
In 2012, there was the Raspberry PI computer for $25. As much fun as I'd have with a Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, the present isn't too shabby either.
I've also seen someone fly a Geiger counter on an autonomous quadcopter, so there's that.
- tomjen3 15y agoYou know those things could be useful to detect radiation leaks or even dirty bombs.
- pavel_lishin 15y agoI wonder how sensitive they are. What's to stop some jerk from buying uranium and scattering it around the city triggering a rash of false positives? http://www.unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_4 http://www.unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=index&c...
- sliverstorm 15y agoThat is why it is a Geiger counter. Low count, low threat. High count, high threat. To my knowledge you can't fake a dangerous amount of radiation.
- pavel_lishin 15y agoSure, but if you're shipping radioactive materials into the country, you probably want to wrap it in lead, or anything that'll keep it from damaging you while in transit, which means lower counts, right?
- sliverstorm 15y agoYes, lead can mask a highly radioactive object in transit. But I don't see what that has to do with false positives?
- pavel_lishin 15y agoI figure that even a small amount of detected radiation would make people worry - "oh no, a terrorist is trying to smuggle plutonium into the country but his lead-lined briefcase has a hole in it!" - so generating a lot of false positives might cloak an actual delivery. Or it could just cause panic, akin to calling in random bomb threats. Terrorism doesn't really have to kill anyone, just has to scare them.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]