That nuclear glow in Sweden

I was under the impression that Swedes didn’t have to worry about much more than the high price of alcohol & the high suicide rate (which may or may not be connected); but it seems like another potential concern has popped up on the worry radar: whether or not your neighbor is building a nuclear reactor in his kitchen.

Richard Handl, a resident of Angelholm, a town in the west of the country, attracted police attention last month when he contacted the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority to inquire if it’s legal for an individual to construct a reactor at home. Well, you can imagine how that might perk up official ears, can’t you? It turns out that you’re not allowed to have radioactive materials without a permit in Sweden.

Handl was arrested and released after a hearing. But the cops took all his radioactive stuff away.

Now, here’s the thing: look at the photo of his “melt-down” that Handl posted on his blog. From the number of cigarette butts in that ashtray, I’d say he’s in greater danger of lung cancer, or of setting his building on fire, than of achieving fission.