Uranium Glass

This is a small sample of my china cabinet's small collection of Uranium-doped glass. It isn't measurably radioactive; more on that in the video. But it glows a brilliant fluorescent green under a UV Light.

Check out my website for a brief history and further discussion of Uranium glass:

http://jeremybechen.bravehost.com/radionuclide_collection/uranium/Uranium_Gla...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Uranium
• glass
• depression
• carnival
• antique
• radioactive
• radioactivity
• radiation
• uranium
• 238
• alpha
• particle
• blacklight
• uv

[NEVERMAKESVIDEOS3V3R]

are you kidding? uranium is one of the most (if not the most) dangerous substance on earth! how can you keep those in your house, hell, why would you drink from it?!

[JeremyBechen]

@NEVERMAKESVIDEOS3V3R I don't drink from it, no! They're antiques, family heirlooms, actually. The levels of radiation they admit is negligible; my Geiger counter barely tips above background level near them. Sure, chemically, Uranium isn't safe either, as a heavy metal. But the Uranium is locked within the glass, so unless I break the glass and inhale the dust or decide to eat some of the glass, I'm fine. Also, they don't glow on their own, that's just a property of the glass under a UV light.

[Mr3wheeledbike]

is it safe to keep around the house i want some.

[JeremyBechen]

@Mr3wheeledbike perfectly safe, the emissions from these pieces are next to nothing. you could argue that they do emit Radon (a radioactive noble gas), but again, the emissions of Radon would also be next to nothing. nothing to worry about.

[babajan97]

how much have you spent on your collection?

[JeremyBechen]

@babajan97 Well, actually I inherited all of it in an antique china cabinet.

[wirasatrya95]

i would shit my pants if my food is served on uranium glass plate

[xylenol15]

You should serve some kopi luwak in a goblet to a guest and then give them two nasty surprises. >:D

[1ukjunglednbraver]

@NEVERMAKESVIDEOS3V3R uranium isnt that bad you can buy depleted uranium off the net there are much worse things it isnt even that radioactive unless you get some inside you then its not that bad for you

[theamazingshazbob]

@NEVERMAKESVIDEOS3V3R

Uranium has an very long half life, The particles do not degrade rapidly enough to cause any serious cellular damage. You have to drink out of that cup for about 40 thousand years before anything noticeable happens and there really is not as much uranium in the glass as you think. furthermore, radium is used in glowy clocks and strontium is used in your tv..neither do much harm and the sun is still#1 in radioactive frequency. All cells hit go through "apoptosis" and die.

[KarbineKyle]

BEAUTIFUL FIND! It seems many people are afraid or ignorant by radiation, and these really pose no danger. Depression glass contains only ~3% Uranium-238 Dioxide (UO2). U-238 emits α-particles, and is also the most stable U isotope (T-½ = ~4.45 billion years). The α will only emit from the surface and travel ~1 inch in air. ß-particles pass through only a few mm of the glass and Gamma-rays will pass right through. It's from the decay isotopes and isomers (metastable "excited" isotopes) of U-238.

[SteamMonkey115]

Ah, tick-tick-tock...is that the sound of a Geiger counter or my lifespan counting down? It's both!

[nostalgicmalcontent]

You have some nice pieces there. I also used to collect amberina glass as well. When put under the light, it has a golden tint to it, awesome. They say that the radiation emitting from uranium glass is about the same as radiation emitting from a tv, very harmless unless you melt it down.

[wirasatrya95]

@antiprotons o.e

[antiprotons]

@wirasatrya95  Ahhh... It happens. Uranium is all around us, as are thorium and other radioative items. I have scanned many houses and have yet to find a single one without at least a few radioactive items.

[wirasatrya95]

@antiprotons O_O