Stuck for a Christmas present for the kiddies? The world’s most dangerous toy is up for sale.
The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory was released in the early 1950s and comes complete with real uranium ore samples.
Marketed as an educational tool to inspire budding scientists, the kit was the brainchild of Alfred Carlton Gilbert, the creator of the iconic Erector Set.
Despite its scientific appeal, the Atomic Energy Lab didn’t last long. Production ceased in 1951 due to “government restrictions” and difficulties sourcing materials, as detailed in a 1953 letter from the A.C. Gilbert Co.
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Stuck for a Christmas present for the kiddies? The world’s most dangerous toy is up for sale.RR Auction / SWNS
In 2006, Radar Magazine named it one of the “10 most dangerous toys of all time,” but a 2020 IEEE Spectrum analysis suggested its risks might have been overstated. The radiation exposure was described as “minimal,” equivalent to “a day’s UV exposure from the sun,” as long as the samples stayed sealed in their containers.
Boston-based RR Auction said: “With fewer than 5,000 units sold, the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory has become a prized collectible for history buffs, toy enthusiasts, and pop culture fans alike.
“It offers a window into a unique period of post-WWII history when atomic science was all the rage – and controversy.”
Production ceased in 1951 due to “government restrictions” and difficulties sourcing materials, as detailed in a 1953 letter from the A.C. Gilbert Co.RR Auction / SWNS
The kit will be offered as part of RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts event, which concludes on 11 December. It is estimated to fetch over £3,100 ($4,000).
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
Packaged in a sleek red suitcase, the kit came loaded with:
– Four glass jars containing natural uranium-bearing (U-238) ore samples.
– A cloud chamber for observing alpha particles zipping along at 12,000 miles per second.
In 2006, Radar Magazine named it one of the “10 most dangerous toys of all time,” but a 2020 IEEE Spectrum analysis suggested its risks might have been overstated.RR Auction / SWNS
– A spinthariscope to view radioactive decay on a glowing fluorescent screen.
– An electroscope to measure radiation levels in naturally radioactive substances like carnotite, autunite, torbernite, and uraninite.
It also included extras: the “Gilbert Atomic Energy Manual,” a U.S. government-published uranium prospecting guide, and a whimsical comic book, Dagwood Splits the Atom.
Universities are liking and following the idea of content creation as a viable career choice.
The move comes as the influencer marketing industry — now valued at more than $21 billion, according to Statista — has become popular among a generation of heavily influenced young people.
The influencer marketing industry is valued at more than $21 billion, and, coupled with the rise of influencer culture, more chronically online youngsters see the entrepreneurial job title as an attainable prospect.Kaspars Grinvalds – stock.adobe.com
In fact, more than half of Gen Zers believe they could easily make a lucrative career out of content creation and digital product pushing and many universities and experts are beginning to take them seriously.
The University of Texas has even partnered with the United Nations to create a class to teach influencers how to handle misinformation.
The free, online four-week course, is being offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Nearly 10,000 people from 170-plus countries have enrolled so far.
“It’s incredible. It’s probably one of the most successful courses that we’ve done in terms of the number of participants, and then also in terms of engagement for the very first live session that we had,” Summer Harlow, the associate director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, told The Hill.
The UN-backed partnership came together as experts “kept seeing these different voices having influence on the news,” and wanted to “understand how digital content creators were changing the journalism field.”
The University of Texas in Austin partnered with UNESCO to create a class to teach influencers how to handle misinformation.sitthiphong – stock.adobe.com
Other universities have even gone as far as creating an entire major for influencing.
Arkansas Tech University recently began offering a “Bachelor of Arts in Social Media Influencing,” which incorporates classes in film production, journalism and public relations.
“I think it’s communication, I think it’s production and I think it’s business,” Kate Stewart, assistant professor of public relations at Jacksonville State University, said of influencing and content creation.
The free online four-week course offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French has been enrolled by nearly 10,000 people from 170-plus countries.Gorodenkoff – stock.adobe.com
“I think it’s that idea where communication and marketing is going to give them the strategies and the ethical grounding to understand what they’re about to embark on as an influencer. Two, I think production is needed because it’s highly visual. They’re producing videos. They’re editing videos. They’re putting text on video. There’s a production value,” Stewart explained.
“And then, lastly, business, they have to understand the business behind the management companies, the agencies, the brands, the other media companies that they’re working with to be able to have the background to be successful.”
ATU isn’t the first university to offer a degree or courses in the field.
The UN-backed partnership came together as experts “kept seeing these different voices having influence on the news,” and wanted to “understand how digital content creators were changing the journalism field.”Anatoliy Karlyuk – stock.adobe.com
Other universities including the University of Alabama, USC, Cornell, Duke, Chapman and Columbia offer courses in influencer strategy, business and communications.
“One thing that’s really great about teaching college classes is that I’m teaching digital natives — they live and breathe this stuff,” Tom Hafen, professor of brand management in the digital age at Columbia University, previously told The Post.
Arkansas Tech University recently began offering a “Bachelor of Arts in Social Media Influencing,” which incorporates classes in film production, journalism and public relations.Nejron Photo – stock.adobe.com
Rather than explaining execution — like how to post on Instagram or piece together a TikTok — he can focus on the theories behind influencer advertising. This is especially pertinent as social media platforms and algorithms constantly change — will TikTok even be legal next year?
IIn recent years, there has been increased demand from employers for content creation and social media savvy from Gen Z, Hafen pointed out.
“So it’s absolutely critical, particularly for entrepreneurs, but big companies are using it more and more,” he explained.
But it’s not just about posting strategic and creative TikTok videos, some experts point out — content creation as a career choice can be a risky one, given the fickle nature of markets and viewers limited attention spans, for example.
“As we think about what it would be like to have a degree program focused on influencers, it’s important that there is recognition of the often overlooked downsides of the career, and that includes the volatility,” Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University, told The Hill.
