On Fri, 7 Jan 2005 20:49:46 -0000, "Mike" wrote:

Well the availability of whatever ore the Curies purified radium from is
presumably a little harder to get now :-)

No idea - the usual "ores" for the back-bedroom Teller-wannabees these
days are that old favourite, thorium from caravan gas mantles, or else
americium from smoke detectors.

The Curies went through _tons_ of pitchblende. We just don't have the
space to do it these days.

--
Smert' spamionam