4 ms·

This may be a stupid question, but is this thing emitting anything or is it simply a passive detector? I’m mainly worried about any potential health risks.

misnome 2y ago
It uses the muons that you are naturally being bombarded with!
alnwlsn 2y ago
The most dangerous thing about this is that the geiger tubes run at about 400V, backed by a small capacitor. If you touch it, it will feel about like getting hit by a bug zapper. Apart from that, yes, they are passive detectors.
simne 2y ago
You may be extremely lucky, but these detectors come from everywhere, even could be from exactly some nuclear facility like Chernobyl, so contaminated with radioactive dust. But, for Russian electronics exists good rule - handle in gloves and wipe with alcohol before use (sure than properly utilize used swabs). So you will clear all dust from surface, and if you will not used to suck or crunch radio components you are in safety as from my own experience these detectors are really durable.
exabrial 2y ago
> is this thing emitting anything In the most pedantic sense, yes: electrons, magnetic fields, infrared light, etc. It's not designed to, nor is it likely to, emit any sort of ionizing radiation > simply a passive detector Yes, it is a passive detector > I’m mainly worried about any potential health risks You are bombarded with radiation constantly. If you've flown on a plane, you are exposed to several times ionizing radiation levels that you experience on the ground. If you've stepped outside and witnessed a lightning storm you have exposed yourself to high energy gamma rays and neutrons. If you've ever eaten a banana, spent the night in a strangers bed, strayed near clay river beds, entered a basement of a house, or stepped outside in sunlight you have exposed yourself to substantial increase of ionizing radiation compared to baseline. Humans brains have an extraordinarily hard team comprehending logarithmic scales. "Safe" radiation exposure isn't "None", as that's pretty much impossible. Your body has also long ago evolved to deal with these problems and can easily handle 100x times what occurs naturally at the ground without even a single health effect. If you want zero exposure, the only real option is to move to an undersea bubble thousands of feet below the sea, but even seawater contains radioactive ions from the metal salts dissolved in it.
tocs3 2y ago
No, it is safe. It is not emitting anything, just detecting.

misnome 2y ago

It uses the muons that you are naturally being bombarded with!

alnwlsn 2y ago

The most dangerous thing about this is that the geiger tubes run at about 400V, backed by a small capacitor. If you touch it, it will feel about like getting hit by a bug zapper. Apart from that, yes, they are passive detectors.

simne 2y ago

You may be extremely lucky, but these detectors come from everywhere, even could be from exactly some nuclear facility like Chernobyl, so contaminated with radioactive dust. But, for Russian electronics exists good rule - handle in gloves and wipe with alcohol before use (sure than properly utilize used swabs). So you will clear all dust from surface, and if you will not used to suck or crunch radio components you are in safety as from my own experience these detectors are really durable.

exabrial 2y ago

> is this thing emitting anything In the most pedantic sense, yes: electrons, magnetic fields, infrared light, etc. It's not designed to, nor is it likely to, emit any sort of ionizing radiation > simply a passive detector Yes, it is a passive detector > I’m mainly worried about any potential health risks You are bombarded with radiation constantly. If you've flown on a plane, you are exposed to several times ionizing radiation levels that you experience on the ground. If you've stepped outside and witnessed a lightning storm you have exposed yourself to high energy gamma rays and neutrons. If you've ever eaten a banana, spent the night in a strangers bed, strayed near clay river beds, entered a basement of a house, or stepped outside in sunlight you have exposed yourself to substantial increase of ionizing radiation compared to baseline. Humans brains have an extraordinarily hard team comprehending logarithmic scales. "Safe" radiation exposure isn't "None", as that's pretty much impossible. Your body has also long ago evolved to deal with these problems and can easily handle 100x times what occurs naturally at the ground without even a single health effect. If you want zero exposure, the only real option is to move to an undersea bubble thousands of feet below the sea, but even seawater contains radioactive ions from the metal salts dissolved in it.

tocs3 2y ago

No, it is safe. It is not emitting anything, just detecting.