Iowa state lost gram of weapons grade plutonium.

[jmdrake]

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/idaho-state-plutonium/?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-brief

https://twitter.com/cynthiamckinney/status/993234872557887493

[Suzanimal]

How much you wanna bet it turns up for sale in oyarde's flea market booth?

[dannno]

Great Scott!!


In response, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed an $8,500 fine (https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2018/18-007.iv.pdf) against the university.

I'll bet people have gotten worse than that for a gram of weed..

[luctor-et-emergo]

An NRC spokesperson, Victor Dricks, said that the amount of material was too small to create a nuclear weapon, but said it could be used in a dirty bomb meant to spread the radioactive substance.

Well, dirty bomb ? With just one gram even that may be overstated, a dirty firecracker may be a more appropriate name...

It's not the radioactivity per se that is causing the hazards. Pu-239 is an alpha emitter, which means, a piece of paper will fully protect you against the radiation that comes from it. However, inhalation of Pu-239 is very dangerous as these alpha particles would form, be absorbed by longue tissue and change your DNA. Ingestion through the digestive tract, less dangerous as most of it will come out the other end.

In any case, a gram is not enough to be afraid about, unless someone just spilled it on your desk. :D

[RonZeplin]

Why isn't Mueller investigating if Hillary sold it to the Russians?

[luctor-et-emergo]

Why isn't Mueller investigating if Hillary sold it to the Russians?

Funny.. If it were Pu-238 (which it's most likely not), it would likely have been purchased FROM the Russians.



Since 1993, all of the Pu-238 used in American spacecraft has been purchased from Russia. In total, 16.5 kilograms (36 lb) has been purchased but Russia is no longer producing Pu-238 and their own supply is reportedly running low.[17][18]
(wikipedia)

P.S. IMO Pu-238 is the most interesting radioactive isotope... Just look at the Voyager probes, still under partial power, after 40+ years..

[Zippyjuan]

So it was scheduled to be destroyed but their just isn't any confirmation that it actually was destroyed.

[luctor-et-emergo]

So it was scheduled to be destroyed but their just isn't any confirmation that it actually was destroyed.

Half of it was already scheduled to be destroyed by nature within the next ±24.110 years, after that, the next half will be destroyed. :D

[Zippyjuan]

Half of it was already scheduled to be destroyed by nature within the next ±24.110 years, after that, the next half will be destroyed. :D

(should be a comma- 24 thousand years)

[luctor-et-emergo]

(should be a comma- 24 thousand years)

Not where I'm from. ;) But you're right, I'm butchering my English numbers...

[Zippyjuan]

Not where I'm from. ;)

Ah- the European form. We do more than a few things differently here. Doesn't always make sense. Take dates for example- here it is month first, then day, then year. Over there, day first, then month, then year. Smallest to largest. More logical.

[brushfire]

Great Scott!!



All they had to show for it was a bomb made of old pinball machine parts.

[fisharmor]

Ah- the European form. We do more than a few things differently here. Doesn't always make sense. Take dates for example- here it is month first, then day, then year. Over there, day first, then month, then year. Smallest to largest. More logical.
More, perhaps, but still not right.
The logical date order is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. Largest to smallest.
Why?
Sortable.

[specsaregood]

More, perhaps, but still not right.
The logical date order is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. Largest to smallest.
Why?
Sortable.

I've taken to even writing the date that way on anything I have to put a date on. I've gotten a few people to ask about it and when I explained it they always say, "cool".

[fedupinmo]

A gram of Plutonium... what, is that about the size of a pea?

[XNavyNuke]

From the report.


Physically, the source is best described as a metal matrix (non-dispersible) about the size of a quarter (see Figure 1, below).

https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1801/ML18017A373.pdf

XNN

[pcosmar]

Somewhere in Iowa some redneck is building a Nuclear Truck.