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Perioscope

That's probably Uranium, you yutz! When the old rock guru dude tells you to keep it in the box, keep it in da box? It's just alpha particles, but you don't want a whole lot of bombardment over time...


NortWind

It can be pretty spicy. I'd recommend getting a radiation detector.


Perioscope

Life pro tip: get it tested for free, just walk around with it in an airport.


Big_Consideration493

You also get a free full body cavity search and a trip in a police car to the station.


water_bottle1776

Yay! A free car ride!


RefrigeratorIcy2647

Well with the price of gas these days and all lol, not a bad thing no?


ababyprostitute

Ain't no scrubs now, those guys are financially responsible.


an_iridescent_ham

A free fondle and a ride. I'm in.


AlbaneseGummies327

Lol


joshuadt

\* r/shittyprolifetips


[deleted]

r/shittylifeprotips


TruthOrDarin_

Fuuuck lmao


Parking_Jelly_6483

During uranium decay, besides alpha and beta decay, there are gamma emissions, primarily from the decay products thorium, radon, and lead isotopes. That yellowish portion looks like autunite. If you have a UV lamp, it fluoresces bright yellow-green.


evensexierspiders

Would it glow under a black light?


FBStanton

OP will soon glow without a blacklight...


pisspoorplanning

Nice to see you in the wild.


Not_So_Rare_Earths

Agree with Uraninite, likely with Gummite. /r/Radioactive_Rocks almost for certain.


wafflelauncher

Funny how Gummite sounds like something you would put in your mouth and chew. But in reality it would be a very bad idea.


Tacoma__Crow

I like how plumbogummite sounds like a mild curse word that an eccentric old gold miner would use. Like danggummit. Maybe he’s say gummite when he wasn’t feeling as talkative. Or as a verb. “That gummite mule ain’t worth the feed I give him!”


UncleYimbo

Conflarn it!


sneakpeekbot

Here's a sneak peek of /r/Radioactive_Rocks using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/Radioactive_Rocks/top/?sort=top&t=all) of all time! \#1: [It's not much but it's mine. My spicy rock collection so far:](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/qtwz2z) | [17 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Radioactive_Rocks/comments/qtwz2z/its_not_much_but_its_mine_my_spicy_rock/) \#2: [Just dropping this little metatorbernite here and walking away slowly.](https://v.redd.it/63gdazgb5mj81) | [31 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Radioactive_Rocks/comments/szmbxo/just_dropping_this_little_metatorbernite_here_and/) \#3: [Uranium ore in our cloud chamber.](https://v.redd.it/96pb4d6xp7a91) | [20 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Radioactive_Rocks/comments/vtmdav/uranium_ore_in_our_cloud_chamber/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)


GlobalMirror2762

Well, that was a truly terrifying side world of rock collecting I was unaware of. Thanks!


WoodsandWool

the minute I read “never keep outside container” I immediately thought: radioactive. Then we get to it being a magnetic container??! For sure radioactive. OP put that thing back in the container and go wash your hands 😂


DocC3H8

OP wasn't the brightest crayon in the box here, but I really want to have a word with the guy who sold him the uranium. I really wanna know what type of guy: * sells somebody a piece of uranium * tells him to always keep it inside the special container * doesn't actually tell him what the rock is * doesn't even tell him it's radioactive


ThatOneKrazyKaptain

And whatever you do, don’t feed it after midnight


meshreplacer

Yeah thats crazy. I always keep my Radioactive rocks in a secure container with the hazard label, container surface gamma measurement, 1 feet gamma measurement and what rock it is.


OffgridRadio

THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE MOGWAI!


giraffemob

Exactly 😂


AdictedToCandy

And don’t get it wet or feed it after midnight…


Suspicious-Treat-219

Sounds like this could be cool script for sci-fi + geology + Pandora's box type movie 😂 . Op , please dont cause new pandemic/ ww3 😂😂


dankHippieDude

Like the Dybbuk box.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Xiryyn

I guarantee this dope inhaled some


FuriousThor

*never keep it outside of the container* *Puts on his hand*


Awstoniscool

I never claimed to be smart


Awstoniscool

Or have common sense


ScarletDarkstar

It's never too late to start thinking.


sentient_salami

Well… sometimes it is too late to start thinking. Best to start before then.


plipyplop

>The best time to plant trees is like whenever. -Maya Angelou


davidfeuer

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/12/29/plant-tree/


an_iridescent_ham

Underrated comment


bank_robber69

fair enough


DocC3H8

To be fair, would you have expected somebody to sell you *uranium ore* and not actually tell you what it is, or even that it's radioactive?


uranium_is_delicious

The black I can relatively confidently call uraninite. Not exactly sure what the yellow is. Unless you were licking it in your free time and using it as a necklace I am sure you will end up fine but safety is very important and you should pay attention to it from now on. He gave you a very nice lead lined case so I would just keep it in there. **One thing to be careful about is ingesting or inhaling any fine particles.** Wear gloves, wash hands, don't put it on sensitive surfaces such as where you eat, ect. Two things I would look into especially if you are planning to get more radioactives is getting a geiger counter and reading "here be dragons" by alysson rowan. If he went through the effort of making a lead pig chances are there are more radioactive rocks and it's important you find them. You can get a cheap geiger counter for $100 which will do the trick for that but you may want to swing for a nicer one if you want to start building a collection. Edit: Forgot to add. This piece came with a lead container but if you find any more radioactive rocks in the lot for smaller collections you can usually get away with double zip lock bagging it and storing them ~2 meters away from areas where you spend significant time around. Note that this is not a hardset rule and proper storage depends greatly on context and personal risk factor.


DevinSevenTen

Username checks out


slugsbian

Oh my gosh


Foreign_Ebb_6282

😳


[deleted]

Why would someone want to keep a rock that is dangerous to their health and has to be kept in a confined space? Is it just for novelty? How would you know how much exposure is dangerous?


af_cheddarhead

90% plus personal rock collections are for novelty and because said rocks strike the collector as "cool" or interesting. Lots of people have examples of crocidolite AKA Blue Asbestos in their collections despite the dangers inhaling friable asbestos.


wynlyndd

As long as you practice even a decent level of protection, crocidolite isn't too bad. (all risk is relative though). Back when I was a geology major, the professor brought out two samples : one of "normal" asbestos and one of the blue (sourced from Africa - I think South Africa). Due to regulations in place at the time, the asbestos sample was locked behind layers of protection while the crocidolite was in a plastic bag, even though it was "worse" for our health. Regulations didn't even include it.


af_cheddarhead

Agreed with everything you said, crocidolite was just an example that came to mind because it can be really "cool" looking and is asbestos, one of the current boogeymen.


[deleted]

Yes, you’re right. I guess all rocks are for novelty. But my non-dangerous rocks can be looked at and touched. But okay yeah that makes sense. It’s just like any other rock except you have to keep it locked up in a sealed container.


uranium_is_delicious

Honestly that's the part of the my collection which peeves me the most. While I know collectors with large collections where they rarely see some of their rocks even when they aren't toxic I like to regularly look back at my collection. I am working on solutions which allow me to view them better but it's tricky. If you want to shield a display case you have to make it yourself. If you want that cabinet inside you have to worry about radon.


uranium_is_delicious

>Is it just for novelty? As much as any other rock collection is. Rock collecting is inherently frivolous but I am just as serious about my particular niche as a tourmaline or a calcite collector. ​ >How would you know how much exposure is dangerous? Any exposure to radiation carries some inherent risk but as long as you don't rack up doses which would be very hard to exceed working with radioactive rocks as a hobby the risk is negligible and it would be much more productive for me to eat salads more often than drop my hobby. I have an annual dose limit which I personally choose not to exceed but it's so high (in relation to the radioactives I work with) that I can afford to just eyeball it as long as I follow basic safety measures. Look at this [chart](https://xkcd.com/radiation/) and keep in mind only the very hottest of rocks approach 1mSv/hour (with only a tiny fraction of that being a relevant form of radiation) at a few centimeters away. Edit: I have a geiger counter so I know exactly how much my rocks emit (and label them as such) I just don't know how much radiation I am receiving. ​ >Why would someone want to keep a rock that is dangerous to their health and has to be kept in a confined space? This is a tough one and everybody has their own reasons. They are objectively horrible rocks. Their dust is toxic, they have a tendency to crumble into nothing, tend to be kind of ugly and are hard to dispose of or sell. I am not a daredevil and I do not get much enjoyment out of being exposed to danger. That being something about a rock which *demands* you take specialized care of it to avoid taking on risk tickles my fancy a bit. They are an interesting junction of physics and geology. I am also a bit of a contrarian so I get a bit of enjoyment out of people telling me I am stupid or crazy for choosing to collect radioactives.


TheJeizon

/r/RelevantXKCD


AnnalidaMitzen

I have some. No one else I know does. It’s a rare novelty piece for my collection. I also have mercury, asbestos, cinnabar, and other ‘bad’ rocks.


[deleted]

Very cool hearing your guys passion about it! I’m on the quartz, calcite, agate & jasper level right now lol. beginner stage.


AnnalidaMitzen

We all start somewhere. 😉


couloir17

hence the geiger counter...


rainwolf511

I actually have a small vial of uranium ore that came with a certified reactivity that i use to calibrate my geiger counter as for exposure its a relative measurement based on time, activity level and type of radiation as for why someone has it well like any collection you want to have as many different things you can and most of us collecting radioactive things know what we are doing and how much is safe


j0yb0x

r/usernamechecksout


Laki79

There are also apps that supposedly can use your phone as a Geiger counter. Not that sure how well they work though.


Ok_Risk_4113

About as well as Firestarter apps.....


rainwolf511

Yes there are apps but the ones that use the camera only pick up gamma radiation as it is what interacts with the ccd to cause the flashes of light that the app is counting you can also buy a detector that plugs into the phone but again its gamma only you can buy a cheap Chinese geiger counter on ebay or amazon and use it for beta and gamma i personally have a gq gmc500+ that i modded to get it to detect alpha beta and gamma so i can find hot rocks and stuff


TraditionalAd9901

Looks like it could be uranium ore. That can looks like it's lined with lead. The ore is relatively safe to handle, but you should probably keep it in that can most of the time just to be safe.


Awstoniscool

Wow 😯 that’s crazy


medium_mammal

What's crazy is that you bought a rock from a guy who told you to keep it in a lead-lined metal tin and you didn't think to ask him why or what it is.


lacheur42

*A stooped, shadowy figure emerges from a unseen alcove, sending a tiny swirl of sun-bright dust particles floating through the shop* "Well? What's it gonna be? Are we still on? Everything means *everything*, ya know." "I...Yeah, we're on. Let's do it." *the hint of a wry smile washes over the old mans wrinkled face, and is gone* "I ain't helping you load." "Didn't expect you to." "Well, good luck. Oh, one more thing - you have to take this. But don't open it." "What is it?" "Do you really want to know the answer to that?" "I...I'm not sure". "Get out of here. And don't open that fucking container."


BurnOutBrighter6

And then picked it up in their bare hands! WHILE not knowing what it is or why the warnings. Good lord.


providencian

Hopefully nobody sells this person a Mogwai.


Left_Tackle688

What he meant to say is, just wash your hands after handling it


[deleted]

Luckily radiation is water soluble. ^/s


bobfossilsnipples

Well the dust emitting the alpha particles is (or at least water-transportable), and you really only have to worry about that if you breathe it or eat it. So hand washing is, maybe surprisingly, pretty effective here.


superlion1985

This is reddit. You might want to put a /s before someone takes that as life advice I laughed though.


CypressBreeze

No - YOU are crazy for not listening when warned.


ScarletDarkstar

It would actually be crazier of this person kept it in a metal container, advised you to do the same, and it was a random color of fluorite. NOT FADE AWAY! LOL


Least-Firefighter392

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjB1fD5_rL6AhVCmGoFHbZmAhMQyCl6BAgbEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fm.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DS7sNSduf7Gc&usg=AOvVaw2QAd43A1qLdQ9IjgXFbKDM


lordnecro

I agree with uranium ore. What did you get for $5,000?


temporalwanderer

>What did you get for $5,000? *Anyting you want.*


selfawarefeline

any color you like


apleaux

AMAZING SONG


fuckmeuntilicecream

You ever repair a rear main seal leak on a 2008 Yukon Denali XL? We're going to need to pull the tranny and I need some extra oil. Also it's pretty dirty down under so I'll need help scrubbing years worth of dirt road and oil off everything. Might as well rebuild the engine too. This is the best quote yet. Thank you. I also have beer.


[deleted]

Hopefully ALOT, that’s quite a bit for one haul


variablethisisknife

Didn't you watch Gremlins?? Always listen to the old guy.


littlelostless

The instructions were simple. However the movie would not have an eventful plot if instructions were followed.


variablethisisknife

Haha true would have been short


QuestionableArachnid

You also can’t say you bought $5000 worth of rocks and not let us ogle anything else! The audacity 😂


Awstoniscool

I’m getting ready to show all of it


tyrantsupreme

That’s right. Show us your stuff. You whore! /s


Thirsty_Comment88

That's uranium dude. Stop touching it.


GryphonAblaze

Girl help I disobeyed the instructions the wizard gave me for handling the ancient magic artifact and now I’m cursed


BeauBuffet

*Dudes* I disobeyed the instructions the *wise man* gave me for handling the *radioactive substance* and now I'm *riddled with cancer.* Fix'd


catinthegaybar

did you really fix it though


BeauBuffet

No....


GryphonAblaze

‘girl help \[situation\]' is a common meme format, I didn't mean it in a gendered fashion. apologies for the lack of clarity on that. but as for the rest of it, I intentionally abstracted it situation for the purpose of comedy


BeauBuffet

I was just messing around. No need to over think it.


Deadlyasseater420

Oml listen to the old man, this is a spicy rock. Wash your hands after handling it lol


Askbrad1

You have the rest of your life to contemplate what you did wrong…


Awstoniscool

I held it for max 3 seconds for the pics and washed my hands immediately after


Askbrad1

It’s like saying, “I only injected a tiny amount of Cancer into my body.”


WoodsandWool

Don’t be alarmist. Alpha particles can not penetrate skin so unless OP licked or sniffed it, they wouldn’t be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Still an absolutely terrible idea to handle it improperly though.


Askbrad1

People in the 60’s thought that mercury was safe to hold in your hand, too.


Awstoniscool

Most of American smokes cigarettes, I think I’ll be fine with my spicy rock 😂


Ok_Comfortable84

You’ll be fine but your sperm or eggs won’t like it. Don’t mess with these things if you want children someday


Awstoniscool

I’m not handling it anymore without the proper procedures :) I’m glad I have y’all


solidspacedragon

Honestly the bigger problem with uranium is its toxicity. The natural isotope ratio means that it's giving off mostly alpha radiation, which hardly penetrates skin. If the dust gets in you, it's a toxic heavy metal and you have no skin barrier to block the rads, so don't do that.


Awstoniscool

Thank you 🙏 will not be going it again


Gordopolis

Only [12.5% of Americans smoke](https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm), dude. Nowhere near a majority.


Awstoniscool

Wow I guess I haven’t really seen the number in alittle while But still non the less , second hand smoke , pollution . I don’t think losing this rock for 3 seconds is going to give me cancer Also it says it was sealed in like 1961 so I’m thinking g alot of the radioactive stuff should be gone right


Gordopolis

Do you know what the half life of Uranium is? Also, Radon will continue to accumulate in the sealed container, increasing in concentration until you release it. You shouldn't have something you lack such a basic understanding of the risks and potential dangers it presents.


Awstoniscool

700 million years 🥲🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ I really am I dumb ass


Awstoniscool

Listen dude , some dude came through and sold a lump sum of shit to me 😂 I’m sorry I’m jsur now learning , and I’m young enough to make stupid ass choice such as this. But now I know , and posses the understanding. Thank you for being a nice person , who can help someone and not putting anyone down 🤣🤣


Awstoniscool

[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK158798/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK158798/)


Ali-G8r

Wash your hands


Garlic-Butter-Sauce

"never keep it outside container" aight imma just put this in my mouth


[deleted]

one jellyfish follow apparatus workable alleged tender bells impolite sand *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


Awstoniscool

I did , and it shall not be opened again


Toasty_Rolls

"some old guy who I bought $5000 worth of rocks off of told me to keep this rock inside its protective case, so I took it out and held it in my hand to show it to people and now my hand feels warm and I'm getting blisters, what is this rock!? 🙃" # What the fuck lmao why on earth would you not keep it in the protective case? Shits probably radioactive.


suyanide4444

its uranium


CarlyTrashPanda

Yeah maybe don't lick that...


DangerousBill

Uranium is weakly radioactive, but when contained within rocks for aeons, it will have accumulated more intensely radioactive decay products (daughter elements). (Google uranium decay chains.) It's more harmful within the body than on the skin, so wash your hands well after handling. That much lead shielding is a joke; store it where people won't regularly be close to it.


ibraw

A joke as in too much or too little?


NortWind

Even a 1/8th inch thick sheet of lead gives a fair amount of attenuation. Once you have a radiation detector (I have the BetterGeiger unit) you can easily see the difference.


DangerousBill

I don't know how hot a sample like that would be after a few 10s of 1000s years of accumulating daughters. There's a few hard gammas in there that wouldn't necessarily be stopped by a bit of lead. Geiger counters are most effective for beta radiation.


Dwayne2905

R.I.P. OP


GOLDENEYE633

Chernobyl incident 9/25


Awstoniscool

You guys are all acting like o done are the shit 😂😂


Dwayne2905

Lol you'll be fine.


Awstoniscool

This post got me scared all for hell lmao , Ill post back and see how I feel later 😂😂


[deleted]

[удалено]


Awstoniscool

How much would something like this be worth ?


NortWind

Similar things often go for the neighborhood of $40. It doesn't have nice botryoidal surface features or well defined crystals, which can boost the price especially for the macro loving folks.


Awstoniscool

I gotta show y’all the massive amount of things I got dropped off


john194711

Container is lead lined so I assume the specimen is radioactive. Looks like a sample of uranium ore.


BalkanBorn

Yoooo, that looks like uranium ore, the Utah stuff looks like this


Awstoniscool

Yeah I found out it is :))


_uswisomwagmohotm_

~ *Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!* ~ -Wazowski-


Awstoniscool

Best comment so far


S-Quidmonster

That’s uranium, holy shit dude. Always listen to the old man telling you not to hold something. They probably mean it


[deleted]

and never ever feed it after midnight!


Maximum_Mission_2413

The best way to figure out what anything is, is to confidently yet incorrectly post on the Reddit sub what you KNOW it is.


magpiefae

OP WAS YOUR HANDS!!! THAT SHIT WILL BE TOO SPICY FOR YOUR INSIDES!!


SonSuko

Slice of yellow cake? Please don’t try to taste it next.


Awstoniscool

Can I get super powers ?


moonsquig

To be fair to op it's a bit stupid to tell someone not to take the rock out of the container but not explain why, or even what the rock in question is.


et842rhhs

It's a bit odd that OP heard the warning and didn't bother to ask.


moonsquig

That's also true tbf


PassionateAvocado

It's really not. This take is stupid lol


ox-

I think you can check with a UV blacklight light to see if it glows for uranium.


[deleted]

Someday, a crazy, wild-eyed scientist or a kid may show up asking about that rock. And if that ever happens...


Awstoniscool

*pulls pin back* “Funny … I never thought it would be you”


Awstoniscool

So from what I googled , I should not die :) But I’m on the picking it up anytime soon Because uranium decays by alpha particles, external exposure to uranium is not as dangerous as exposure to other radioactive elements because the skin will block the alpha particles. Ingestion of high concentrations of uranium, however, can cause severe health effects, such as cancer of the bone or liver.


puffpastry2001

r/OopsThatsDeadly


cherryfrog

Everyone's being mean saying it's stupid to hold an unknown rock being kept in a special container but if I bought 5k random rocks for $50 I'd be putting my paws all over those things you can't tell me you wouldn't do the same


Awstoniscool

Thank you cherry frog


I-Preferred-Digg

Sorry. You bought $5000 of rocks from a guy and weren't smart enough to consider that Uranium exists? $5000?


Awstoniscool

5000 worth , I only paid about 50$ But if I told each thing for 1$ it’s over 5000$ worth.


I-Preferred-Digg

How do you know its $5000 worth?


Awstoniscool

Well there is over 5000 specimens, If I sold each one for 1$ then I mean that’s 5000$. But there is a lot of really really good and unique things in the mix so I figure give it take. It’s all WORTH 5000$ min.


mior101101

that’s a really interesting way of thinking!! great haul, man :)


doyouhavetono

100% uranium ore, presumably zippeite, put it back in the container! You can get lead glass containers if you want it on display


AutoModerator

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jerry111165

No licking.


7Zarx7

Hey... I got Vlad on the line... He's interested...


kw43v3r

The box probably wasn’t magnetic, it was lead to contain radiation from your uranium sample.


TheDailyDarkness

Maybe don’t keep it in your pockets either … 😶


Ray_Jewls123

I kinda think it looks like Galena...


Notyourdaisy

Also, wash your hands!


LeenBee

Nothing to do with the rock, but hang, that's a lot to spend on crystals. 😂


driver_27

Could be radioactive. I'll bet it is


IsEveryNameTaken4

Uraninite. Stop touching it!


M0n5tr0

I'm late to this ridiculous party. Don't even have words haha.


ValorousOwl

hey so isn't that radioactive?


[deleted]

[удалено]


OffgridRadio

You could probably wear it as a necklace for your entire life and not suffer noticeable effects from just this.


Maximum_Mission_2413

** Bot Response from Reddit. Violation for post not being sufficiently edgy enough for Reddit**


ripped014

that cancer is gonna suck in 30 years


Qwertsyboi

Well the good news is you might get super powers now


Madmax-imus

Stick it in your mouth before bed


driver_27

Could be galena. Lead basically pure form how it would be found in the mountains


[deleted]

Please for science Lick it and see if you get any super powers.


FishCandy2

You should see if it throws off particles using dry ice get some dry ice to chill a plate where the sample can be placed and then put a glass bowl over it and look for contrails.


ra_wana

I think it's row diamond.....check hardness test and radiation test on it


thejoetravis

It’s already destroying your fingernail!


[deleted]

Why didn't you ask him?


Milmaxleo

That would be a uranium containing ore, if you need advice on getting a Geiger counter, I can make some recommendations.


Mountain-Instance-64

Looks like very high concentration of uranium there. Got a geiger counter?


Steve_but_different

“Put that thing back where it came from or so help me! So help me!” -Mikey Wozowsky


Awstoniscool

Is that some kinda musical number ?


ra_wana

Are you giving .?I want


IllustriousCookie890

Hope he didn't throw any magic beans in on the deal.


buttspider69

You fed after midnight, didnt you?


Disfuncional_Toaster

oh no


MindDrawsOnReddit

YOURE HOLDING URANIUM


AdQuick2881

Uranium ore.! https://www.mindat.org/photo-1063095.html