12 votes

Fukushima’s nuclear signature found in California wine

7 comments

  1. [5]
    rodya
    Link
    That's pretty fascinating, sounds like there isn't much of an effect from it but it's still incredible to think that these events can leave a mark across the whole planet.

    That's pretty fascinating, sounds like there isn't much of an effect from it but it's still incredible to think that these events can leave a mark across the whole planet.

    4 votes
    1. [4]
      spctrvl
      Link Parent
      You can likewise tell from the skeleton whether someone was born before or after 1945, since people born before the detonation of the first nuclear weapons will lack traces of the new, short lived...

      You can likewise tell from the skeleton whether someone was born before or after 1945, since people born before the detonation of the first nuclear weapons will lack traces of the new, short lived elements that were introduced into the atmosphere by testing.

      5 votes
      1. [4]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. [2]
          spctrvl
          Link Parent
          At least by 1950, anyone on the planet. Hiroshima and Nagasaki aren't the source of most of the radioisotopes, that would be testing. Between 1945 and 1990, around 50 nuclear weapons a year were...

          At least by 1950, anyone on the planet. Hiroshima and Nagasaki aren't the source of most of the radioisotopes, that would be testing. Between 1945 and 1990, around 50 nuclear weapons a year were detonated, most of those being open air.

          8 votes
          1. Amarok
            Link Parent
            Would you like to know more? 2053 tests total. Mostly the USA and Russia waving their nukes at each other.

            Would you like to know more?

            2053 tests total. Mostly the USA and Russia waving their nukes at each other.

            3 votes
        2. Diet_Coke
          Link Parent
          Anyone. There's also a cottage industry of salvaging steel from pre-Atomic ship wrecks because all steel made afterwards has trace levels of radiation. The radiation can throw off tests like MRI's.

          Anyone. There's also a cottage industry of salvaging steel from pre-Atomic ship wrecks because all steel made afterwards has trace levels of radiation. The radiation can throw off tests like MRI's.

          7 votes
  2. [2]
    OriginalBinChicken
    Link
    I mean, its bad that Fukashima continues to pour thousands of gallons of radioactive water into the pacific, but this is cool! Being able to find out something as specific as age without coming in...

    But in 2001, the French pharmacologist Philippe Hubert discovered that he could use this signature to date wines without opening the bottles.

    I mean, its bad that Fukashima continues to pour thousands of gallons of radioactive water into the pacific, but this is cool!

    Being able to find out something as specific as age without coming in contact with the wine? That truly is awesome!!!

    2 votes
    1. pseudolobster
      Link Parent
      They only found incredibly small trace amounts, and only in wines from a very specific set of years. This certainly doesn't pose any danger to anyone. It's more of a scientific curiosity that they...

      They only found incredibly small trace amounts, and only in wines from a very specific set of years. This certainly doesn't pose any danger to anyone. It's more of a scientific curiosity that they can identify specific isotopes from a specific source. I think this article was more about this scientific curiosity than anything about the dangers or other impacts of the Fukashima disaster.

      And I mean, that's really pretty cool. We can identify specific atoms and where they came from. It's not often you can do that.

      5 votes