Re: talk to journos

[Muckerheide <muckerheide@attbi.com>]

Sorry, I thought this was more "common knowledge." See, e.g.,:

http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html



There was some later discussion by nukes, although I don't find it on

radsafe!? (I would have thought so. :-)



Regards, Jim





on 9/1/02 10:47 PM, RuthWeiner@AOL.COM at RuthWeiner@AOL.COM wrote:



> 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

> 



************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/