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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
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Curiosity can kill

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

1985 Bremerhaven Germany.

While working at a mobile RADAR site for the USAF and stationed in Germany we had a guy that seemed to be a genious.

But it turned out as often is the case that while he had 'book smarts' he had no sense at all.

The RADAR system put out 3 MILLION WATTS of energy. To protect the reciever section from being hit by the outgoing energy it used these speical tube type devices filled with a radio active gas to block the transmission from getting into the reciever circuitry. When the radio frequency power hit the tubes they blocked it from reaching the input.

I was the supervisor of the microwave and radio communications sections and was visiting the RADAR shop one day when I encountered this genius with a hack saw trying to cut open one of the radio active tubes. The tubes are clearly marked as radio active and DO NOT ATTEMPT to OPEN markings.

We stopped the guy before he penetrated the tube and released the gas, but just barely. I am not at all sure what the consequences might have been, but I suspect it would have been a slow agonizing death if anyone had inhaled the gas.

Submitted on 10/01/2008

Submitted by: Larry
Reference:

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Sheesh! A slow death or at least permanent sterility! WHAT a MA-ROON! Thanks, Larry! Let us know if this guy because a full DA candidate!


Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
How stupid do you have to be to cut into something that clearly says not to? Thanks, Larry!


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