on 11/10/2007 3:03 AM Beachcomber said the following:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:


CWLee wrote:

During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?



Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

Personal Note - I remember my cousin showing us the radioactive dimes
he purchased from the tourist store at Oak Ridge, TN during the early
1960's. That couldn't have been good either...

Beachcomber

I remember little cheap toy rings that were advertised to be able to see
atoms in action when peering into the ring. I seem to remember they were
a prize offered by a cereal company when you sent in a coupon on the
box. I had one. What you saw was similar to pressing on your eyelid
for a few seconds and then then releasing the pressure with your eyelid
still closed and the little 'stars' would move about on your eyelid.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
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