Detecting radiation with a snow globe

The static charges that build up on a decorative snowglobe are dissipated when a strong radiation source is brought near, causing the polystyrene balls clinging to the face to fall off. This phenomenon was exploited in a class of commercial radiation detectors sold as "fallout detectors" during the Cold War, which were triboelectrically charged by shaking plastic balls in a tube made of dissimilar material. Typical instructions warned the user to "seek shelter when balls drop." Finally, we illustrate the use of a strong radiation source in an antique Walkie RecordAll dictaphone to dissipate static charges on the plastic band recording medium that would cause dust to stick to it.

[lsdzheeusi]

heyyy let's not forget everyone's favorite vinyl record anti static tool, the brush loaded with everyone's friend, polonium!

[sarahardman]

Yeah, it's a real shame you can't get kids toys with strontium and caesium and iodine. Love it.

[hullinstruments]

When I used to deal in a lot of audio equipment, before audiophiles were everywhere… I collected tons of different devices that had been marketed throughout the years as “anti-static“ cleaning devices for records and other related things. I’ve still got most of them, their half-life is usually pretty short, one of the coolest devices are the static dissipating Air guns/blowguns that are attached to compressed air hoses and used at certain factories. They actually have really strong sources in them in some instances… And are always a lot of fun to come across. And even when they quickly dissipate after a few months or years… The blowguns in particular look really really cool. Antistatic stuff has always been super common and electronics research labs. Static discharge can be a terrible thing… So they went to some extensive links to stop it. And created some crazy ass devices and weird cool looking mad scientist stuff in the process

[MaxmaxOFF]

What activity of Sr90 used for demonstration?

[aserta]

I saw one of those in an auction house, but it was obviously not explained how it worked. So it's neat to hear the right explanation about them and the expanded view, so to speak. Neat!

[noimnotarobotcanubeleiveit]

im getting problems with dog hair sticking to my new carpet. i will try fitting radium strips to my hoover

[joshmyer]

That strontium antistatic source is missing its brush! (But you could probably still clean your LPs with it.)

[rhelectronics.jerusalem]

Thank you for this great video, very interesting!

[randyhavener]

Try the phrase Globus Non Stickus I was chanting it when you brought the magic wand up and the balls fell right off during your demo :o) Thanks Carl!!

[JoesOs]

This is Why Mr. House wanted the snow globes

[Muonium]

There must be some kind of inflection point where the internally deposited charge of the trapped beta electrons in the insulating dielectric plastic actually INCREASES the static charge at the plastic surfaces despite the air ionization simultaneously sapping it away.

[cracktower]

💕 Greetings Carl. You look good. / Your last post, you were concerned, you tube adds on your videos - just so you know, this video, before it started, some kind of dental implant advertisment popped up. Thanks Carl, you Rock! 💕

[jozefbubez]

Interesting! What is the radio-active source you are using? I have some very small metal parts, actually sound ports for sub-min microphones which when shaken up in a polystyrene container stick to the sides through electrostatic attraction. The only source I have is an old thorium gas mantle but think this is alpha emitting so wouldn't penetrate the plastic container?

[Gacha.Cupcake]

Hi

I am looking for a asma column. Where wod I look for something like that. Do you make so.erging lime that. Like a asma globs we eat this would be a cylindrical cumn.
Thanks

[charlesachurch]

Would hi-fi enthusiasts consider this as an accessory to the tone arm?

[manudehanoi]

hard UVs should do it (except acrylic will block a good deal of them)

[kingcanada]

amazing as always works like those static master brushes but i think you have a much hotter source maybe a cs-137 lab source because its enough for it to travel like 3 feet nice to see you uploading again :edit or its an sr-90 source whats the activity quite a few mci im guessing

[BreadApologist]

0:08 and 0:45 S tier youtube poop audio clip material

[OneTwoFive]

This video explains exactly how it works, it works by shaking the mechanism which creates a static force on the inside which makes the balls stick to the walls of the container, when there is radiation present something to do with electrostatic something (I’m not a physicist) neutralises the electrons causing them to stop sticking to the walls. Hope this helped

[alexejnemov]

Reminds me of the Gilbert's atomic energy lab toys