Umbran arrested in Sweden for Illegal Nuclear Experiments!

[El Mahdi]

Okay, it wasn't Umbran. I just know from here on the boards that he's a physicist, and I wanted a title that would grab everybody's attention.

(No offense intended Umbran. I'm sure you're a very conscientous, responsible, and safe physicist...)

The real story is here: Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home - Yahoo! News

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby.

Richard Handl told The Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.

Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.
"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home."
The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.

Although he says police didn't detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn't such a good idea.

"From now on, I will stick to the theory," he said.

 

[Umbran]

Of course that wasn't me. If I were to build a reactor, I'd go for fusion. Fission is so 20th century.

 

[Bullgrit]

Just don't call the DOE to ask if it's legal.

Bullgrit

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

So you're saying there is, in fact, no Kickstarter project at this time, either for Umbran's reactor* or his subsequent bail and attorney fees?


* And why does Umbran's Reactor sound like an Asimov novella to me?

 

[jaerdaph]

Not again!

Can't we have nice things?

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Ummm, my science class in eighth grade tried building an atom smasher in the teacher's basement.

We never did get it to hold a vacuum, but otherwise it isn't that hard. (We did build an x-ray emitter, using an old 01 radio tube with magnesium getter and a Tesla coil. Worked fine. ) We also built a vandeGraff generator, but cheated for the x-rays and used a prebuilt Tesla coil.

Mr. McLaughlin was a mad science teacher, he had all his students on a last name basis - Mr. Smith, Miss Danvers, Mr. O'Brien.... Crazy teachers are sometimes the best.

*EDIT* If anyone is interested [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Amateur-Scientist-C-L-Stong/dp/B000ICZI3Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312405916&sr=8-3]here is the book that started the projects[/ame] - The Amateur Scientist by C. L. Stong. You too can attempt an atom smasher in your rec room.

The Auld Grump, kids just don't know how to have fun these days....

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Ummm, my science class in eighth grade tried building an atom smasher in the teacher's basement.

You didn't happen to see a Delorean at the time, did you?
I lost one next October, and I'm having a hard time tracking it down....

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Oddly enough, I have a 1950's era DeLorean I got from an uncle...

 

[Jack7]

Of course that wasn't me. If I were to build a reactor, I'd go for fusion. Fission is so 20th century.

If you went for cold fusion Umbran you could use a Pinto instead of a DeLorean. On second thought... don't use a Pinto cause that could accidentally lead to fission.

 

[Relique du Madde]

What, no one else is building a torsion field free-energy generator that is powered using shoestring wrapped in foil, 2 hamsters, a broken transister radio with corroded batteries, a satellite picture of mars with Richard C Hoagland's face photoshopped onto a random mountain, and the utterance of the words "Three point nine teen?"