Here’s an interesting stocking stuffer to consider … and it’s a blast from the past, literally.
A radioactive nuclear power lab kit packed with real uranium is going up for auction… and it’s considered the world’s most dangerous toy.
Officially known as the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory, the toy dates back to the early 1950s, when atomic bombs were relatively new, and was marketed as an educational toy for budding scientists.
The toy lab set has been created Alfred Carlton Gilbert … the same guy who created the iconic Erector Set.
RR Auction says less than 5,000 of these puppies were ever made…making this an extremely rare find.The toy was discontinued in 1951 when Gilbert’s company blamed “government restrictions” and “difficulty in obtaining materials.” After all, the toy has real uranium.
Here’s what’s included in the lab kit…a cloud chamber to look at alpha particles, a scintariscope to look at radioactive decay, and an electroscope to measure radiation levels in the four materials included…carnotite, autunite, torburnite, and uraninite.
The collection also has some supplements, including a US government guide to uranium exploration.
Make no mistake, uranium samples are radioactive…but a 2020 analysis by IEEE Spectrum, the world’s leading engineering journal, says the radiation is equivalent to the sun’s UV radiation…at least as long as the samples remain in sealed containers;
Auction ends December 11th … just in time for the holidays!
