This is Not Good

From Fox, a disturbing story and an even more disturbing picture. Either there is a medical condition known as Explosive Late-Onset Acne, or Mr. Hahn has been doing things his body can't repair fast enough. Like mucking around with radioisotopes in general and ionizing radiation in particular. Which goes to show his knowledge of radioactivity is a mile wide and an inch deep, since this is not the first time he's done that. (Hey kids, it is VERY RUDE to turn your mother's back yard into a Superfund site.) Now if he has a deathwish that's between him and his therapist. What I find hard to forgive is that he has now, singlehandedly, brought to the world's attention that smoke detectors have radioactive material. It is a very, very small amount, but the way people panic about any *mention* of radioactivity this not going to be good. There was a conspiracy of silence among us scientists that have knowledge of radioactive devices and materials. We knew about the smoke detectors, and we didn't say anything, so that people would be safer. People die in fires, far more than would ever experience any adverse health effects from the tiny dot of americium. And I hope Mr. Hahn doesn't get his Boy Scout badge, because he has demonstrated he neither understands nor respects the science of radioactivity.