tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post3780822215236312724..comments2024-03-28T04:42:46.147-05:00Comments on Althouse: "I believe, definitely, that the thieves did not know what they had... They will, without a doubt, die."Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-18351349603098190042013-12-06T13:00:37.996-06:002013-12-06T13:00:37.996-06:00Yeah right. How long did it take for Marie Curie t...<i>Yeah right. How long did it take for Marie Curie to die of radium poisoning, or Feynmann from Uranium or Plutonium?<br /><br />A lump of radium will light up your life!</i><br /><br />I'm not going to comment on Feynman, but contrary to prevalent myth, it was discovered some years ago that Marie Curie did not die from radium poisoning.<br /><br />In 1995 Madame Curie's body was exhumed as part of granting her France's highest honor (first time for a woman, for her own achievements), burial in the French national mausoleum, the Panthéon. To forestall possible escape of radioactivity (a word she herself coined) from her body during the process of reburial, France's Office de Protection contre les Rayonnements Ionisants (ORPI) took charge of the investigation.<br /><br />A news piece in the scientific journal Nature described ORPI's findings:<br /><br />“Curie's body was found to be enclosed in a wooden coffin, surrounded by a lead coffin, which itself was inside a further wooden coffin. ORPI found that the level of radiation caused by radium within the interior coffin was, at 360 becquerels per cubic metre, significantly higher than the 13 Bq m^−3 found at the entrance to the cemetery.<br /><br />“But the level was still well below the maximum accepted safe levels of public exposure to radium of 7,000 Bq m^−3. Given that the half-life of radium is 1,620 years, ORPI has concluded that Curie could not have been exposed to lethal levels of radium while she was alive.<br /><br />“Although Curie's laboratory was highly contaminated with radium, an ORPI official points out that radium poses risks only if it is ingested either orally or through the skin.<br /><br />“ORPI therefore speculates that Curie's illness was more likely to have been due to her use of radiography during the First World War, when precautions to protect against X-rays had not yet been introduced.”<br /><br />Nature, Vol. 377, No. 6545 (14 Sep. 1995), p. 96: “X-rays, not radium, may have killed Curie.”Michael McNeilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14079419067976326138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-4855975152278913342013-12-06T12:49:07.070-06:002013-12-06T12:49:07.070-06:00Not the first time this has happened in Mexico:
h...Not the first time this has happened in Mexico:<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/01/science/nuclear-spill-at-juarez-looms-as-one-of-worst.htmlChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01242543447172300332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-55383312654782489342013-12-06T09:07:37.448-06:002013-12-06T09:07:37.448-06:00"Maybe that's what was going on in 'P...<i>"Maybe that's what was going on in 'Pulp Fiction.'"</i><br /><br />A couple of others have alluded to REPO MAN, (a great movie!).<br /><br />I think of KISS ME DEADLY, (another--earlier--great movie!).Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-48120387315545403942013-12-06T07:34:32.696-06:002013-12-06T07:34:32.696-06:00I'm not going to look up the activity limits f...I'm not going to look up the activity limits for Co-60, but "The criteria for determining whether a shipment of radioactive material is a "highway route controlled quantity" are found in 49 CFR 173.403,<br /><br />That means, the POLICE meet the truck at each state line and follow it through the state. With lots of guns. Fprawlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17560583598795303353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-43336590848666510612013-12-06T03:42:27.453-06:002013-12-06T03:42:27.453-06:00David, other reports said 40 grams. If they were e...<i>David, other reports said 40 grams. If they were exposed to 40 grams Co-60 unshielded for just a short while, they will be dead. Dose rate from one millicurie at 1cm is 13.2 rads/hour. One gram is about 1100 curies.</i><br /><br />That's a hell of a thing to be driving down a Mexican highway.Bob Loblawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11081916786770290968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-61687325911782098442013-12-05T22:27:36.418-06:002013-12-05T22:27:36.418-06:00"They will, without a doubt, die."
True..."They will, without a doubt, die."<br /><br />True of everyone, since forever.Beldarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13404583858244777905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-73091659426301359352013-12-05T19:05:07.945-06:002013-12-05T19:05:07.945-06:00This is not unique. There are other stories of rad...This is not unique. There are other stories of radiation therapy devices being junked in Mexico and exposing the people to radiation. No statistics because it's Mexico.Michael Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127450762129879267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-33984979632617150392013-12-05T18:03:15.588-06:002013-12-05T18:03:15.588-06:00@Rusty: Dissenting vote from me. I vote PBReader...@Rusty: Dissenting vote from me. I vote PBReader's "No lawyer will get them out of this."Original Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714345479248980398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-17040581233524012112013-12-05T17:52:17.178-06:002013-12-05T17:52:17.178-06:00Schrödinger's Mexican Truckjackers
Thread wi...Schrödinger's Mexican Truckjackers<br /><br /><br />Thread winner right there.Rustyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938263272237104128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-9695992819677885302013-12-05T17:28:23.783-06:002013-12-05T17:28:23.783-06:00@Rob - Repo Man was the first thing that came to m...@Rob - Repo Man was the first thing that came to mind.Bob Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08678321545012311414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-77639631029540493352013-12-05T17:20:16.105-06:002013-12-05T17:20:16.105-06:00Sometimes the perfect crime lacks the perfect crim...Sometimes the perfect crime lacks the perfect criminal.Left Bank of the Charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04494310302328322830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-90455304844211059382013-12-05T16:51:27.181-06:002013-12-05T16:51:27.181-06:00The problem with our society is not that it seeks ...The problem with our society is not that it seeks to aid the unfortunate, but that it protects the stupid from the results of their actions and spreads the cost among us all.PBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01974548209056650675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84580355707142543542013-12-05T16:48:31.341-06:002013-12-05T16:48:31.341-06:00No lawyer will get them out of this.No lawyer will get them out of this.PBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01974548209056650675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5863167116945962072013-12-05T16:25:17.113-06:002013-12-05T16:25:17.113-06:00Being a dog with a bone here, again I'd like t...<i>Being a dog with a bone here, again I'd like to mention the book I just finished—"Command and Control." It covers in great and chewy detail the history not only US nuclear war making strategy but also the physical management of those arms. It detail hundreds and hundreds of accidents involving these devices, any number of which could have caused unintended detonations.</i><br /><br />Excellent book. One part I found especially fascinating was the account of the accidental dropping of a hydrogen bomb on North Carolina in 1961. Three of the four safety switches designed to prevent accidental detonation failed. Only the fourth, recently added switch prevented a 4-megaton explosion.<br /><br />PeterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-119742039908938712013-12-05T16:22:18.057-06:002013-12-05T16:22:18.057-06:00"Life's hard. It's even harder when y..."Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.”<br />― John WayneOriginal Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714345479248980398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51187437858735607992013-12-05T16:12:35.529-06:002013-12-05T16:12:35.529-06:00"Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or thr..."Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime: the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity."<br /><br />Robert A. Heinlein, <i>Time Enough For Love</i><br />Clydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16736461252925227611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-18116733271036933952013-12-05T15:49:39.632-06:002013-12-05T15:49:39.632-06:00FWIW,
context for 3000 Ci -- rule of thumb 1 Curi...FWIW, <br />context for 3000 Ci -- rule of thumb 1 Curie, 1 meter, 1 R/h where roughly 350-450 R of exposure to the torso without medical attention leads to death 50% of the time. So if they had the source at arms length for about 7 minutes, they better get help. If they managed to get, say, 10,000 R then they are probably dead men walking.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00159064831659071944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-42704274794307256842013-12-05T15:49:08.362-06:002013-12-05T15:49:08.362-06:00FWIW,
context for 3000 Ci -- rule of thumb 1 Curi...FWIW, <br />context for 3000 Ci -- rule of thumb 1 Curie, 1 meter, 1 R/h where roughly 350-450 R of exposure to the torso without medical attention leads to death 50% of the time. So if they had the source at arms length for about 7 minutes, they better get help. If they managed to get, say, 10,000 R then they are probably dead men walking.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00159064831659071944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-45044166940189922972013-12-05T15:39:08.184-06:002013-12-05T15:39:08.184-06:00What's in the box?What's in the box?LordSomberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08483452672640797537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-57981427160731083722013-12-05T15:17:22.721-06:002013-12-05T15:17:22.721-06:00Don't look in the box!"
"In my expe...<i>Don't look in the box!"</i><br /><br />"In my experience boxes are usually empty, except for sometimes a little cheese stuck to the top, and that one time Pepperoni. What a day <i>that</i> was."Scott Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02459388007426664813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-66044912660625343622013-12-05T15:17:02.656-06:002013-12-05T15:17:02.656-06:00From a related story link:
"The atomic energ...From a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/mexico-plans-how-to-safely-box-up-recovered-cobalt/2013/12/05/6b66067a-5d6b-11e3-8d24-31c016b976b2_story.html?algtrack=mixedrec-2&tid=btm_rex_2" rel="nofollow">related story</a> link:<br /><br /><i>"The atomic energy agency said it has an activity of <b>3,000 curries</b>, or Category 1, meaning “it would probably be fatal..."</i><br /><br />Stick that in your vindaloo and spice it.Paco Wovéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00053886112561036768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-74910056891214419972013-12-05T15:16:13.633-06:002013-12-05T15:16:13.633-06:00The movie I was thinking of was "The Ring&quo...The movie I was thinking of was "The Ring".<br /><br />Don't watch the video tape!<br /><br />"You will die in seven days."Wincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15002449963597087316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-90726598273637426262013-12-05T15:15:18.437-06:002013-12-05T15:15:18.437-06:00Yeah right. How long did it take for Marie Curie t...Yeah right. How long did it take for Marie Curie to die of radium poisoning, or Feynmann from Uranium or Plutonium?<br /><br />A lump of radium will light up your life!jimbinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684677214800358793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-36498565900239732112013-12-05T15:15:09.571-06:002013-12-05T15:15:09.571-06:00That's a pretty steep penalty for theft. Event...That's a pretty steep penalty for theft. Eventheft of a crane.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03404319354712386201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84216127007097495392013-12-05T15:08:00.058-06:002013-12-05T15:08:00.058-06:00Reminds me a little of the Goiania incident. Thou...Reminds me a little of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiania_accident" rel="nofollow">Goiania incident</a>. Though with less sympathetic victims this time around.<br />Balfegorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08012196656096263507noreply@blogger.com