If Radiation Shield Technologies' Demron fabric pans out, maybe our dystopian, radiation-soaked future won't be so bad after all. At the very least, we'll be toasty--and fashionable too! RST says the fabric (available in full body suits, blankets, gloves and boots) protects against particle ionising/nuclear radiation, and shields against X-ray and low-energy Gamma emissions. The crazy thing is it does it all without any lead inserts, which next to a few inches of solid concrete are currently most effective defence against radiation poisoning. Instead, the material uses a proprietary nanotechnology to block a host of biological, chemical and radioactive sources. The material is damn heavy too; a 90 x 75cm blanket weighs approximately 27kg. [RST via Danger Room]

Read More »

Small splinters that randomly occur in tin solder, which lace the insides of gadgets, usually result in circuits shorting out. NASA missions, pacemakers and energy plants have all failed at some point due to the phenomenon. Conservative estimates of the cost of such splinters, or whiskers as they are named, have totaled nearly $10 billion since 1940.

Preventing whiskers is a major concern to the electronics industry. The most prominent defence measure known is to use lead during the production process. Companies, excluding rogue Chinese toy manufacturers, are all being forced to slowly eliminate the use of lead in their products.

Read More »

There's been a lot in the news lately about China's penchant for putting cancer-causing lead paint on children's toys that they then ship to the States. If you're worried that the pacifier you're about to stick into Nerd Jr's mouth is hazardous, just grab one of these intimidating-looking X-MET3000TXR+ (now that's a gadget name) from Oxford Instruments. It'll scan for lead as well as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, chrome, nickel and other hazardous metals, ensuring that the only thing going in your kid's mouth is good old-fashion American plastic. [Open PR via The Raw Feed]