Tired of having to pay for your energy bill simply to heat your house when its cold? Want some way to have cheap energy that doesn't require maintenance? [IMG=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Radioisotope_heater_unit_photograph.jpg] We should all heat our homes using plutonium 238's radioactive decay! Simply seal it in a lead shield and something no larger then a penny can produce 1 joule per second, for 87.7 years! Yay! Discuss.

Tired of having to pay for your energy bill simply to heat your house when its cold? Want some way to have cheap energy that doesn't require maintenance?

We should all heat our homes using plutonium 238's radioactive decay! Simply seal it in a lead shield and something no larger then a penny can produce 1 joule per second, for 87.7 years!
Yay!

Discuss.

I thought it had to be 6 inches of lead. What property of lead makes it so ideal for blocking radiation anyways?

I thought it had to be 6 inches of lead.


What property of lead makes it so ideal for blocking radiation anyways?

Is it safe? I mean what if that becomes a fire hazard. :-_-:

Is it safe? I mean what if that becomes a fire hazard.

I wouldn't trust it. It may take twenty years, but the radiation WILL get you. :dontgetit:

I wouldn't trust it. It may take twenty years, but the radiation WILL get you.

And how much would that cost in comparison to regular heating?

And how much would that cost in comparison to regular heating?

Probably cheap. Heh. Probably waste from fission nuclear power plants. They'd be glad to get rid of the stuff.

Probably cheap. Heh. Probably waste from fission nuclear power plants. They'd be glad to get rid of the stuff.

[QUOTE]What property of lead makes it so ideal for blocking radiation anyways?[/QUOTE] Lead is extremely dense, so it shields from radiation, that's also why Superman can't X-ray it. How much energy is needed to heat your average house, anyway?

Quote

What property of lead makes it so ideal for blocking radiation anyways?

Lead is extremely dense, so it shields from radiation, that's also why Superman can't X-ray it.

How much energy is needed to heat your average house, anyway?

[quote=Falkoner][QUOTE]What property of lead makes it so ideal for blocking radiation anyways?[/QUOTE] Lead is extremely dense, so it shields from radiation, that's also why Superman can't X-ray it. How much energy is needed to heat your average house, anyway?[/quote] [color=#1af]My house isn't exactly average (it's pretty big and old, so there's a lot to heat and it doesn't retain the heat well) but it has cost us up to $1000 a month in the past. Generally now we just heat the rooms we spend a lot of time in. Seems like it could be a good idea.[/color]

Cold? COLD?? Ha! No such word exists here in the Lonestar State.

Cold? COLD?? Ha! No such word exists here in the Lonestar State.

Agreed... although it has been around 40 degrees in Dallas lately :(

Agreed... although it has been around 40 degrees in Dallas lately

[quote=Maian]Agreed... although it has been around 40 degrees in Dallas lately :([/quote] Aww dude, 40 is NOTHING. If you call yourself a man, then 40 degrees should feel like summer :P and besides, it's nowhere near as cold as the day I sat in my room in front of the TV watching the fucking cowboys lose to the one wildcard team that does NOT deserve to go to the superbowl (I STILL cannot get over that freakin loss!!)

Quote from Maian

Agreed... although it has been around 40 degrees in Dallas lately

Aww dude, 40 is NOTHING. If you call yourself a man, then 40 degrees should feel like summer

and besides, it's nowhere near as cold as the day I sat in my room in front of the TV watching the fucking cowboys lose to the one wildcard team that does NOT deserve to go to the superbowl (I STILL cannot get over that freakin loss!!)

Oooh... I've always wanted something like that... No more need to go to the garage to get firewood!

Oooh... I've always wanted something like that... No more need to go to the garage to get firewood!

Heat Output - 1 Watt. LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?

Heat Output - 1 Watt.
LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?

[quote=Mini Moose 2707]Heat Output - 1 Watt. LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?[/quote] A slice of bread.

Quote from Mini Moose 2707

Heat Output - 1 Watt.
LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?

A slice of bread.

LMFAO!

LMFAO!

[quote=Mini Moose 2707]Heat Output - 1 Watt. LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?[/quote] shh... :P Actually for something the size of a penny it's not terrible, although I don't know if theres a critical mass that someone using this heating method should look out for.

Quote from Mini Moose 2707

Heat Output - 1 Watt.
LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?

shh...

Actually for something the size of a penny it's not terrible, although I don't know if theres a critical mass that someone using this heating method should look out for.

So, pennies have a pretty short half life then?

So, pennies have a pretty short half life then?

[quote=Mini Moose 2707]Heat Output - 1 Watt. LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?[/quote] I was wondering that myself... I thought the image was just cut off or something. :dontgetit:

Quote from Mini Moose 2707

Heat Output - 1 Watt.
LOL. What do you plan to heat with this?

I was wondering that myself... I thought the image was just cut off or something.

Well then you could just stack about 500 of em together eh? It's not like that'd be very big. They're damn small. You could put them in walls [If this didnt use radioactive Isotopes, I'd be serious about that!]

Well then you could just stack about 500 of em together eh?
It's not like that'd be very big. They're damn small. You could put them in walls [If this didnt use radioactive Isotopes, I'd be serious about that!]

Lead walls :}

Lead walls