Just stumbled upon these posts and curiously, the Carbon-14 thing has always bugged me.
I always imagined that he was on the one hand expressing concern about nuclear waste, but at the same time making fun of people who use bogus facts to prove their case (a big bugbear of mine). As you say, the Carbon-14 allusion is totally meaningless, because it's naturally occurring and perfectly safe. If I remember rightly, it's normally 4 or 5 half lives before things are generally considered safe, so if Carbon-14 were dangerous, it would be say 25,000 years anyway.
Rather typical of me to let this fact get to me for the last 20 years, but thenthe song was released while I was studying for Physics A'Level...
no radioactive element is safe. the only reason you think carbon-14 is "safe" is because of its low-levfel percentage in most carbon (1 part per trillion)... if you had a chunk of pure carbon-14 it'd be just as deadly as uranium 238 or cobalt 60. just because it's naturally occurring does NOT make it safe. that stuff should all remain in the ground where it belongs.
no radioactive element is safe. the only reason you think carbon-14 is "safe" is because of its low-levfel percentage in most carbon (1 part per trillion)... if you had a chunk of pure carbon-14 it'd be just as deadly as uranium 238 or cobalt 60. just because it's naturally occurring does NOT make it safe. that stuff should all remain in the ground where it belongs.
@Riobard Sorry, but that's not how chemistry works at all. Humans always have Carbon-14 in us, it's a byproduct of being a carbon-based life form.
@Riobard Sorry, but that's not how chemistry works at all. Humans always have Carbon-14 in us, it's a byproduct of being a carbon-based life form.
Many of the elements we require for life are quite toxic. Take phosphorous, or chlorine, or sodium. In fact, one could safely say that EVERY element is both save AND hazardous, given the right doses - something that's been known since the days of Paracelsus.
Many of the elements we require for life are quite toxic. Take phosphorous, or chlorine, or sodium. In fact, one could safely say that EVERY element is both save AND hazardous, given the right doses - something that's been known since the days of Paracelsus.
Just stumbled upon these posts and curiously, the Carbon-14 thing has always bugged me.
I always imagined that he was on the one hand expressing concern about nuclear waste, but at the same time making fun of people who use bogus facts to prove their case (a big bugbear of mine). As you say, the Carbon-14 allusion is totally meaningless, because it's naturally occurring and perfectly safe. If I remember rightly, it's normally 4 or 5 half lives before things are generally considered safe, so if Carbon-14 were dangerous, it would be say 25,000 years anyway. Rather typical of me to let this fact get to me for the last 20 years, but thenthe song was released while I was studying for Physics A'Level...
no radioactive element is safe. the only reason you think carbon-14 is "safe" is because of its low-levfel percentage in most carbon (1 part per trillion)... if you had a chunk of pure carbon-14 it'd be just as deadly as uranium 238 or cobalt 60. just because it's naturally occurring does NOT make it safe. that stuff should all remain in the ground where it belongs.
no radioactive element is safe. the only reason you think carbon-14 is "safe" is because of its low-levfel percentage in most carbon (1 part per trillion)... if you had a chunk of pure carbon-14 it'd be just as deadly as uranium 238 or cobalt 60. just because it's naturally occurring does NOT make it safe. that stuff should all remain in the ground where it belongs.
@Riobard Sorry, but that's not how chemistry works at all. Humans always have Carbon-14 in us, it's a byproduct of being a carbon-based life form.
@Riobard Sorry, but that's not how chemistry works at all. Humans always have Carbon-14 in us, it's a byproduct of being a carbon-based life form.
Many of the elements we require for life are quite toxic. Take phosphorous, or chlorine, or sodium. In fact, one could safely say that EVERY element is both save AND hazardous, given the right doses - something that's been known since the days of Paracelsus.
Many of the elements we require for life are quite toxic. Take phosphorous, or chlorine, or sodium. In fact, one could safely say that EVERY element is both save AND hazardous, given the right doses - something that's been known since the days of Paracelsus.