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Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

nytimes.com

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Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#231

Post by elromulous »

bamboozled wrote: post #227
BetterGeiger wrote: post #167

Radiation detection is my specialty. This source is Cs-137, few hundred mCi. It's easy to detect within a few seconds at distances of a few tens of meters or more with professional detection equipment if there is direct line of sight. If it was knocked off the road, though, the question will be if it fell into a crack or other such place because then the radiation is somewhat shielded and it would take much more meas…

If a critter moved it or ate it then it's probably gone forever. At a distance of 1 meter the dose rate from that source is already not extremely hazardous unless a person were exposed for an extended period of time (like a full day or two). Getting closer, like putting it directly against your torso, would mean serious health effects in a matter of minutes. Bit of contradiction in your statement here? If putting it…

Not op, or an expert on radiation poisoning, but, one can receive a lethal dose of radiation in an instant (and be condemned to certain death) but not die for weeks.

Credentials: I've read about the demon core[0] and watched Chernobyl on HBO.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_core

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#232

Post by elromulous »

Bluecobra wrote: post #193
BetterGeiger wrote: post #167

Radiation detection is my specialty. This source is Cs-137, few hundred mCi. It's easy to detect within a few seconds at distances of a few tens of meters or more with professional detection equipment if there is direct line of sight. If it was knocked off the road, though, the question will be if it fell into a crack or other such place because then the radiation is somewhat shielded and it would take much more meas…

> Getting closer, like putting it directly against your torso, would mean serious health effects in a matter of minutes. Let’s hope that some random person doesn’t find it and turn it into a necklace or something. The TNG episode “Thine Own Self” comes to mind.

Also the House MD episode daddy's boy

https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Daddy%27s_Boy

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#233

Post by madeofpalk »

eternityforest wrote: post #210
Animats wrote: post #135

Here's what gauge sources like this look like.[1] Here are some packed for shipping. bolted to a crate, as described in the NY Times article.[2] The locks are $8 Master Lock combination padlocks, probably just to keep people from opening the things by accident. The lock looks optional on the model in [2]. The lock is on the shutter end, anyway. The cover plate that gives access to the source for replacement is secure…

Can't imagine those things are available anywhere for that cheap. Why not require 4g tracking on them all if they're already $1000 items?

Western Australia desert is very very big and empty. No 4G there.

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#234

Post by onlyrealcuzzo »

suprjami wrote: post #228
BetterGeiger wrote: post #167

Radiation detection is my specialty. This source is Cs-137, few hundred mCi. It's easy to detect within a few seconds at distances of a few tens of meters or more with professional detection equipment if there is direct line of sight. If it was knocked off the road, though, the question will be if it fell into a crack or other such place because then the radiation is somewhat shielded and it would take much more meas…

Please consider writing to the responsible government department and give them your credentials and suggestion. This thing has been missing for months. Their current detection strategy is to post a picture of a watch battery on Facebook and hope it just magically shows up. We're a little deficient in technology here in Australia, especially in government, doubly so in state government.

If they at least listen to reason, it doesn't seem like you can't ask for much more.

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#235

Post by throwaway6734 »

Retric wrote: post #190
Gigachad wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably if you care about testing for lead, you'd also care enough to have it dealt with while you are living there.

Is there any reason to care about interior lead paint if it’s under several more recent lead free layers and not chipping off?

Nope, but some homeowners do not know the dangers of lead dust and can get home renovations done without taking the proper precautions.

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#236

Post by [deleted] »

bogeholm wrote: post #103
anakaine wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No moose, bears, wolves, cougars, or other alpha predators in Australia though. About the worst are wild dogs / dingos, though they typically won't be a problem unless they're in a pack. I'll take Australian dangers over North American every day of the week.

They do have the saltwater crocodile[0], which looks close to alpha. Maybe unless it encounters an orca. I bet is has a great name in Australia - any Ozzies around who can comment? [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltwater_crocodile

[deleted]

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#237

Post by cocomutator »

Aeolun wrote: post #212
BetterGeiger wrote: post #167

Radiation detection is my specialty. This source is Cs-137, few hundred mCi. It's easy to detect within a few seconds at distances of a few tens of meters or more with professional detection equipment if there is direct line of sight. If it was knocked off the road, though, the question will be if it fell into a crack or other such place because then the radiation is somewhat shielded and it would take much more meas…

I was thinking, 10 x-rays per hour doesn’t sound so terrible. But if you bring it closer than 1 meter it would start getting exponentially worse.

Not exponentially, just inverse-quadratically :)

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#238

Post by defrost »

suprjami wrote: post #228
BetterGeiger wrote: post #167

Radiation detection is my specialty. This source is Cs-137, few hundred mCi. It's easy to detect within a few seconds at distances of a few tens of meters or more with professional detection equipment if there is direct line of sight. If it was knocked off the road, though, the question will be if it fell into a crack or other such place because then the radiation is somewhat shielded and it would take much more meas…

Please consider writing to the responsible government department and give them your credentials and suggestion. This thing has been missing for months. Their current detection strategy is to post a picture of a watch battery on Facebook and hope it just magically shows up. We're a little deficient in technology here in Australia, especially in government, doubly so in state government.

> This thing has been missing for months.

It was lost in transit at most 20 days ago between January 11 and January 16.

It was logged as missing five days ago on January 25.

> Their current detection strategy is to post a picture of a watch battery on Facebook and hope it just magically shows up.

This is patently false.

> We're a little deficient in technology here in Australia

Perhaps surprisingly Australia is one of the world leaders in international radiometric mapping having expertise going back 50+ years having mapped multiple entire countries (Australia, Fiji, Mali, and a number of others).

See (for example): https://www.publish.csiro.au/EG/EG09025 (2009)

Perth is home to several radiometric mapping companies and capable airframes.

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#239

Post by josephcooney »

anakaine wrote: post #89
AlbertCory wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Best reply on this thread. Everything in Australia kills you or at least causes horrible pain. Even that cute platypus or that harmless-looking shell on the beach. And now this.

No moose, bears, wolves, cougars, or other alpha predators in Australia though. About the worst are wild dogs / dingos, though they typically won't be a problem unless they're in a pack. I'll take Australian dangers over North American every day of the week.

Crocodiles.

Re: Australians scour desert for dangerous radioactive capsule smaller than a penny

#240

Post by Jedd »

suprjami wrote: post #228
BetterGeiger wrote: post #167

Radiation detection is my specialty. This source is Cs-137, few hundred mCi. It's easy to detect within a few seconds at distances of a few tens of meters or more with professional detection equipment if there is direct line of sight. If it was knocked off the road, though, the question will be if it fell into a crack or other such place because then the radiation is somewhat shielded and it would take much more meas…

Please consider writing to the responsible government department and give them your credentials and suggestion. This thing has been missing for months. Their current detection strategy is to post a picture of a watch battery on Facebook and hope it just magically shows up. We're a little deficient in technology here in Australia, especially in government, doubly so in state government.

> This thing has been missing for months.

Where are you getting months from?

" ... the truck made the journey from 12th to 16th of January, the capsule was not discovered to be missing until the 25th of January."

It's been missing for 2 weeks, and known to be missing for 5 days.

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