Russian scientists discover radiation- absorbing mineral

Russian scientists discover radiation- absorbing mineral

www.russiatoday.ru

Russian scientists in the Khibinsky Mountains in the Arctic Circle have made an important scientific discovery. They've found a new mineral which absorbs radiation.It does not yet have an official name and is known only as number 27-4. It can absorb radioactivity from liquid nuclear waste. It can extract radioactive substances from any water-based solution and so has a very important practical significance," said Yakov Pakhomovsky, the head of the Kolsky Research Institute

(visit the link for the full news article)

The Arctic Circle? Russia and the Arctic seem to be turning up in the news alot lately.

Anyway as far as the article goes, what an amazing discovery. I wonder if the material can be used in applications such as the space program?

www.russiatoday.ru
(visit the link for the full news article)

This story was published Aug. 30.

Breaking news submissions must be no older than 48 hours at the time of posting.

Now in the Science & Technology forum.

[edit on 8-9-2007 by UM_Gazz]

reply to post by UM_Gazz


My bad Um_ Gazz

Originally posted by apc
And when the sea people show up they could claim they discovered an advanced civilization, too!

Getting closer!

I betya fifty rubles this "discovery" is 100% political. First they lay claim to the Arctic, then they plant their flag, and now they proclaim they have discovered some rare precious resource.

Still... cool.

On top of which, it's really tough to tell if the journalist knew what the scientist was talking about, if the translator muddied it up a bit more, or if it's all bogus ala Pravda.ru.

Fer instance - there ISN'T a "Kolsky Research Institute" as far as I know.

Next, Pakhomovsky works for the Geological Institute at the Kola Science Center.

There's a lot of ambiguity about what it supposedly does as well - does it remove radioactive contaminants from water leaving the water safe, or are they trying to say that it stops them from being radioactive? I could see a zeolite being used as a water filter removing some (not all) particulates, for example. That wouldn't be able to clear out an electrolyte like radioactive potassium though.

And no filter or mineral at all can make things not be radioactive.

This discovery could be huge. I could see potential in reducing toxic waste or for shielding purposes. Tom Bedlam has a good point, though. If it just moves the radiation into itself, you still have radioactive stuff to dispose of. It really depends on how the mineral works and what other properties it might have, but it definitely bears looking into, and whether it is real or a hoax/mistake.