radiation

Watch a 6-Year-Old Build a Cloud Chamber to Detect Cosmic Rays

Watch a 6-Year-Old Build a Cloud Chamber to Detect Cosmic Rays

The only thing better than watching an entertaining science project and learning something new is watching and learning it from someone a quarter of my age. Samatha, 6, explains in the video below how to quickly and easily build a “cloud chamber,” otherwise known as a cosmic ray detector, with some dry ice and household […]

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Remembering Japan – Contribute to a Fantastic Open Source Project

Remembering Japan – Contribute to a Fantastic Open Source Project

Geiger Counter prices will drop as they become more popular, leading to more data points, citizen science, and most importantly, preparation for another crisis (which will hopefully never occur). Contribute to the Safecast project on March 11th and your donation will be matched 200%.

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In the Maker Shed: Geiger Counter Kit

In the Maker Shed: Geiger Counter Kit

This Geiger Counter Kit, available in the Maker Shed, is one of my favorite kits. I’ve wanted a Geiger Counter for a long time but could never justify spending a couple hundred dollars for a commercial unit. When this one came along I knew I had to have it!

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New in the Maker Shed: Alpha Particle Detecting Geiger Counter Kit

New in the Maker Shed: Alpha Particle Detecting Geiger Counter Kit

Why spend $400+ on a Geiger Counter when you can build your own for a fraction of the price? This new Geiger Counter Kit, available in the Maker Shed, was featured in MAKE: Volume 29 and is able to detect α(alpha), β(beta) and γ(gamma) radiation using the included GMT-01 tube.

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How-To: Hack a Surplus Plutonium Probe for Military-Grade Gamma Ray Detection

How-To: Hack a Surplus Plutonium Probe for Military-Grade Gamma Ray Detection

The late unpleasantness in Japan has recently focused our attention on homemade radiation detectors. These are often lumped together under the term “Geiger counter,” but in fact there is more than one way to skin that particular cat. A “Geiger counter,” formally, is a radation-sensitive instrument that uses a Geiger-Müller tube to detect the tiny […]

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Hacking a Geiger Counter

Hacking a Geiger Counter

Akiba from Tokyo Hackerspace has been understandably interested in geiger counters of late. The day after the nuclear problems started occurring at the plant, geiger counters started popping up on Ustream. After that, Pachube set up special accounts for radiation data feeds in Japan (thank you Pachube). Unfortunately, geiger counters were sold out everywhere. The […]

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