[ RadSafe ] Shielding of DEVICES

[Jerry Cohen]

The presumption here seems to be that the explosive DEVICE would enter the 
country via normal shipping channels, and might be detected radiologically at 
point of entry. I would be more concerned that  a  clever terrorist would avoid 
such inspection by simply transporting  the device by truck or automibile over 
our unprotected borders, or land it by boat over our unprotected shoreline. This 
approach seems to work pretty well for the Drug cartels. Perhaps some smart 
person  can think of a way to avert such a possibility. I can't
Another thought on the subject--- Why do nations spend so much effort developing 
precise guided missile systems for weapon delivery, when a pickup truck would 
suffice? With  nuclear explosives, a near miss is about a effective as a direct 
hit.


Jerry Cohen  



________________________________
From: Jim Darrough <darrougj at onid.orst.edu>
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List 
<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Thu, January 5, 2012 11:29:03 AM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Shielding of DEVICES

My two cents...

I would consider researching something called "neutron interrogation" before
I jumped at the screwdriver solution. These were not available during
Oppenheimer's reign.

Jim Darrough


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Clayton J Bradt
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 10:50 AM
To: JPreisig at aol.com
Cc: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Shielding of DEVICES

Joe Presig wrote:

...   A person who can bring to bear such a DEVICE into  another nation 
would probably be able to
design a radiation shield(s) to make it very difficult and/or impossible to
detect such a DEVICE.

     As Oppenheimer once responded to the question (How  would you detect
such a weapon), he wryly suggested that one needs a screwdriver to detect
such DEVICES. 
(i.e not some
sophisticated radiation detector(s)).  Hopefully USA and other  nation's
will use direct inspection of containers, shipping packages etc. to look for
nuclear DEVICES  directly ....

There is no instrumental solution to this problem.  Save for dismantling
every package (as Oppenheimer's remarks suggest)  before it crosses the
border, there will always be ways to circumvent any surveillance system.
The amount of time and money being spent on developing new super-duper
detection systems is largely wasted.  It would be far better spent on trying
to figure out why some people want to attack us, and then convincing them
not to do so.  (This of course would risk the possibility of learning that
some people might have good reasons for hating us.  It's a risk worth
taking, in my view.)


Clayton J. Bradt
Principal Radiophysicist
NYS Dept. of Health
Biggs Laboratory, Room D486A
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12201-0509

518-474-1993

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