Richard Handl definitely can't be jailed...He is not a criminal. He just want to do a scientific experiment..and the most important thing..he himself who called the police to come to his apartment because he concerned of what he did, might be illegal.
Swedish man caught trying to split atoms at home - Yahoo! News
A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby.
Richard Handl told The Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material.
The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.
Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.
"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home."
The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.
Although he says police didn't detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn't such a good idea.
"From now on, I will stick to the theory," he said.
you are not intelligent
ReplyDeleteThe guy was simply experimenting.. Its not like he attempted a 'gun' type weapon system to mimic an atomic bomb... All the noobs in the public are ignorant to what is truly dangerous and what is not. These paranoid sheep need to STFU.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, at first glance it may seem crazy or stupid, these amateur experimenters are probably doing as well as 18th century professionals. Let us not forget that knowledge is acquired thru research and experimentation and not granted by a diploma or by attending a building or school. Of course- safety and common sense must be ones first priority as science history is filled with experiments gone deadly wrong. Also, in this instance Handl only had small quantities of the materials
ReplyDelete"Let us not forget that knowledge is acquired thru research and experimentation and not granted by a diploma or by attending a building or school" -- I've never heard of a school that would give a degree in physics or chemistry without the student participating in research projects and labratory experiments. If knowledge is not gained by attending school then where did you learn to read/write/ do maths and many other bits of fundamental information that you know?
ReplyDelete"If knowledge is not gained by attending school then where did you learn to read/write/ do maths and many other bits of fundamental information that you know?"
ReplyDelete---
Knowledge comes in various forms, some of which can not simply be 'taught' but have to be experienced or 'figured out' by a person themselves. Social interaction for instance.
Granted, Mr. Handl was playing with existing data, knowledge and ideas, but he did it "to see if it were possible", which to me just sounds like an interested, curious individual.
Image 4-year old you being told that the cubical block will -really- not fit through the triangular hole. In all reality, you know your parents are right. After all, they're the grown-ups. And yet, even knowing that, and probably also already seeing that never in a million years the block would fit through the hole... you jam it. And then you turn it, and jam it some more. It's the experimenting that makes things 'real' and makes them seem logical.
Now back to the topic at hand, I find it a difficult situation. I think he meant no harm (heck, he even called the Swedish Radiation Authority just be to be sure), but I can also imagine some people being scared about the idea of having a (technically unqualified) neighbour splitting atoms in his kitchen.
I sincerely hope he gets offered (professional training and) a job (or at least a tour through CERN).
-Patrick
Dear Icha,
ReplyDeleteperhaps he should not be jailed as he called upon the professionals in his pursuit for the double check. Nevertheless, from the photo provided in the news publications, it seems less than reasonable to prepare a meltdown inside an apartment. Mr. Handl should have, as a Nuclear Physicist aspirant, maintained his experiment in an isolated or secure area so that the radiation agency in the aforementioned article would have less concern as to the number of unwitting participants of his endeavor. To summarily discard your pills or your drink as a consequence of the explosion does not make you safe or a professional. Experimentation in a secure environment is what makes the project reasonable. As of now; however, it seems Mr. Handl will revel in his small glory for that which has already been done and mastered.
Just a mere usual crackpot. No originality, just playing childishly with other people's ideas and thinks they are his own
ReplyDeleteSorry for my bad english, no time to google
When a group of government and banker funded "scientists" build nuclear projects such as reactors and bombs its considered proper. Is it proper to detonate nukes at trinity test site so the fallout can land on civil populations?
ReplyDeleteWhen a group of government and banker funded "scientists" develop a "ring of the ancients" and locate it under swiss soil and not knowing what it will do it is considered proper research. Again, gangs of elite funded men doing dangerous quantum particle research, bending time and space and matter, with potential danger to people and nature. The duplicity here, that the oligarchy of government men and corporations (fascists) united can step all over the rest of mankind in relation to health and safety, and tax the masses to pay for it, while some layman doing his own research can be arrested. The man is no more a criminal or crackpot than the ones who bombed japan, or the ones who built Fukushima Daiichi.
"He is not a criminal"
ReplyDeleteWell, if he was possessing materials that are illegal to possess then... yes. Yes, he is.
It's great that he decided -- albeit FAR too late -- to check, so he was obviously just silly rather than malicious. But the fact remains: someone neither trained nor allowed to handle nuclear material was attempting to build a nuclear reactor in the home, with other citizens nearby, likely without the proper safeguards.
That is called criminal negligence.