In 1950s Vegas Exploding A-Bombs Were Cause For a Party

Re:In 1950s Vegas Exploding A-Bombs Were Cause For a Party by tomjakubowski on Sunday May 22, 2016 @06:52PM (#11750629)

The decade or so following WWII were a strange time in the US. The federal government made itself the only legal purchaser of uranium ore and artificially raised prices to incentivize mining, leading to a brief "Uranium Rush" [1]. Popular songs were sung about uranium prospectors [2]. There were even a couple of educational board games and toys -- with real uranium and other sources of ionizing radiation! -- made to teach kids about uranium and uranium mining [3].

[1]: http://national-radiation-instrument-catalog.com/new_page_14...

[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ANI6oj8p2M

[3]: http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-terrifying-age-of-radioactive-toy...

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Re:In 1950s Vegas Exploding A-Bombs Were Cause For a Party by cafard on Monday May 23, 2016 @11:10AM (#11754342)

The USGS would assay your samples. A relative who worked there once had the job of reporting to a prospector that while his sample was nicely radioactive, the radioactive chemicals did not occur in nature. I think the prospector may then have threatened to complain to his congressman.

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Re:In 1950s Vegas Exploding A-Bombs Were Cause For a Party by yolesaber on Sunday May 22, 2016 @08:59PM (#11751088)

My personal favorite uranium rush song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LuXCkibX-k

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