We got about 6" of snow here in Ohio last night... I wonder if it's radioactive?

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

It doesn't seem to be glowing. :shrug:
I think I'll go out and taste it just to be sure... I'll let you know if it kills me.

[City Lights]

1. Make sure you eat the yellow stuff.

It's much tastier. :9

[golddigger]

2. Yes it's radioactive. It probably won't kill you, but you might get

awfully sick.

[FSogol]

3. Do the snowmen look like this?

[LaurenG]

4. No don't eat it

It's already in the water supply and you don't need extra radioactive substance.

[Skip Intro]

5. Don't do it.

[PoliticAverse]

6. 1 - Yes, it is likely to be radioactive...

2 - If you eat it be sure to follow up your post in 20 years or so.
3 - Don't eat yellow snow even if someone tells you the color is due to 'pollen'.

[Yavin4]

7. Maybe If You Eat It, You'll Get Super Powers Like Spiderman

What are you going to do with your super powers?

[Poll_Blind]

8. Yes, actually: From 10TV- "Radiation From Japan Detected In Ohio"

Link to the story HERE.

But not enough to harm you, and certainly not in the short term. But, yes, there are radioactive Iodine 131 atoms which started out at the Fukushima nuclear reactor, were blown into the air by explosions you probably watched on TV and which are now locked in the water in that snow. Outside your home.

As far as radioactive things glowing, that's a myth. :)

There are some exceptions, though, and you can read about them HERE.

PB

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

9. I was somewhat joking. Thanks for the link - interesting read.

I could go outside and eat a snowcone, make snow angels, and then piss my name in the snow and not be worried. The levels are so low as to be inconsiquential. Honestly, I'd be more worried about pollution and crap that the snow picked up passing over Chicago and Cleveland and Akron - yuk.

I just think the knee-jerk "OMG RADIOACTIVE!!!" posts referring to nearly immeasureable amounts of a short lived isotopes are amusing.

[Snoutport]

10. we do the math...ambient radiation PLUS the Japanese radiation. One NATURAL one NOT

I'm not saying it will hurt anyone...I'm saying it piggybacks the natural amounts and tomorrow's piggybacks that and the day after piggybacks that.

Or you can believe that it is all great for you. your choice.

[PVnRT]

13. Anything will glow if hot enough - blackbody effect

That's probably why people associate radioactive stuff with "glowing" - when it's reacting enough to produce energy, it most assuredly is emitting light.

[elocs]

11. Why worry about snow when bananas are radioactive:

http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/08/11/bananas-are-radioactive.htm

It's pretty easy to understand why tile, granite, and kitty litter are radioactive. They contain low levels of minerals that naturally decay. Bananas are radioactive for a similar reason. The fruit contains high levels of potassium. Radioactive K-40 has an isotopic abundance of 0.01% and a half-life of 1.25 billion years. The average banana contains around 450 mg of potassium and will experience about 14 decays each second. It's no big deal. You already have potassium in your body, 0.01% as K-40. You are fine. Your body can handle low levels of radioactivity. The element is essential for proper nutrition. If you have a banana in your car for your lunch you aren't going to set off a Geiger counter. If you carry a produce truck full of them, you might encounter some problems. Ditto for a truck of potatoes or potassium fertilizer.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

12. When Will We Start Seeing Superheroes?

It's a well-known fact (if you read comic books) that radiation creates superheroes. When can we expect to see people with superpowers emerging from all this mess? I'm already worried about Godzilla being awakened (but I guess nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific is what unfroze him from that block of ice, so maybe we're OK on that front). But what about Mothra and Gamera?

[Javaman]

14. Don't eat the glowing snow. nt