surprising

http://www.news.com.au/technology/now-to-the-small-matter-of-kodaks-nuclear-reactor-wait-nuclear-what/story-e6frfro0-1226357995341

i am somewhat surprised to hear that Kodak had a nuclear reactor & a few pounds of enriched uranium in their basement. the article indicates they used it for testing - apparently high enough levels of radioactivity (including those airport x-ray machines, to a small extent) can fog film. so it makes sense, but the implication is this was a secret. interesting.

it's no secret to those who really dig such things that some camera equipment made in the USSR is mildly radioactive. in the FSU, the used to include a coating of lanthane glass on their lenses to correct abberations. this could be worrying, except it has a radius of about a metre  - in fact, people who've tested their cameras with geiger counters found a marked decrease in radioactivity levels from the lens to the back of the camera. levels are also so low that it has a radioactive half-life of 110 billion years. in fact, the level of radiation is less than that you'd pick up from laying down in your backyard for an hour on a sunny day, and is barely more than normal background radiation.

anyways, just thought this was an interesting little article to share - Kodak with a secret nuclear reactor, eh? mad.