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Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

abc.net.au

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Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#41

Post by doctor_eval »

stefs wrote: post #35
defrost wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These have been used and regularly replaced since the 1970s and this is the first time one has been lost in transit. Yes, they can do better and hopefully will do so in the future with more rules, regulations and checks. But, see [1] - you'd imagine someone would have thought about the front of an oil tanker falling off. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirki_(tanker)

the front fell off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM

I just want to point out to others that the above is parody.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#42

Post by defrost »

doctor_eval wrote: post #41
stefs wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the front fell off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM

I just want to point out to others that the above is parody.

Yes it's deliberate exaggeration for comic effect of the simple bald fact that the front fell off of the bloody oil tanker.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#43

Post by ajsnigrutin »

ivan4th wrote: post #27

BTW, there was an accident in Ukraine (Soviet Union at the time) related to a radioactive capsule that ended up in the wall of an apartment building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramatorsk_radiological_accide...

Something similar in brazil:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident

While the soviet incident was one really bad fuckup, this was a chain of many people fucking up horribly

Videos for people who don't like to read:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhL0xQzPSy8 (16m)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5tEjXGHNeg (6m)

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#44

Post by sschueller »

nojs wrote: post #29
defrost wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the output pulse from a Geiger–Müller tube is always of the same magnitude (regardless of the energy of the incident radiation), the tube cannot differentiate between radiation types. No "signature" detection possible with simple counters I'm afraid. They used trucks on the road with large doped sodium iodide crystal pack (tubes with a scintallation (flash) detector at the ends) that produce a second by secon…

TFA mentions the truck was passing by at 70km/h, which is surprisingly quick.

Switzerland uses Superpumas flying 90m over areas to measure radiation on the ground[1] . In around 3 hours they can measure 100 square kilometers.

[1] https://www.tagblatt.ch/ostschweiz/im-tiefflug-ueber-der-sta... (german)

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#46

Post by sounds »

Loic wrote: post #23

I am not surprised the found the capsule, I am surprised by the very professional way the company handled the case. If you look at the timeline of events (see link from dang comment), they reacted extremely quickly and professionally, from the contractor doing the transport to Rio Tinto informing the authorities. For me Rio Tinto was the company not taking care of our environment[0] in its operations, so for once, I…

I appreciate the willingness to give them a shout out, by name.

Not the first time I've had a brush with Rio Tinto.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#47

Post by gonzo41 »

qikInNdOutReply wrote: post #25
defrost wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Estimating iron ore grade on the fly as recently blasted ore beds are dumped through a load out into train carriages for transport to ocean side processing (further crushing, screening, fine grading and blending) and loading onto shipping. It's an 800 million tonne per year operation in W.Australia (somewhat larger than the US ~ 48 million tonne iron ore mining figures (IIRC)). The alternatives are to find something…

But the world needs more steel. To build more ships. The world needs more ships. To carry more ore and coal. Because the world needs more steel. Also to build buildings. This whole "economic" growth is just another bubble ready to pop, similar usefull to crypto in the long run. Destroyed the planet, for what..

Paperclips - https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/

Be careful.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#48

Post by throwawaylinux »

stefs wrote: post #32
qikInNdOutReply wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the world needs more steel. To build more ships. The world needs more ships. To carry more ore and coal. Because the world needs more steel. Also to build buildings. This whole "economic" growth is just another bubble ready to pop, similar usefull to crypto in the long run. Destroyed the planet, for what..

... but for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders! edit: i'm just referencing the famous new yorkers cartoon - https://imgur.com/a/dHBy8hI - personally, i like steel.

Anybody is free to choose to go without products made from steel or with steel tools if they want to stick it to the fat cats.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#49

Post by Archelaos »

franze wrote: post #3

Anybody has a clue how / what for this is used in mining? And are there alternatives for the future?

Der Spiegel writes that the capsule was used "to calibrate radiation measuring instruments, which are used to determine for example the density of rock." -- https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/australien-verlorene-radioakt... (in German)

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#50

Post by refurb »

stefs wrote: post #32
qikInNdOutReply wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the world needs more steel. To build more ships. The world needs more ships. To carry more ore and coal. Because the world needs more steel. Also to build buildings. This whole "economic" growth is just another bubble ready to pop, similar usefull to crypto in the long run. Destroyed the planet, for what..

... but for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders! edit: i'm just referencing the famous new yorkers cartoon - https://imgur.com/a/dHBy8hI - personally, i like steel.

Then i realized the shareholder is us .. .. me in fact!
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