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Re:A Critical Problem – This photo gives me the creeps by nerdponx on Wednesday August 09, 2023 @07:42AM (#37061211)
Is the problem that plutonium doesn't look particularly scary on its own? It's just a chunk of gray metal. It's not fuming, it's not warm (I assume), it's not glowing, it's not particularly ugly, it's not a bright color. Very few people have experienced radiation poisoning and have a visceral understanding of the horror involved. None of our self-preservation instincts understand the danger.
Re:A Critical Problem – This photo gives me the creeps by hilbert42 on Wednesday August 09, 2023 @09:06AM (#37062073)
Your question implies I've firsthand experience working with the stuff but that isn't so. It's true I've worked in the nuclear industry and keeping the stuff safe and out of harm's way was in my job description but I wasn't alone, many hundreds of us were (and are) involved in doing so. Luckily there were people between me and those who worked with the stuff and I'm very happy about that.

Still, you're right it's a silvery gray metal much like many others that oxidizes quickly in air to give it that dullish look. If you were to pick it up you'd notice it's very dense. It's marginally heavier than gold by about 0.5g/cc^3 at about 19.8g/cc^3. That it looks so boring could easily generate complacency when handling it.

Edit: the 238 isotope is much more radioactive than 239, so much so it'd be hot to touch. But you'd be mad to do so.

Re:A Critical Problem – This photo gives me the creeps by HPsquared on Wednesday August 09, 2023 @11:36AM (#37064296)
It's probably a bit like handling electric wiring. It doesn't look dangerous, until you short the terminals together or touch a high voltage contact.
Re:A Critical Problem – This photo gives me the creeps by hilbert42 on Wednesday August 09, 2023 @12:52PM (#37065440)
A pretty good analogy.
Re:A Critical Problem – This photo gives me the creeps by SoftTalker on Wednesday August 09, 2023 @01:57PM (#37066320)
Or watch some YouTube videos about arc-flash.
Re:A Critical Problem – This photo gives me the creeps by cyberax on Wednesday August 09, 2023 @11:37AM (#37064308)
Weapons grade plutonium is slightly warm to touch.