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EartherConservationTrump Proposes Mining for Uranium Near the Grand Canyon
The Trump administration released a long-awaited plan to “revive and strengthen the uranium mining industry” to boost nuclear power. If enacted, the proposal would wreak ecological havoc on U.S. public lands, including the Grand Canyon. Mining companies have long had their eyes on land near the iconic national park and neighboring tribal lands. Because previous … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
Tech NewsNewsReport: Trace Amounts of Uranium Found by Inspectors at Iranian Site
Diplomats who have closely observed the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) work in Iran said that investigators discovered traces of uranium at a Tehran-based storage facility, Reuters reported on Sunday, and that Iran has yet to issue any explanation why. According to Reuters, vague reports that radioactive material had been detected at the site have … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsPrivacy and SecurityIran Says It Will Exceed Uranium Enrichment Limits in 2015 Nuclear Deal
Last year, Donald Trump made the very public decision to abandon the 2015 deal between Iran and Western nations limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran kept to the terms of the deal for some time regardless, but on Sunday it said it would be exceeding uranium enrichment limits imposed in the … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Iran Says It Will Begin Enriching Uranium Beyond Nuclear Deal Limits
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Monday that it has increased production of low-enriched uranium—of the type suitable for use in nuclear power generators, but not nuclear warheads—to levels that will exceed limits imposed in the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other world powers by June 27, the New York Times reported on Monday. … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsCrimeJapanese Teen Suspected of Making Yellowcake Uranium Maybe Just Really Into Chemistry, Police Say
Tokyo law enforcement suspect a 16-year-old boy traded online uranium and processed it into uranium ore, also known as yellowcake. But rather than trying to facilitate the creation of nuclear weapons, he may have just been really into chemistry. Japan Times reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it is investigating the high … Continued
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ScienceHealthGrand Canyon Museumgoers Exposed to Uranium for Years, Safety Manager Claims
Earlier this month, a National Park Service safety manager sent a “rogue” email alleging the improper storing of radioactive material at a Grand Canyon facility frequented by children, the Arizona Republic reports. According to safety, health, and wellness manager Elston “Swede” Stephenson, three 5-gallon containers of uranium ore were kept near a taxidermy exhibit at … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
US Intel Officials Allege North Korea Is Still Enriching Uranium After Trump-Kim Summit
Shocker: It turns out that President Donald Trump was perhaps not really being all that honest when he walked out of a summit with North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un this month and declared “There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.” Per Reuters and NBC News, US intelligence officials (albeit ones speaking … Continued
By Tom McKay -
io9
This Element Could Have Made an Atom Bomb If Not for One Thing
Uranium and plutonium have gotten famous, or infamous, because they are used in atom bombs. We could have been saying that about another material—one that few actually know. Learn about the material that didn’t quite make it into The Bomb. Neptunium is squashed between uranium and plutonium on the periodic table of elements. This gives … Continued
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io9
Scientists Tested The Revigorator, A Vintage Uranium Health Product
During the 1920s and 1930s, people put radium on their skin and in their cocktails. They put uranium in health tonics. And they drank water from The Revigorator, which was a pot lined with uranium. In 2009, scientists tested a Revigorator, to see what it actually did. The Revigorator was a little ceramic pot that … Continued
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SciencePhysics
This Is What Happens When You Load Uranium In A Cloud Chamber
What do you do onceyou’ve built a cloud chamber using party supplies? If you’re Cloudylabs, you load it up with a chunk of uranium and watch the physics happen. From the video description: This video shows the Cloudylabs’s cloud chamber running for approx. 50 min with an Uranium mineral. After 40 min, there is not … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidWatching uranium emit radiation inside a cloud chamber is mesmerizing
Here’s a really neat, classic experiment that’s always fun to see. When you place uranium inside a cloud chamber, you can see it decay and emit bits of radiation. It’s like seeing little alpha particle torpedoes shooting out in every direction, leaving a trail behind. You can actually do this type of experiment at home … Continued
By Casey Chan -
io9This Eerie Chandelier Is Controlled By A Geiger Counter
Artist Phillip Stearns’ A Chandelier For One of Many Possible Endings is a custom light fixture containing 92 elements, each connected to a Geiger counter and each representing an electron in a Uranium atom. They light up in response to radiation, creating a haunting pattern. According to the artist: Lights flash in response to the … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy -
Tech News
These Alien Skyscrapers Will Rest on the Site of an Old Uranium Plant
The Pritzker Prize-winning starchitect Zaha Hadidjust released images of her latest design—three matching towers for Brisbane’s waterfront—and they look nothing short of alien. Which feels oddly appropriate, since the skyscrapers are also supposed to sit on potentially radioactive land. Hadid’s so-called Toowong development, a complex with 486 apartments and eight villas, is indeed planned to … Continued
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Tech News
Iraq Rebels Have Seized 88 Pounds of Uranium
According to Reuters, Iraq rebels have stolen 88 pounds of uranium compounds that were being used for scientific research at a university in the city of Mosul. Reuters has seen a letterwritten by Iraq’s envoy to the UN, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim, in which he explained that “these nuclear materials, despite the limited amounts mentioned, … Continued
