Live data from Hacker News

Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

eevblog.com

31–40 of 79 posts

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a pretty small amount of radioactive material, about 1 μCi (roughly equal to 2000 bananas). And in normal usage, you probably shouldn't be removing the insides of the smoke detector and eating it or anything, unlike the tasty bananas. Nonetheless, they're being phased out in a lot of places, mostly due to disposal worries. While one smoke detector is fairly harmless, tens of thousands being dumped in landfills i…

And the alpha radiation emitted is barely able to penetrate a sheet of paper, let alone the detector housing and ten feet of air to your body.

But then it gets into the water supply and is bombaring your cells from nanometers away . . .

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#32
post #9

Export restrictions have been in place for a very long time. Another relatively well-known distributor that got bitten is McMaster-Carr, a mechanical parts supplier (with a very nice web design - http://mcmaster.com/ ). After shipping something to a location they shouldn't have, they were penalized in 2003 and they no longer ship outside the US. Which is a damn shame, because they have a great catalogue of stuff that…

I'm also impressed by the efficiency of their UI. Most parts suppliers should take a lesson from them.

Maybe their policies have changed since 2003, because do they claim to ship outside the US.

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#33
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of smoke detectors use the radioactive isotope americium-241 in an ionization process to detect smoke. Get enough smoke detectors, and you can have a good amount of radioactive material. Read up on David Hahn, who hit the news in '94 for trying to build a breeder reactor in his back yard using sources scavenged from among other things, smoke detectors.

Thank you. It's depressing how quick people can be to dismiss something as stupid without considering how those rules came about in the first place.

one guy, one time, managed to get his hands on enough smoke detectors to make himself glow in the dark.. yes, seems perfectly reasonable to freak out about.

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Radioactive smoke detectors mandatory in houses. Hmm, what's wrong with this picture?

The irrational fear that's thrown around whenever the word 'radiation' is used?

are you talking about the classification of smoke detectors as weapon material?

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Radioactive smoke detectors mandatory in houses. Hmm, what's wrong with this picture?

The irrational fear that's thrown around whenever the word 'radiation' is used?

So much this. It's as bad as when someone is trying to demonize some chemical in food, and lists all the other things it's used in, as if that has any relevance to it's safety...

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#38

This is actually great news. It has been impossible to find out whether you are on the US watch list. Now you have to do is get an Australian with your name to order something from Element 14 and now you know.

The whole list is freely available right here http://www.treasury.gov/ofac/downloads/sdnlist.txt

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#39

This is actually great news. It has been impossible to find out whether you are on the US watch list. Now you have to do is get an Australian with your name to order something from Element 14 and now you know.

Also available on 20 other easily parsable formats here: http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/SDN-List/P...

You can even register for email updates.

Re: Element 14 Holding Orders Based On US Government Watch List

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. It's depressing how quick people can be to dismiss something as stupid without considering how those rules came about in the first place.

one guy, one time, managed to get his hands on enough smoke detectors to make himself glow in the dark.. yes, seems perfectly reasonable to freak out about.

I do not know what you are referencing, but in general radiation doesn't make you glow.
Post reply on HN