narcimund 0 #1 October 1, 2002 Bet you knew that 33 pounds of weapons-grade uranium was seized in Turkey. Bet you didn't know they quietly announced it wasn't 33 pounds -- it was a 33 pound metal tube containing 5 ounces. And 5 ounces of what? Quote"It is a powder of zinc, manganese, iron and zirconium," Guler Koksal, director of the research facility told Reuters. "It is not radioactive, it is not chemical and it is not explosive." Lots of loud yelling when it's scary. Very quiet hiding of the news reports when it's harmless. Bet the two guys arrested still have their lives ruined anyway. First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 October 1, 2002 Brought to you by CNN and the rest of our national media: "More news from fewer sources!"--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #3 October 1, 2002 Man, you scared the gajeebers out of me. I thought they went though my basement and found my laundry. It definitely is radioactive by nowjraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #4 October 1, 2002 Kinda like that poor fella that got accused of the Olynpic bombing. Maybe you know, isn't the radioactive source in chemotherapy machines toxic as hell? I have thought that a dirty bomb could be made from the stuff in those machines, and hospitals have notoriously low security. I doubt it's fissionable at its state of refinement, but I recall reading (possible urban legend) some kids in Mexico took one apart and many of them died of radiation poisoning. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JDBoston 0 #5 October 1, 2002 Oh, and also, the 5 ounces wasn't even uranium. I know - details, details, details... Joe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #6 October 1, 2002 With all due respect I think you are mixing the concept of X-ray with chomotherapy. If kids played with ingredients of chemotherapy one can expect them to be dead as a stone - that stuff is not health foodjraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #7 October 1, 2002 My Aunt forwarded an email about that one from her neighbor's sister's friend. Dude, that's spooky... Actually, I have no idea. From what I understand, you can make a dirty bomb out of anything that will cause the media to make a big deal about it getting spread over a city block. F*ck the hype, drink more beer. -Doug"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #8 October 1, 2002 I meant to refer to chemotherapy machines, not x-ray, and I don't know diddly about the technology of either. I'm asking. The active agent in chemotherapy machines is highly radioactive, right? So if some looney took it out and combined it with conventional explosives (about which I know a little) you could spread the stuff around and make lots of folks sick. I'm surprised there isn't better security around that source of radioactive material. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #9 October 1, 2002 I just went to look up stuff on Richard Jewell, the wrongly accused Olympic bomber to see where he is now. I didn't know that he actually found the bomb and was moving people away when it went off. Gee, talk about grattitude. Eric Rudolph is now charged with the bombing. He has bombed an abortion clinic and a gay night club. He's since completely disappeared and the FBI cut back the investigation and turned it over to the North Carolina field office. -Doug"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #10 October 1, 2002 It can not be helped and it is not a time to be paranoid about it. You and I can go to a building bepot and a chemical store tomorrow and build something to wipe out a few city blocks. Tom Clancy wrote about it but thats no revelation. Tom Clancy wrote about an areial attack on the US a few years ago. Should I want to be worried I would be concerned about the abundance of weapons grade radioactive materials that disappeared from the former Soviet Union - that is still going on, but let's not engage rent-a-cops in that. The CIA is well informed, well equiped and well funded for these purposses. Amen!jraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #11 October 1, 2002 >The active agent in chemotherapy machines is highly radioactive, > right? Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that are toxic to rapidly dividing cells, specifically cancer cells. Some machines might be used during treatment, but there is no "chemotherapy" machine. You may be thinking of an X-ray machine, but in your typical X-ray machine, radiation is only produced when the tube is active. There is very little secondary radiation once the system is off. Or you may be thinking of radiation therapy machines using cobalt-60, sometimes used to treat cancer. (These are being replaced by linear accelerators that do not contain any nuclear isotopes.) >So if some looney took it out and combined it with conventional > explosives (about which I know a little) you could spread the stuff > around and make lots of folks sick. There are some radiological materials used in medicine which could indeed be used this way - radioactive iodine, for example. Note that, since it's usually given orally, a good percentage of it ends up in our sewers - but not too many people worry about that. Other radiological materials include technetium-99, which isn't too much of a risk because its half-life is so short, and cobalt-60, which is used in some radiation therapy machines. Cobalt is pretty nasty. >I'm surprised there isn't better security around that source of >radioactive material. Unfortunately, it's all over. Heck, coal bottom ash is dumped in huge open-air pits, and contains considerable (i.e. easily detectable) amounts of uranium and thorium. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #12 October 1, 2002 Thank you Bill. I was thinking about radiation therapy machines but wasn't articulating it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #13 October 1, 2002 Qvite rayt Herr von Novak. Now Thorium is what I really like. It all comes down to the runic symblos and the damnation of Gods. I am therefore sitting in my secret mad laboratory and to the tune of Wagnerian operas I am creating Ragnaruek - Thor's Hammer. Beware whuffos, bwahahahahahahaha..... . Seriuosly now. Bill is right, and as I mentined previously what we have in the US is not to be worried about. It is open knowledge by now that Russia has no nuclear waste storage program. Most of the reactors from Russian nuclear subs wind up in the White Sea. Security on Russian nuclear programs is a joke. That is what would worry me.jraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #14 October 2, 2002 QuoteCobalt is pretty nasty. I hear a lot of people complain about the openings... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jessefs 0 #15 October 2, 2002 Quoteusing cobalt-60, sometimes used to treat cancer. Isn't that a pretty high wing loading BillV?? Sounds like it might do more harm than good! J <* Spread the Love! *> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #16 October 2, 2002 QuoteOr you may be thinking of radiation therapy machines using cobalt-60 Nuclear weapons frighten me. Cobalt-jacketed weapons scare the living bejesus out of me. Throw a cobalt jacket around the outside of a nuke and forget about populating that area for a few hundred / thousand years. QuoteUnfortunately, it's all over. Heck, coal bottom ash is dumped in huge open-air pits, and contains considerable (i.e. easily detectable) amounts of uranium and thorium. I was surprised when I did a class assignment once on background radiation with just how active concrete is. If you have a Geiger-counter you can find some pretty impressive results in your own house. Not to mention what you will find with an EM detector. KrisSky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #17 October 2, 2002 Quoteusing cobalt-60, sometimes used to treat cancer Yes, it's a new procedure for students. Death Therapy Bob. Guaranteed to work!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
