Swedish man arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen; says it was only a hobby

By Associated Press

STOCKHOLM — A Swedish man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen said Wednesday he was only doing it as a hobby.

Richard Handl told The Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.

Only later did he realize it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden’s Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.

“I have always been interested in physics and chemistry,” Handl said, adding he just wanted to “see if it’s possible to split atoms at home.”

The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.

Although he says police didn’t detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn’t such a good idea.

“From now on, I will stick to the theory,” he said.

© The Washington Post Company

The sun as you rarely see it... through millions of ice crystals called diamond dust

By Daily Mail Reporter
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

This amazing sunset with a difference is a phenomenon than can arise when you view the sun through millions of ice crystals.

As water freezes in the upper atmosphere, millions of small, six-sided ice crystals - known as diamond dust - flutter to the ground.

And at the approach of either sunrise or sunset, this is what an observer passing through the same plane as the falling crystals will see.

Sunset with a difference: This dazzling halo was taken in Stockholm, Sweden, with the sun at the centre and two bright sundogs glowing on the left and right

Each crystal acts like a miniature lens, refracting the eye's view of sunlight and creating the phenomena known as sundogs.

The dramatic effect is also referred to a mock sun or a phantom sun.


This sun halo image was taken in Stockholm, Sweden, with the sun in the centre while two bright sundogs glow prominently from the left and the right.

Also visible is a bright 22 degree halo - as well as the rarer and much fainter 46 degree halo - also created by sunlight reflecting off atmospheric ice crystals. 


Sundogs can be seen around the world as long as the conditions are suitable.

Sundogs: Famous painting Vädersolstavlan believed to be the oldest picture of the phenomena - and the first landscape portrait of Stockholm

A famous Swedish painting from Stockholm in 1535 called Vädersolstavlan is thought to be the earliest ever picture of the natural phenomena.

It is also the oldest landscape painting of Stockholm - although the original by Urban Målare is thought to have been destroyed long ago.

However, a 1636 copy by Jacob Heinrich Elbfas is thought to be an accurate recreation of the original and has been restored in recent years.

Stockholm's rabbits burned to keep Sweden heated

The bodies of thousands of wild rabbits culled each year from Stockholm's parks are being used to fuel a heating plant in central Sweden.

By Allan Hall

Six thousand bunnies were killed last year Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Animal rights activists have claimed that domestic pets are also being rounded up and incinerated.

"Those who support the culling of rabbits think it's good to use the bodies for a good cause. But it feels like the power company is trying to turn the animals into an industry rather than look at the main problem," said Anna Johannesson of the Society for the Protection of Wild Rabbits.

The rabbits going up in smoke are the inhabitants of Stockholm's parks who are culled to protect the shrubs and trees on which they gorge. But many of them are tame domestic pets turned loose by owners who no longer want them.

Six thousand bunnies were killed last year. The corpses were frozen and then sent to a special heating plant at Karlskoga, in central Sweden, where the cadavers were burnt in order to help heat the homes of residents of Värmland.

But animal rights activists have called for better treatment for the wild rabbits.

Mrs. Johannesson told local newspaper Vart Kungsholmen; "We want to see them start looking at other solutions for the rabbits. Helsinki in Finland sprays the plants to make them unappetizing and they have also set up a system of shelters for animals to be donated to. They have come much further along than us."ra

Swedish man attempts to make breast milk

A Swedish man says he is stimulating his breasts with a pump in an attempt to produce milk from his own body.

Ragnar Bengtsson, 26, of Stockholm, said he began his experiment, which is being documented by Swedish TV8, Tuesday and plans to pump his breasts at three-hour intervals every day until the start of December in a bid to create milk, The Local reported Wednesday.

"Anything that doesn't do any harm is worth trying out. And if it works it could prove very important for men's ability to get much closer to their children at an early stage," Bengtsson said.

Bengtsson said he does not want to use any chemicals, such as hormone treatments known to cause male lactation.

"If it works and the milk turns out to have a high nutritional value, it could be a real breakthrough," he said.

Sigbritt Werner, professor of endocrinology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said Bengtsson's quest could produce "a drop or two" of milk after three or four months of pumping.

"Women breastfeed after they've been bathing in estrogen during a nine-month pregnancy, so obviously it takes some time. But if he works on it regularly, he'll likely notice a layer of tissue forming beneath the areola and it should be possible to produce enough of the hormone prolactin to cause lactation," she said.

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