Clearly it's residual radiation from the collapse of the wormhole to the sock dimension. /s
We can confirm this hypothesis if there's also radiation in between the couch cushions from the wormhole to the dimension of lost pocket change...
Why is my dryer radioactive?
51–60 of 170 posts
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
It can be an issue everywhere, Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking.
I'm in the middle of moving from Texas to New England. In Texas, Radon is such a "not a problem", that I've never considered it before our move. In New England, our basement tested above the "safe" limit (iirc, 4 somethings), so we are having a venterlator installed for ~$1.4k. In the south, Radon "can" be an issue, but it simply isn't an issue. In New England, it is often an issue.
My understanding on why this is, is because in New England there's a lot more granite in the ground. Granite is particularly annoying in that respect because the trace amounts of, i think, uranium and radium that the rock concentrated when it was formed will give off the radon gas when they decay.
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#53That guy got out by the seat of his pants!
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#54Related: HNer recommendations for home geiger counters? (serious request - for general fun/experimentation/curiosity satiation)
GQ makes several dosimeters, I own the dual-tube GMC-500+.
The cheaper single tube dosimeters will max out and saturate at radiation levels far below those that are immediately harmful to human health. (This was the source of the famous "3.6 roentgen per hour, not great, not terrible" meme-- he was looking at a meter that was reading off-scale high at 0.001 R/s)
If you're buying a dosimeter with the threat in nuclear war in mind, check the specs for maximum readings.
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#55I doubt it has anything to do with molecular dipoles. More likely I'd guess ionized radionuclides adsorb onto macroscopic dust particles (or some similar mechanism), which then maintain a net charge imbalance.
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#56I think the core of the explanation given is correct but some of the adjacent details need adjustment. The important part is: "Clothes dryers are very effective at making statically charged surfaces. (Dryer sheets help.) So when radon and its temporary decay products are blown through the dryer, electrically-polarized molecules tend to be attracted to the charged surfaces" What that commenter misses is that nearly al…
My geiger counter activity goes up when air conditioner is working. Never figured out why. This could be a good explanation.
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#57Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
It can be an issue everywhere, Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking.
This claim (which ultimately came from the EPA) is suspect at best. It just comes from assuming a Linear No-Threshold model, which flatly contradicts the available body of medical evidence. https://youtu.be/TYZglUjLE0Y
Thanks for posting this, I will check it out. As a Midwesterner with a basement I had once looked into those claims about radon as the second-highest cause of lung cancer with concern and found the evidence much weaker than I expected. Even by EPA estimates[0] almost 90% of the lung cancer deaths attributed to radon are smokers (i.e. who have already weakened lungs), and there didn't seem to be good evidence of damage from basement radon for non-smokers.
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#59Florida is about to build some test roads using phosphogypsum, a radioactive waste product of the fertilizer industry that has been piling up and they want to unload. It contains high quantities of radium which decays into radon, this should end well. > "Phosphogypsum contains appreciable quantities of uranium and its decay products, such as radium-226," according to the EPA. And because the fertilizer production pro…
Uh oh, nobody tell NPR about granite countertops.
Re: Why is my dryer radioactive?
#60I think the core of the explanation given is correct but some of the adjacent details need adjustment. The important part is: "Clothes dryers are very effective at making statically charged surfaces. (Dryer sheets help.) So when radon and its temporary decay products are blown through the dryer, electrically-polarized molecules tend to be attracted to the charged surfaces" What that commenter misses is that nearly al…
My geiger counter activity goes up when air conditioner is working. Never figured out why. This could be a good explanation.
Is your interior AC unit or its ducting in a basement or crawlspace?