On 21 Jun 2006 15:31:52 +0200, Chris Bacon wrote:

Jim Scott wrote:
Only if you've been sitting on boulders in Cornwall...

I'll get me coat...

Since Radon gas is emitted from granite, it collects under floors in
Cornwall, and you can get a grant to fit an extractor fan.

I believe the highest concentration found was in the toilets of a health
centre.

This could well be of interest for those wondering about whether
they be exposed to a radon hazard:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publ.../1996/ern8.pdf

Us had a look and us be fine.
Mind you us don't live in Cornwall.
--
Jim
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscot.plus.com

In message , EricP
writes
On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 21:04:39 GMT, raden wrote:

In message .com,
writes
Newshound wrote:


It's actually for testing an old Geiger counter that was a Maplin kit.

The natural K40 in high potash fertiliser will give you about double the
natural background.

I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale were
sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them
carrying a pack of cigarettes -

Sounds like ******** to me

Do they set it off as well then???

After the therapy, prolly, yes

--
geoff

In message , Steve S
writes

"EricP" wrote :


I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale were
sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them
carrying a pack of cigarettes -

Sounds like ******** to me

Do they set it off as well then???


Dunno, but what I want to know is: do cats have eighteen half-lives?

If they do, that's Schroedinger buggered

--
geoff

In message , Jim Scott
writes
On 21 Jun 2006 14:40:00 +0200, Chris Bacon wrote:

Jim Scott wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
Jim Scott wrote:
Steve S wrote:
"EricP" wrote :
I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale were
sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them
carrying a pack of cigarettes -
Sounds like ******** to me
Do they set it off as well then???

Dunno, but what I want to know is: do cats have eighteen half-lives?
I think you'll find that they have an infinite number!
Not like radioactive substances, then, which don't have an
infinite number.

Where did you learn your atomics then?

Suppose you've got a known number of atoms of something
radioactive. Can the number of half-lives before they
decay to some other substance be infinite?

Yes because each time you go through a half-life then the rate of decay
halves too.
Imagine a frog crossing a road. His first jump is half way, his next jump is
half of that and so on. How long before he reaches the other side?

Never - but not through your logic, it gets turned to roadkill by a 4x4

--
geoff

In message .com,
writes

raden wrote:
In message .com,
writes
Newshound wrote:


It's actually for testing an old Geiger counter that was a Maplin kit.

The natural K40 in high potash fertiliser will give you about double the
natural background.

I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale were
sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them
carrying a pack of cigarettes -

Sounds like ******** to me

--
geoff

Not completely, as far as I can tell. Do a bit of googleing for
cigarettes and polonium 210 for some interesting data on the radiation
dosage to the lungs from smoking cigarettes. However, as polonium-210
is an alpha emitter, it's not detectable by a portal monitor, which
will look for gamma emmissions, and maybe neutrons. However, (again) -
as potassium-40 is a gamma-emitter, it is just about feasible to detect
raised concentrations of potassium in the environment by looking for
the characteristic signature of K-40 emissions, which are at a
particular energy - however, an expensive multi-spectral monitor is
needed. The Americans have tried using just this technique to detect
contraband tobacco & marijuana in freight in 1992 see
URL:http://spiedl.aip.org/getabs/servlet...og=normal&id=P
SISDG002276000001000374000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=y es
so it is possible that a portal monitor - especially the 'pause for 5
seconds while being measured' type would notice elevated K-40 levels.

If a nuclear worker reads this newsgroup, they might be able to say
definitively.

Yeah - rambutans ...

such low levels - a bit challenging

--
geoff

In message , Chris Bacon
writes
unopened wrote:
raden wrote:
unopened writes
I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale were
sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them
carrying a pack of cigarettes -
Sounds like ******** to me
Not completely, as far as I can tell. Do a bit of googleing for
cigarettes and polonium 210 for some interesting data on the radiation
dosage to the lungs from smoking cigarettes. However, as polonium-210
is an alpha emitter

Interestingly, smokers are less likely to suffer from certain
radiation damage to the lungs, as the mucous coating is thicker
in theirs, due to the reduced functionality of the cilia and
irritant effect of all the gunk inhaled.

I think I might pass on those advantages

--
geoff

raden wrote:
Chris Bacon writes
Interestingly, smokers are less likely to suffer from certain
radiation damage to the lungs, as the mucous coating is thicker
in theirs, due to the reduced functionality of the cilia and
irritant effect of all the gunk inhaled.

I think I might pass on those advantages

! Absolutely !

On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:05:12 +0100, Bob Mannix wrote:

"Jim Scott" wrote in message
...
On 21 Jun 2006 14:40:00 +0200, Chris Bacon wrote:

Jim Scott wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:
Jim Scott wrote:
Steve S wrote:
"EricP" wrote :
I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale
were
sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them
carrying a pack of cigarettes -
Sounds like ******** to me
Do they set it off as well then???

Dunno, but what I want to know is: do cats have eighteen half-lives?
I think you'll find that they have an infinite number!
Not like radioactive substances, then, which don't have an
infinite number.

Where did you learn your atomics then?

Suppose you've got a known number of atoms of something
radioactive. Can the number of half-lives before they
decay to some other substance be infinite?

Yes because each time you go through a half-life then the rate of decay
halves too.
Imagine a frog crossing a road. His first jump is half way, his next jump
is
half of that and so on. How long before he reaches the other side?

Distance is infinitely divisible. Atoms are discrete so once you get down
(and you will) to one it either goes or it doesn't, it can't half go. The
progression will not be infinite therefore (although it might take a while
) )

I suppose the original cats will have given up caring long before then.
--
Jim
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscot.plus.com

Chris Bacon wrote:

Interestingly, smokers are less likely to suffer from certain
radiation damage to the lungs, as the mucous coating is thicker
in theirs, due to the reduced functionality of the cilia and
irritant effect of all the gunk inhaled.


I think I might pass on those advantages


! Absolutely !

Then again, they probably need far less radioactivity to give em cancer
in the first place!

--
Cheers,

John.

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Chris Bacon wrote:

This could well be of interest for those wondering about whether
they be exposed to a radon hazard:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publ.../1996/ern8.pdf

Yes. Also on that site is this large pdf document.

http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publ...2/nrpb_w26.pdf

The maps are a bit blurred, but Dartmoor would be the place to pick up
radioactive rocks, if I'd wanted to follow Dave Fawthrop's suggestion.

It's a bit difficult to make out the town names in the hotspot. I can
make out Chagford towards the north east of the hotspot, then south
west from there on the B3213, I can make out Postbridge in the middle
and Princetown towards the south west end. Places where you'd need to
invest in underfloor extraction fans for sure.

--
John