>side from both incidents happening in countries not particularly well known for long-term follow-up on the consequences of failures by the state
Journalists followed the other people. We know their names. We have evidence of them dying for other reasons later on (unless you want to get into Damar Hamlin clone territory)
>law of inverse squares is what saved a lot of people in these incidents. The source wasn't actually that close to them. In a dense city, a hypothetical terrorist probably wouldn't have to work too hard to get around this.
The law of inverse squares is extremely hard to get around. The amount of radiation 10 feet away from the capsule is only 1% of the radiation 1 foot away from the capsule. That's the whole point I'm trying to make. I don't know how 'in a dense city' overcomes that law of physics.
>Some radiotherapy sources are stamped "DROP AND RUN."
Yes, and if you're even a few feet away or on the other side of attenuating matter, you're in much less trouble (See: Alvin Graves).
>The impact wouldn't be that high in terms of people injured/killed. The real impact would be on the public psyche, as well disruption of the health system when people showed up in ERs and doctors offices thinking they were exposed, clogging those systems for care of other patients. In that sense, as a terror attack, it would be highly successful.
Sure, but then what's the point of even doing it vs. just saying you had? And again, aren't I doing exactly what you should want by telling people that their risk in this scenario is basically zero?
>It's really bizarre seeing a bunch of HNers downplaying how serious these sorts of incidents are. We're very lucky that the lost sources have never ended up in the hands of anyone but non-malicious actors. Now 'bad' people are far more aware of them...
I'm really waiting for the explanation of how these bad actors get over the inverse square law...
Journalists followed the other people. We know their names. We have evidence of them dying for other reasons later on (unless you want to get into Damar Hamlin clone territory)
>law of inverse squares is what saved a lot of people in these incidents. The source wasn't actually that close to them. In a dense city, a hypothetical terrorist probably wouldn't have to work too hard to get around this.
The law of inverse squares is extremely hard to get around. The amount of radiation 10 feet away from the capsule is only 1% of the radiation 1 foot away from the capsule. That's the whole point I'm trying to make. I don't know how 'in a dense city' overcomes that law of physics.
>Some radiotherapy sources are stamped "DROP AND RUN."
Yes, and if you're even a few feet away or on the other side of attenuating matter, you're in much less trouble (See: Alvin Graves).
>The impact wouldn't be that high in terms of people injured/killed. The real impact would be on the public psyche, as well disruption of the health system when people showed up in ERs and doctors offices thinking they were exposed, clogging those systems for care of other patients. In that sense, as a terror attack, it would be highly successful.
Sure, but then what's the point of even doing it vs. just saying you had? And again, aren't I doing exactly what you should want by telling people that their risk in this scenario is basically zero?
>It's really bizarre seeing a bunch of HNers downplaying how serious these sorts of incidents are. We're very lucky that the lost sources have never ended up in the hands of anyone but non-malicious actors. Now 'bad' people are far more aware of them...
I'm really waiting for the explanation of how these bad actors get over the inverse square law...