Another genius gets arrested for misuse of laser pointer

[Sigurthr]

I kind of wish other hobbies were given the support and beneficial regulation that amateur radio was given. Yes, it is a huge pain in the ass to get licensed (especially to the highest level) at first, but once you're licensed the flood gates open. After you get your diploma from the FCC no one hassles you for abiding by the rules and enjoying your hobby. You can own/purchass/sell/make all the equipment you like, and if anyone ever gives you a hard time you just give your callsign and flash your wallet size radio license.

Obviously there will never be something similar for lasers, and if there was there would probably be very restrictive limitations (unlike in radio), but one can hope.

Besides, the visible light spectrum IS an allocated amateur radio band, and amateur radio bands have a limit of 1500WATTS on output power. I could live quite happily within the 1.5kW limit for lasers!

:lasergun:

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Interesting little stories, and not at all surprising.

A lot of times I find that people are in general very polarized when it comes to the unknown. Some respond with curiosity, most unfortunately with fear and apprehension.

All of my friends know I'm a bit into lasers

In fact at a couple of large parties I go to a few times a year, I'm officially known as the laser guy. Fortunately this puts me in rather good company, and beats being know as that :drunk: guy

Unfortunately many people react irrationally to anything they don't understand. At one of these parties, I was outside on the balcony smoking. Playing with a 445nm, pointing at a completely blank (no windows) brick wall on a building ~100 feet away. Absolutely nothing in between, and since we were on the 10nth, floor, nothing can even be there.

Drunk schmuck started half yelling half lecturing me that if I point it at anyone I'll be in big trouble, and he's beat me up and report me (never mind that I could kill him with one hand tied behind my back, I guess for him it really was liquid courage). I turned off the laser, went inside, and later saw him passed out.

If you sense people are open to it, you can talk to them, but the instant there is any kind of fear/paranoia, I find it best to just turn off the laser (or in your case the radiological survey instrument), and if possible walk away.

Btw, it's funny that the issue of radiation came up. I often like to wear a polo with this on the front: link.

Once you tell people that yes, lasers do emit radiation, but they are also absolutely surrounded by radiation, they look at you like you're an alien:undecided:

As with many other problems. The only solution is education.

Those who do not understand, fear.

 

[Sigurthr]

Here here! Ain't that the truth, haha. I've tried explaining to people that they are constantly bathed in a sea of radiation every second of their lives, very few even begin to understand. Most react as you've described, or think that I'm a babbling idiot, very few are open to being enlightened.

It's one of the reasons I come to forums like this; having intelligent conversations on what people would refer to as "erudite" topics is very rare outside of hobbyist forums.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen/heard a non-hobbyist use the word erudite, haha! :crackup:

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

^^^ Troglodyte and Luddite another two words you will never hear outside of a hobbyist community

 

[sopark4000]

^^^ Troglodyte and Luddite another two words you will never hear outside of a hobbyist community

lol agreed

 

[Benm]

Another member (who happens to be the owner of the email reflector and a pioneer in the hobby) had his belt clip gamma/neutron scintillator on him one day while visiting a relative in the hospital. Long story short, he went to the cafeteria for something to eat and the alarm sounded repeatedly on his scintillator. There was a Tc99m spill in the cafeteria. Tc99/99m are Technicium isotopes used for radiological scans that are in a liquid form and injected into patients for the procedure. Spills certainly pose bystanders a health risk as a single procedure's dose is many times the normal amount of radiation exposure a person takes in for a year. Anyway, he was able to grab some unobtrusive equipment from his car and localize the spill location. He reported his findings to the hospital staff, who treated him VERY badly/rudely. Finally the hospital's phychological staff took him into custody and kept him in the mental ward of the hospital for 24hr observation. After the observation he was released and no charges were filled. He reported his findings and experience to the NRC (nuclear reg. commission) who filed an official investigation. The hospital kept him for 24hrs so they could clean up the spill without anyone being the wiser.

Anyway, those long stories just go to elaborate a point; harmless, law-abiding, and usually beneficial hobbyists in technological or scientific fields are often regarded by the general public as a hazard and purpetrators of crimes most vile.

Those who do not understand, fear.

Wow.. thats a pretty amazing one!

I doubt the Tc spill would have posed much of a realistic hazard (unless you eat off the floor), but the fact that it somehow made it all the way from the treatment facility to the cafeteria floor should be a clear indication that something is very wrong with nuclear safety procedures in that hospital.

The length they went through to cover it up is even more amazing. I wonder what the radiological workers at the hospital must have though of the whole ordeal. One of them must have made a mistake, which is only human afaik. Leave it to coporporate politics to cover it up instead of locating the problem and preventing the next one.

 

[Sigurthr]

Aye, quantitative radiation danger is often overestimated these days. It's more the fact that a large quantity (multiple doses worth) of a radioisotope could get that far and not noticed than the danger from the radiation itself.

 

[millirad]

I hear that the coconuts in the Bikini Atoll are unsafe to eat. At least in significant quantities.

 

[sopark4000]

I hear that the coconuts in the Bikini Atoll are unsafe to eat. At least in significant quantities.

I lold

 

[Benm]

Radiological workers are trained to be rather careful these days. I trained for basic certification myself, and how an isotope like that can end up on the restaurant floor is hard to understand.

As for the reality of things: most experiments with radioactive compounds are performed with very small amounts. Ingestion of the complete experiment would typically not exceed the permitted annual dose for radiological workers. The allowed exposure for members of the general public is 10 times lower than what is acceptable for staff, but any leak that causes such exposure is considerd a major incident.

If there is any form of research thats overly concerned with safety, radiological work is it. The realistic health risks may be very limited in most situations, but radiological contamination is so scary to the public at large that very, very large safety margins are observed.