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THE RADIOACTIVE BOY SCOUT:
THE TRUE STORY OF A BOY AND HIS BACKYARD NUCLEAR REACTOR
Christian Science Monitor ^
| Tim Rauschenberg
Posted on 03/17/2004 4:47:34 AM PST by billorites
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To: Cooter
The report does verify part of the author's story. The kid may not have had a working reactor in that shed, but whatever was in there was a little hotter than stolen tires. Sure. He had 'collected' amounts of material from smoke detectors, clock dials, etc.
As I had posted from the Harper's story, the police found a toolbox in his trunk and he said it was radioactive. Fearing a bomb, they called in everyone. They then searched his shed and found all the waste materials. Radioactive, yes! But nothing you can't find or buy.
101
posted on
03/17/2004 2:11:06 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: Cooter
"How does a teenager get thorium dioxide ash and uranium, among other chemicals? Hahn extracted most of them from household items, such as smoke detectors and lantern mantles. The tiny bit of uranium ore he bought from a Czech mineral supply company over the Internet."
102
posted on
03/17/2004 2:14:24 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: bondjamesbond
There were other principles, but I have forgotten them over the years. If your mother warned you not to do something, that was put at the top of the list.
103
posted on
03/17/2004 2:55:36 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: cinFLA
Well, a shed full of lantern mantles and smoke detectors probably wouldn't hurt anyone. It's the processing that made the material dangerous and possibly illegal.
"David's method purified thorium to at least 9,000 times the level found in nature and 170 times the level that requires NRC licensing." "Whether David fully realized it or not, by handling purified radium he was truly putting himself in danger."
104
posted on
03/17/2004 3:03:16 PM PST
by
Cooter
To: Cooter
"David's method purified thorium to at least 9,000 times the level found in nature and 170 times the level that requires NRC licensing." He didn't 'purify' the thorium. It is purified by the extraction process prior to the lantern mantel manufacturing.
105
posted on
03/17/2004 3:25:02 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: cinFLA
The quote was from the original Harper's article. He didn't purify the thorium, he isolated it. Mantles are made with thorium nitrate among other compounds. Upon cure (first burn), it is converted to thorium oxide.
106
posted on
03/17/2004 3:48:34 PM PST
by
Cooter
To: Cooter
Well, a shed full of lantern mantles and smoke detectors probably wouldn't hurt anyone. It's the processing that made the material dangerous and possibly illegal. He didn't do anything to increase the amount or purity of the thorium. All he did was turn it into a pile of ash which makes it more easily scattered or ingested.
107
posted on
03/17/2004 3:49:07 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: Steely Tom
In my own laboratory, I, too, have done wonders.
Chocolate chip cookies, roasted chicken, potato salad,
cakes, pies, and the result of certain chemical
experiments using hydrogen, I have made iced tea. Even
taking plain water and solidifying it for the tea. -
In my off times, I do shadow puppets on the wall if the
mood strikes me, but so far I can only do a very crude
eagle and something that looks like a crab. -
Occasionally, I have a grease fire on the lab heating
elements, but I can't figure out formulas for cleaning
products yet.
108
posted on
03/17/2004 3:49:20 PM PST
by
Twinkie
To: Cooter
Like I said, all he did was create a pile of ash.
109
posted on
03/17/2004 3:57:24 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: Cooter
The quote was from the original Harper's article. He didn't purify the thorium, he isolated it. Better read the quote.
110
posted on
03/17/2004 3:59:10 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: Cooter
He didn't purify the thorium, he isolated it.Per the figures in the article, his 'product' had a lower concentration of thorium than the original lantern mantels.
111
posted on
03/17/2004 4:02:42 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: Cooter
"David's method purified thorium to at least 9,000 times the level found in nature and 170 times the level that requires NRC licensing." Where is the source for this statement? It is from the author of the book but he does not source it. Besides, the author has made numerous other scientific errors in the book.
112
posted on
03/17/2004 8:15:45 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: cinFLA
If you call swabbing decks in the navy interesting.Sorry to burst your bubble, but you have to be pretty damn good to get a assignment on a sub.
All personel are cross trained and everyone swabs decks at one time or another.
My point being that the nuke kid done good in my book, by getting that assignment.
You cannot and should not try to take that away from him and now I question your motives regarding this story.
113
posted on
03/17/2004 8:33:32 PM PST
by
Cold Heat
(Suppose you were an idiot. Suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. --Mark Twain)
To: wirestripper
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you have to be pretty damn good to get a assignment on a sub. All personel are cross trained and everyone swabs decks at one time or another. My point being that the nuke kid done good in my book, by getting that assignment. You cannot and should not try to take that away from him and now I question your motives regarding this story. But he was never on a submarine ........
114
posted on
03/17/2004 8:36:23 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: cinFLA
But he was never on a submarine ........So the RD story is BS as well?
That is your take?
115
posted on
03/17/2004 8:39:58 PM PST
by
Cold Heat
(Suppose you were an idiot. Suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. --Mark Twain)
To: wirestripper
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you have to be pretty damn good to get a assignment on a sub. All personel are cross trained and everyone swabs decks at one time or another. Were you ever on a submarine? Well I served on one. We had a dunce so bad that he was restricted to not go into any areas other than the mess and bunking areas.
116
posted on
03/17/2004 8:42:36 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: wirestripper
RD?
117
posted on
03/17/2004 8:44:28 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: wirestripper
Sorry to burst your bubble,Sorry to burst your bubble but I earned my dolphins aboard a nuclear fast attack sub after attending nuclear power school. I have a MS in Nuclear Engineering and was the Lead Test Engineer at nuclear power plant startups in the US and overseas.
118
posted on
03/17/2004 8:47:45 PM PST
by
cinFLA
To: cinFLA
No, I proudly served in the U.S. Army.
My father was a Navy man.
Your tone and attacks on this guy caught my interest. It is one thing to debunk a story, but then you got a bit personal.
Either you made a mistake, or you have a personal interest is this guy' life.
So which is it........?
If you know something that no body else apparently knows, then please enlighten.....
119
posted on
03/17/2004 8:48:43 PM PST
by
Cold Heat
(Suppose you were an idiot. Suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. --Mark Twain)
To: cinFLA
Readers Digest.
I'm sorry, I would have spelled it out for you if I had known that you are a Engineer....LOL!
120
posted on
03/17/2004 8:51:13 PM PST
by
Cold Heat
(Suppose you were an idiot. Suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. --Mark Twain)
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