Haunting footage shows the moment a nuclear scientist ate uranium on camera to prove his theory that the substance was “harmless”.
Galen Winsor, a chemist at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington in the 1950s, was responsible for extracting plutonium and managing nuclear fuel.
By the 1980s, he left his job and toured the US with the conservative John Birch Society, promoting his belief that nuclear regulation was overly strict and public fear of radiation was unjustified, Yahoo reported.
Eating Uranium on Camera
The most infamous moment of Winsor’s controversial career occurred in 1985 when he filmed himself eating a substance widely considered dangerous.
In the viral clip, he holds up a bottle he claimed was uranium oxide, and begins by addressing his audience. “The state of Washington sent two of its Gestapo agents over to my home to confiscate my uranium samples,” he said.
He then pours the uranium into his hand and uses a Geiger counter to measure its radioactivity.
After the counter clicks, indicating the presence of radiation, Winsor shockingly places the substance in his mouth.
He then holds the Geiger counter up to his face, and it clicks once more, before he licks his hand and swallows the uranium.
“What I’ve just done makes me high-level nuclear waste,” he told the audience. “According to federal regulations, they will have to bury me 3,000 feet in Carlsbad, N.M.”
Experts Have Questioned The Viral Video
Winsor believed uranium was harmless in small doses, but the authenticity and safety of his actions have been questioned.
Snopes confirmed that the footage was real, but could not verify whether the substance the nuclear scientist consumed was actually uranium or whether it was radioactive to the extent that he suggested.
There were also doubts about his other stories, like swimming in a reactor pool and drinking its water
Despite the alarming nature of his claims and actions, Winsor lived to the age of 82, passing away in 2008. His cause of death was not disclosed in his obituary.
The fact that the scientist lived a long life has been cited by some as proof that small amounts of uranium may not be as dangerous as commonly believed.
However, How Stuff Works warned that even small doses can cause serious harm, with 25 milligrams potentially damaging the kidneys and 50 milligrams being fatal.
