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Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory
This is an advertisement for the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory, a children's toy sold by the A. C. Gilbert Company from 1950 to 1951. The kit, priced at $49.50 (the equivalent of over $600 today), was marketed as an educational set to introduce children to atomic physics.
Kit Contents
The kit was known for containing actual radioactive materials and a variety of scientific instruments. The contents included:
Uranium Ore Samples: Four glass jars containing natural uranium-bearing ores (autunite, torbernite, uraninite, and carnotite).
Radiation Sources: Low-level beta-alpha and gamma radiation sources.
Instruments: A battery-powered Geiger-Mueller counter, a Wilson cloud chamber, an electroscope, and a spinthariscope.
Educational Materials: An instructional manual, a comic book titled "Learn How Dagwood Splits the Atom," and a government-published guide "Prospecting for Uranium". The kit was discontinued due to a combination of its high price, difficulty in obtaining materials, and low sales, not because of safety concerns at the time. However, modern reviews have been more critical. In 2006, Radar Magazine named it one of the "10 most dangerous toys of all time" due to its radioactive components. A 2020 review from IEEE Spectrum magazine concluded that the radiation exposure from the uranium was minimal, comparable to a day's exposure to UV from the sun, as long as the samples remained in their containers.
Today, the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory is a highly sought-after collector's item, with complete sets selling for thousands of dollars at auction. |
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