Story of Secretive Nuclear Activities Hidden Beneath Australia's Surface
Collecting rare items can lead you down some unexpected paths, whether it's vintage LEDs or decades-old microprocessors. You'll diligently search the internet, excitedly anticipating international deliveries.
A tale unfolding in Australia features just such a collector, whose innocuous hobby has landed him in hot water. His collection, aimed at assembling a full Periodic Table, has potentially thrust him into a jail sentence due to an import dispute over plutonium. However, the story is not as straightforward as it seems, with sensationalized media coverage and disproportionate responses from authorities. [Explosions&Fire] provides a detailed breakdown of the events in the video below.
Meet Emmanuel Lidden, an element enthusiast who ordered a variety of elements from an American collector's supply website, including samples of plutonium and thorium. He appears unaware of any legal repercussions, as the microscopic samples available on legitimate websites come with no warnings. The situation becomes murky as the Australian authorities flagged the thorium sample and instructed the courier not to deliver it, yet the delivery was made nonetheless. A raid typically reserved for rogue nuclear operations was then launched, reminiscent of the infamous media circus at Gatwick Airport.
While the penalties levied against him for possessing a tiny piece of a Soviet smoke detector cast in Lucite may seem excessive, his blatant disregard for radioactive materials suggests a degree of recklessness. But is it wise to consider whether we've stumbled upon any illicit items hidden within outdated devices, even in our own collections? Have you? Let's share thoughts in the comments.
Emmanuel Liden's interest in assembling a Periodic Table led him to order radioactive elements, such as plutonium and thorium. The seizure of these items and the subsequent raid on his home raises questions about whether old radioactive technology, like Soviet smoke detectors, could potentially harbor undisclosed crime-and-justice issues, especially when we delve into general-news stories about such collections.
