Most Dangerous Toys Ever Made

[GURPS]

The Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab

The Gilbert Company was all about making toys and kits for children to become supervillains when they got older … at least that's our theory. Their Atomic Energy Lab was exactly what the name implies. The kit came with a Uranium-238 Geiger counter, a Wilson cloud chamber, a spinthariscope, electroscope, and four samples of uranium ores. Yes, you read that correctly: the kids got a hold of uranium-238, which is radioactive. And though it's not fissile by itself, it is used to make plutonium-239 (the main ingredient used in atomic weapons). Of course, kids weren't putting together little Manhattan Projects in their garages with these samples. No, they were getting cancer.

U-238 has been linked to everything from leukemia to lymphoma and Gulf War Syndrome. It's not something that should be handled lightly and it should never be put into the hands of children who just want to learn about atomic energy.

This set was released back in 1950, five full years after the only two atomic bombs were ever detonated during warfare. You would think Gilbert might have looked up the dangers of the stuff. The kit was pretty expensive. It cost around $350 in today's money, so few people bought it for their eager young supervillains, and it was discontinued after only two years.

Read More: http://www.grunge.com/47986/dangerous-toys-ever-sold-public/s/the-gilbert-atomic-energy-lab/

I take exception to the characterization ..... there is no Uranium-238, but Uranium bearing ores autunite, torbernite, uraninite, and carnotite

 

[itsbob]

I take exception to the characterization ..... there is no Uranium-238, but Uranium bearing ores autunite, torbernite, uraninite, and carnotite

You forgot amirite..

and unoimrite...

 

[Clem72]

They had Jarts as #1. We owned a set, but the kids never got to play with them alone. Now when I was young, we had a game where we would throw a knife and try to stick it in the ground between the other persons legs. Take a step back and repeat until someone doesn't stick. I and several of my friends have scars on our feet, ankles, and lower legs mainly because my bud John couldn't throw for ####.

 

[itsbob]

They had Jarts as #1. We owned a set, but the kids never got to play with them alone. Now when I was young, we had a game where we would throw a knife and try to stick it in the ground between the other persons legs. Take a step back and repeat until someone doesn't stick. I and several of my friends have scars on our feet, ankles, and lower legs mainly because my bud John couldn't throw for ####.

We played a game like that but called it CHICKEN.. you threw a knife as close as you could to the other persons foot, and if they moved their foot they lost..

We had a young girl in our neighborhood sent to the hospital because they were playing the game with a tankers bar.. and it went through her foot... but she won.

 

[GWguy]

Now when I was young, we had a game where we would throw a knife and try to stick it in the ground between the other persons legs. Take a step back and repeat until someone doesn't stick.

We knew that game as Mumbley Peg.

 

[Gilligan]

We were always looking for ways to enhance the performance of our "Big Bang" acetylene cannons...to the point they were capable of taking down small cardboard buildings. ;-)

 

[PeoplesElbow]

My cousin and I use to shoot each other with BB guns, we had a rule of only 1 pump though.

 

[GURPS]

We knew that game as Mumbley Peg.

my cousins played this