Alaskan Cyclotron - Not in My Backyard! 392
j-beda writes "Wired reports that "Albert Swank Jr., a 55-year-old civil engineer in Anchorage, Alaska, is a man with a mission. He wants to install a nuclear particle accelerator in his home." To be used to create medically useful isotopes, and even though some of the neighbours are supportive, opponents "compared potential damage from a cyclotron mishap to the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor accident" though an expert says "Probably the worst thing that could happen with small cyclotrons is that the operator might electrocute themselves." It looks like the Anchorage Assembly plans to hold an public hearing on December 20 to determine whether Swank will be permitted to install the device."
I can understand the hold (Score:4, Insightful)
Three Mile Island (Score:1, Insightful)
lack of science (Score:3, Insightful)
To me, the only valid complaint one might make without having ana advanced degree in physics would be wondering about the effects of the huge magnetic pulses this would put out and the effects on his neighbors' electronics for the few micro seconds a day. But then again, if their house is close enough to be affected by these fields, they're too close anyway.
Pish and posh (Score:1, Insightful)
I guess he could go with superconducting magnets, but that requires mad crogenic skillz. And you still need lots of iron.
Even then he's going to need another big jar of cash for the RF generator, excellent high-vacuum skills and lots of electricity. Then if he's lucky, he *might* be able to generate a microamp of million volt electrons-- about what the average cat brushing by nylon curtains can generate.
I wouldnt worry too much about the nuclear-spiltting capabilities here.
Take the city's side on this one (Score:2, Insightful)
Will they burn him at the stake... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:5, Insightful)
What risk? Oh, wait, you mean the risk that the crackpots that the "opposition" digs up saying that a cyclotron could blow all of alaska to kingdom come could actually be right?
Look, I know people talk about bias and shit, and how everyone should listen to "both sides" of every argument, but didn't it occur to you that sometimes the other side is just plain wrong?
Re:It cant be any more dangerous (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Property Values (Score:5, Insightful)
I fear my neighbors too! (Score:3, Insightful)
With all those household chemicals, pesticides, sprayers, fertilizers and the like, one could easily mix them wrong and gas the neighborhood to death. The gasoline from the lawn mower might leak and cause an explosion from the fumes. The pesticides might get in to someone's well and poison them. The mulch pile might catch fire and smoulder...
The list is long. The point is these are every day hazards that people are comfortable with. This is all about feelings and very little about the actual hazard. It's not even about ignorance. People are woefully ignorant about the products they use in their houses every day.
I say hire a PR firm through the local hospital, buy the neighbors some doughnuts, and listen to the chatter. Clearly there are a few arrogant idiots who need to be identified and pushed back in to their caves^H^H^H^H^Hhomes.
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:1, Insightful)
- Get a license to own a radiological facility;
- Get a license as an operator for this equipment (or hire someone);
- Hire radiological protection personnel and equipment (personal and area detectors) or contract the Atomic Energy Comission for this;
- Get a license to operate this facility;
I'm not sure if urban planning has much to do with this... cyclotrons and other particle accelerators are installed in hospitals (and I don't know someone is too much concerned about having a hospital in their neighbourhood).
And no... it's not about risk... it's about fear. Most of the time is about fear and politically driven disinformation.
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:3, Insightful)
No, it's all about fear. So a cyclotron can produce nuclear reactions. So what. It only produces radiation in one direction, and I could stand in front of one plenty long without dying (yes I would get damaged). But put a chunk of lead in front of it and no problem, or just point it upwards.
It might be able to explode due to heavy magnetic fields, but that wouldn't be very powerful. You should be afraid of natural gas, that can make a real explosion. Maybe people are justified in being afraid of nuclear power plants, but there are several models that can't explode.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but a lot of people should start moving to Kansas...
Re:Three Mile Island (Score:3, Insightful)
If you look at it in a global view, I would suspect more people die of lung related diseases from coal and fossil fuel emmissions on a yearly basis than ever died of 3MI, Chernobyl, and all nuclear releated accidents put together.
I'm not supporting one over the other or even advocating nuclear power, but you have to remember sometimes that if a disaster or worse case scenario looks worse on paper or in people's minds or in actuality (like 3MI or Chernobyl), it is generally the more mundane that tends to be more unhealthy or causes more deaths.
Kind of like deaths related to cars vs deaths related to plane crashes but I'm breaking my own rules about analogies here (well this isn't internet related).
re: "most people" dumb argument and proof (Score:3, Insightful)
If you don't yet believe that a good 50% or so of the "general population" has irrational fears of such things as "radiation" and "nuclear energy", randomly ask some of them about such things. (EG. "Hello sir. Would you say that the possibility of getting brain cancer from using your cellphone too often is a real concern or not?"
To make things more complicated, a LOT of people make good money off sustaining these irrational/illogical fears. Sometimes, it's because they're part of a non-profit agency that needs this fear to ensure their continued existance. Other times, it's because some con-artists have a business selling useless devices that are only purchased by those who misunderstand the concepts. (You did buy your radiation blocking cell-phone sticker thingie off eBay, right?)
Inventors: Use your most powerfull ally: (Score:3, Insightful)
Even when a young lad, I heeded it well: "An ounce of keeping your mouth shut beats a ton of explanation." That's saved my ass - in every imaginable context.
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:5, Insightful)
Emergency legislation banning home cyclotrons? Gimme a break. Why not just have a councilmember go talk to the guy and say "Hey, look. Your neighbors are concerned. How about coming and giving a presentation to explain this thing to everyone before you install it?"
My problem is that every disagreement in this country has to be some kind of a crusade nowadays. Don't like something? Protest! Shortchanged at the store? Sue! Teacher give your kid a B-? Lynch him! Guess we've lost the art of conversation.
My opinion: If there is no serious, likely risk, let him have it.
Re:I can understand the hold (Score:3, Insightful)
Vitamin C, for example is chemically fairly close to glucose and can be synthesized in large quantities.
If the food is getting enough radiation to break up vitamins, it's you are doing it wrong.
Radiation treatment kills LIVING cells, in particular bacteria and viruses and so on... stuff that makes you sick.
Sodium chloride or sodium iodide is the same no matter what the source. (Psst, that's why they call it that, because it IS that.) It doesn't matter if the atoms come from the moon, the ocean, or horseshit.
Parent is spouting typical left-wing holistic medicine hokum masquarading as "health".
Liberals get what they asked for & don't like (Score:3, Insightful)
And so they should, to the good bleeding-heart liberal who favors progressive taxation and government handouts for the less fortunate. Compare the average yearly incomes in the different states and you will see what I mean.
According to liberal dogma, the wealthy limousine liberal in Connecticut ought to be proud and happy that the government will take money from him and give it to the poor white trash living in a Mississippi trailer park.
Funny how fast that left wing sympathy for the downtrodden vanishes, when the benefits go to stubborn rednecks that don't reward their patrons with votes!
-ccm
Re:They have no clue. (Score:3, Insightful)
The guy can do that in a comercial park somewhere in Anchorage rather than a residential neighborhood.
Problem solved.
Re:They have no clue. (Score:2, Insightful)