Project: Uranium

thingiverse

A NEW VERSION OF THE DESIGN IS AVAILABLE *Check it out here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2751908* The new design looks stunning, requires no glue or screws, and is a huge improvement over its predecessor. You'll need the complete uranium kit to bring this project to life, available at https://hackerspaceshop.com/collections/art-and-beauty/products/uranium This 3D-printed enclosure is specifically designed for the uranium project, so be sure to get both to create an amazing display piece. A beautiful, shiny necklace awaits, composed of a stunning antique uranium glass marble and some intricate microelectronics. Did you know that people used to make uranium glass items as far back as the late 1950s? That's right – glass with 2-3% radioactive uranium238 in it! No kidding. Uranium has a unique property: when hit by UV light, it releases beautiful yellow-green photons (just Google "fluorescence" for more info). Half a century later, overflo discovered that UV light creates a distinct green glow inside uranium glassware, and the uranium project was born. What makes this necklace truly special? It's radioactive! Okay, not extremely so – just a little bit. In fact, you're exposed to way more radiation when you board a plane or go hiking on a mountain. But still, it looks amazing. SAFETY First: Is it dangerous? Absolutely not! It's beautiful. But is it safe? Well, let's put things into perspective – you're already sitting on a rock that rotates at 1670 km/h and floats through space. You're not safe, ever. So, is the radioactive necklace thing safe? Don't eat it. Wearing it around your neck probably won't give you cancer, but I'm no doctor, so don't sue me if anything goes wrong. Are you kidding me? Is it safe now or what? I measured the radiation with a Geiger counter, and the emitted radiation from the uranium marbles is slightly above average background radiation that you experience all the time. So, no – the emitted radiation isn't harmful. Plus, uranium is a primary alpha radiator, and its radiation can be blocked by a piece of paper. As long as you don't get it inside your body, you can feel pretty safe handling this material. And remember, it's not raw uranium – it's uranium glass, with the uranium embedded in shielding material.