Collaborate Disseminate
The Translational Research Institute is a new, independent research group look to push the boundaries of our health in space. Continue reading What Goes In Our First-Aid Kit For the Mission to Mars?
[Michal Zalewski] has radiation on the brain. Why else would he gut a perfectly-horrible floor lamp, rebuild the entire thing with high-power RGB LEDs, and then drive it with a microcontroller that is connected up to a Geiger-Müller tube? Oh right, because it also looks very cool, and Geiger tubes are awesome.
If you’ve been putting off your own Geiger tube project, and we know you have, [Michal]’s detailed explanation of the driver circuit and building one from scratch should help get you off the couch. Since a Geiger tube needs 400 volts DC, some precautions are necessary here, and …read more
Continue reading Mood Lamp Also Warns of Nuclear Catastrophe
For anyone who has worked with radioactive materials, there’s something that’s oddly comforting about the random clicks of a Geiger counter. And those comforting clicks are exactly why we like this simple pocket Geiger counter.
Another good reason to like [Tim]’s build is the Fallout theme of the case. While not an item from the game, the aesthetic he went for with the 3D-printed case certainly matches the Fallout universe. The counter itself is based on the popular Russian SBT-11A G-M tubes that are floating around eBay these days. You might recall them from coverage of this minimalist Geiger counter, …read more
Continue reading Roam the Wastelands with this Fallout-Themed Mini Geiger Counter
Some speculate a Russian nuclear test in the Arctic, but experts say a pharmaceutical facility could be responsible. Continue reading Nobody Is Sure What Caused a Mysterious Radiation Spike Across Europe
It’s widely known that a smoke detector is a good ionizing radiation source, as they contain a small amount of americium-241, a side product of nuclear reactors. But what about other sources? [Carl Willis] got hold of an old Soviet era smoke detector and decided to tear it down and see what was inside. This, as he found out, isn’t something you should do lightly, as the one he used ended up containing an interesting mix of radioactive materials, including small amounts of plutonium-239, uranium-237, neptunium-237 and a selection of others. In true hacker fashion, he detected these with a …read more
Continue reading Soviet Era Smoke Detector Torn Down, Revealing Plutonium
The 108-meter tall structure was built to replace the aging concrete sarcophagus that has contained the world’s worst nuclear plant disaster for over 30 years. Continue reading Watch Chernobyl Get Locked Inside a New Giant Steel Dome
We might not need to look for a “Goldilocks” planet after all. Continue reading Who Needs a Sun? Alien Life Could Survive Off of Cosmic Rays
Every mad scientist’s lair needs a Geiger counter. After all, if that UFO crashes on the back patio, you might need to know if it is hot. [Tanner_Tech] shows you how to build a cheap one that will get the job done.
You do need a Geiger tube, but a quick search of a popular auction site shows plenty of Russian surplus for a few bucks. The other thing you need is a source of high voltage (about 400V), which is the heart of the circuit using a 555-based DC to DC converter. You can see a video of the …read more
A new imaging technique can read what is printed on the pages of a book without ever opening it. Continue reading This Camera Can Read a Book Without Opening It
