Re: FW: talk to journos

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 9/1/02 6:15:15 PM Mountain Daylight Time, sonterm@EPA.NSW.GOV.AU writes:



> The famous 'radioactive boy scout' story, where some young fellow collects 
>
> radium paint and thorium mantles and wraps them in alfoil to make neutron 
>
> source etc finally contaminating his grandmother's toolshed (and supposedly, 
>
> half the neighbourhood as well), is it an urban myth or did it really 
>
> happen? 


It may be famous but I never heard it.  Radium-dial wristwatches have not been on the market for at least 40 years.   Yes, thorium mantles are alpha emitters (we make cloud chambers using bits of thorium mantles) but how would thorium and radium interact with aluminum to make a neutron source? Can someone explain this?


Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com