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78:, that the Atomic Energy Laboratory was "the most spectacular of new educational toys". Gilbert wrote that the Government encouraged the set's development because it believed the lab would aid public understanding of atomic energy and emphasize its constructive aspects. Gilbert also defended his Atomic Energy Laboratory, stating it was safe and accurate and that some of the country's best
63:. Gilbert believed that toys were the foundation in building a "solid American character", and many of his toys had some type of educational significance to them. Gilbert was even dubbed "the man who saved Christmas" during World War I when he convinced the US Council of National Defense not to ban toy purchases during Christmas time.
129:
Gilbert's original promotions claimed that none of the materials could prove dangerous. The instructions encouraged laboratory cleanliness by cautioning users not to break the seals on three of the ore sample jars, for "they tend to flake and crumble and you would run the risk of having radioactive
307:
A product catalog described the set as follows: "Produces awe-inspiring sights! Enables you to actually SEE the paths of electrons and alpha particles traveling at speeds of more than 10,000 miles per SECOND! Electrons racing at fantastic velocities produce delicate, intricate paths of electrical
308:
condensation – beautiful to watch. Viewing Cloud
Chamber action is closest man has come to watching the Atom! Assembly kit (Chamber can be put together in a few minutes) includes Dri-Electric Power Pack, Deionizer, Compression Bulb, Glass Viewing Chamber, Tubings, Power Leads, Stand, and Legs."
372:
Unlike A.C. Gilbert's chemistry sets, the Atomic Energy Lab was never popular and was soon taken off the shelves. Fewer than 5,000 kits were sold, and the product was only offered in 1950 and 1951. Gilbert believed the Atomic Energy Lab was commercially unsuccessful because the lab was more
70:
on the market at the time. Gilbert’s toys often included instructions on how the child could use the set to put on his own "magic show". For parents, he pushed the idea that the sets' use of chemical reactions directed their children toward a potential career in science and engineering.
329:
called the lab set one of "the 10 most dangerous toys of all time, ... exclud BB guns, slingshots, throwing stars, and anything else actually intended to inflict harm", because of the radioactive material it included (it was number 2 on the list; number 1 was
137:
The
Gilbert catalog copy included the reassurance that "All radioactive materials included with the Atomic Energy Lab have been certified as completely safe by Oak-Ridge Laboratories, part of the Atomic Energy Commission."
364:
hosting a detailed video tour of the Atomic Energy Lab components. She concluded by saying that the kit failed to sell because of its high price, and not due to any safety concerns at the time.
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exposure from the sun", provided that the radioactive samples were not removed from their containers, in compliance with the warnings in the kit instructions.
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599:
How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a
Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda
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How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a
Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States
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appropriate for those who had some educational background rather than the A.C. Gilbert
Company's younger typical target audience.
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with the gamma ray source", challenging players to use the Geiger counter to locate a radioactive sample hidden in a room.
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and safety concerns. It described the likely radiation exposure as "minimal, about the equivalent to a day’s
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The set originally sold for $ 49.50 (equivalent to $ 630 in 2023) and contained the following:
134:", thus impairing the results of experiments by distorting the performance of the Geiger counter.
59:, who was an American athlete, magician, toy-maker, business man, and inventor of the well-known
98:
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published a more-detailed review in 2020, discussing the kit in the context of the history of
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published a brief article on the web, which featured Voula
Saridakis, a curator at the
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847:"World's Most Dangerous Toy? Radioactive Atomic Energy Lab Kit with Uranium (1950)"
151:
123:
119:
871:
Radioactive Atomic Energy Lab Kit with
Uranium (1950) – World's Most Dangerous Toy
23:
The
Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory was packaged in a customized metal case
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ore spread out in your laboratory. This will raise the level of the
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measuring the radioactivity of different substances in the set.
725:"Fun—and Uranium—for the Whole Family in This 1950s Science Kit"
269:
introduction to radioactivity, written with the help of
General
814:"Pray for coal: The 10 most dangerous play things of all time"
114:
traveling at 12,000 miles per second (19,000,000 m/s), a
905:
A. C. Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab by Frank J. Leskovitz
729:
IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and
Science News
118:
showing the results of radioactive disintegration on a
281:(a physicist who verified fission of the uranium atom)
377:
purchased five of these sets for their physics lab.
43:
material. The Atomic Energy Lab was released by the
897:Complete scans of original educational comic book,
419:"Stinks and bangs: The heyday of the chemistry set"
311:Among other activities, the kit suggested "playing
457:
910:Oak Ridge Associated University Atomic Toys' page
460:The man who changed how boys and toys were made
35:designed to allow children to create and watch
822:Worst Toys: 2. Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab
395:Hello Boys! Become an erector master engineer.
66:The Atomic Energy Lab was just one of a dozen
74:In 1954, Gilbert wrote in his autobiography,
8:
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252:— a 60-page instruction book written by Dr.
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246:" for making a model of an alpha particle
915:Listing on an Erector / Gilbert fan site
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362:Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
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690:
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635:"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–"
385:
287:— a 1949 book published jointly by the
633:Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
323:In 2006, the pop culture publication
7:
812:Ferrari, Paige (15 December 2006).
790:. Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop.
171:Four glass jars containing natural
102:An alternative view of kit contents
14:
851:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
697:Oak Ridge Associated Universities
417:DiVernieri, R. (2008, September)
357:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
899:Learn How Dagwood Split the Atom
535:"Gilbert Atomic Energy - Part I"
94:Gilbert cloud chamber, assembled
857:from the original on 2020-08-10
794:from the original on 2020-09-27
765:from the original on 2020-08-07
735:from the original on 2020-09-18
574:from the original on 2020-09-27
545:from the original on 2019-12-29
516:from the original on 2023-07-07
293:United States Geological Survey
164:with short-lived alpha source (
29:Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab
753:Lockefeer, Wim (14 May 2007).
723:Marsh, Allison (31 Jan 2020).
464:. New York.: Viking. pp.
37:nuclear and chemical reactions
1:
499:The Man Who Lives in Paradise
202:Low-level radiation sources:
110:allowing the viewer to watch
76:The Man Who Lives in Paradise
868:Atlas Obscura (2019-04-16).
627:American Antiquarian Society
607:American Antiquarian Society
250:Gilbert Atomic Energy Manual
945:Nuclear safety and security
940:Products introduced in 1950
706:, retrieved October 6, 2021
82:had worked on the project.
68:chemical reactions lab kits
966:
51:Background and development
784:"Gilbert Catalog Archive"
755:"Dagwood splits the atom"
337:The professional journal
303:1951 Gilbert Toys catalog
289:Atomic Energy Commission
564:"American Flyer Trains"
496:Gilbert, A. C. (1954).
285:Prospecting for Uranium
168:) in the form of a wire
55:The kit was created by
16:Radioactive toy lab set
502:. New York: Rinehart.
456:Watson, Bruce (2002).
345:science education kits
103:
95:
57:Alfred Carlton Gilbert
24:
147:Geiger–Müller counter
101:
93:
45:A. C. Gilbert Company
22:
883:– via YouTube.
655:American Memorabilia
539:The Science Notebook
162:Wilson cloud chamber
106:The lab contained a
828:on 15 December 2006
375:Columbia University
702:2021-09-21 at the
678:2007-01-08 at the
660:2007-09-03 at the
424:2015-09-24 at the
401:2019-12-13 at the
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80:nuclear physicists
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392:Watson, B (1999)
275:Manhattan Project
273:(director of the
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930:Educational toys
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132:background count
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426:Wayback Machine
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403:Wayback Machine
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279:John R. Dunning
244:Nuclear spheres
179:) ore samples (
122:screen, and an
112:alpha particles
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818:Radar Magazine
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788:eliwhitney.org
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759:The Ephemerist
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673:Google Answers
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631:1800–present:
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568:EliWhitney.org
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509:978-0911581201
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475:978-0670031344
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826:the original
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640:February 29,
638:. Retrieved
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576:. Retrieved
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518:. Retrieved
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152:Electroscope
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124:electroscope
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28:
26:
611:1700–1799:
591:1634–1699:
406:Smithsonian
299:C batteries
120:fluorescent
86:Description
61:Erector Set
41:radioactive
33:toy lab set
950:Toy safety
935:1950s toys
924:Categories
880:2024-05-07
861:2020-07-18
832:2019-12-14
798:2019-12-13
769:2020-07-18
739:2020-07-18
578:2020-07-18
549:2019-12-13
520:2020-09-07
381:References
332:lawn darts
267:comic book
259:Learn How
223:(possibly
195:from the "
185:torbernite
175:-bearing (
429:Endeavour
319:Criticism
193:carnotite
189:uraninite
47:in 1950.
855:Archived
792:Archived
763:Archived
733:Archived
731:. IEEE.
700:Archived
676:Archived
658:Archived
616:(1992).
596:(1997).
572:Archived
543:Archived
514:Archived
422:Archived
399:Archived
291:and the
199:region")
181:autunite
875:(Video)
866:citing
466:179–181
261:Dagwood
173:uranium
506:
472:
368:Legacy
297:Three
277:) and
225:Ru-106
214:Pb-210
191:, and
166:Po-210
39:using
623:(PDF)
603:(PDF)
235:Zn-65
231:gamma
219:pure
210:alpha
177:U-238
31:is a
642:2024
504:ISBN
470:ISBN
354:The
221:beta
206:beta
27:The
334:).
926::
853:.
849:.
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786:.
761:.
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727:.
711:^
687:^
625:.
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541:.
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484:^
468:.
436:^
349:UV
265:—
187:,
183:,
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742:.
682:,
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609:.
581:.
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523:.
478:.
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233:(
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212:(
208:-
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
