Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
(08-03) 08:33 PDT STOCKHOLM, (AP) --
A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby.
Richard Handl told The Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material.
The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.
Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.
"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home."
The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.
Although he says police didn't detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn't such a good idea.
"From now on, I will stick to the theory," he said.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... 333D22.DTL
2011 HearBst Communications Inc.
Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
Well, he wasn't exactly "caught", was he?
The question would be how he got his hands on those elements, even if his motives clearly weren't nefarious.
The question would be how he got his hands on those elements, even if his motives clearly weren't nefarious.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell
Re: Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
they had a similar situatin happen in one of the western suburbs round here some years ago.
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
From what I read he was getting it from smoke detectors, not exactly a big source.The question would be how he got his hands on those elements, even if his motives clearly weren't nefarious
This whole idea is not unprecedented though.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10385853
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way. Mark Twain
Re: Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
"Dear Swedish Radiation Authority.
I have been trying to split the atom in my kitchen, please could you come and see if I am doing it right.
Yours sincerely.
Richard Hand
C/O the big green glowing house, next to the large black hole.
Sweden.
I have been trying to split the atom in my kitchen, please could you come and see if I am doing it right.
Yours sincerely.
Richard Hand
C/O the big green glowing house, next to the large black hole.
Sweden.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Splitting Atoms On The Stove?
Fusion reactors are a different matter though, because they don't use radioactive elements.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell