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Geiger Counters and Nuclear Conflict

 

 

Einsteinʻs Concern

I donʻt like to talk or think about Nuclear War and Iʻm guessing most people feel that way.   With many world leaders from the Pope to Presidents talking openly about it I think it may be useful for people to have information that can empower them in dangerous situations if they develop.   Geiger Counters detect nuclear radiation and nuclear war produces nuclear radiation, so Iʻm going to share my thoughts on the useful and proper role of Geiger Counters  in a series of posts.

One of the best tools to protect populations during a nuclear event are Geiger Counters, thus the US and other countries built and stockpiled hundreds of thousands of Geiger Counters during the Cold War for use in the event of nuclear conflict. In those days the risk was primarily related to use of traditional nuclear weapons.

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Geiger Counter Evolution – Be Part of the Open Data Revolution

Kickstarter is featuring a new Safecast radiation detector today, July 4, American Independence Day, as part of its Gold program presenting “iconic projects with a twist.” Safecast created something unique in the Geiger Counter World with its Open Source “bGeigie Nano,” which has won much recognition inside and outside Japan, and won a prestigious “Good Design” Award in Tokyo.  The original “Nano” was a kit that required some skill and a soldering iron.   That kit advanced the State of the Art by integrating GPS into the instrument, and by simultaneously rolling out an internet ecosystem to compile and display the data.   Safecast projects have been widely reported on by National Geographic and other respected news outlets.  Safecast is even covered as a model for “surviving our faster future,” in the book “Whiplash” by MIT Media Lab Director, Joi Ito.   While many people have benefitted from kit building workshops, and many more have developed their technical knowledge by participating in the mostly volunteer project, not everyone has the time to build a kit.   The new Raku Nano does not require soldering, so more people can now participate.

Safecast was born during the Fukshima Daiichi reactor melt downs, during a period where reliable and understandable radiation data was largely unavailable.  Safecast is independent and not a political organization, so people of all viewpoints can participate and can see how data is collected and presented.   That in itself is revolutionary, or maybe evolutionary is a better word.  I highly recommend supporting this Safecast Kickstarter Project, which will both advance the radiation detection ecosystem and support a good organization.   There are only seven days left to fund the project, so act fast.

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More Hotspots in Tokyo?

A hotspot was found recently in Chiba, a suburb of Tokyo.  Now more hotspots are being reported.  This would be consistent with the Chernobyl experience where hotspots showed up at distant locations where rain fell while fallout was passing over.  Read more…

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