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X-Rays Emitted From Ordinary Scotch Tape

Maximum Prophet writes "When I was in High School, I built an X-Ray machine that (probably) didn't produce any X-Rays. I used an old vacuum tube and high voltage. Little did I know that simple triboluminescence would have enough energy to do useful work." The catch: you'll need to peel your tape in a vacuum, and have the x-ray film at the ready.

28 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. cancer? by tritonman · · Score: 4, Funny

    does this mean that x-mas gifts can give you cancer?

    1. Re:cancer? by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, just that it makes it easier to guess what's inside the gift wrapping!

    2. Re:cancer? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Funny

      Depends. Do you open your gifts in the vacuum of space?

    3. Re:cancer? by Smidge204 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only if someone is giving you a vacuum cleaner, apparently...

      =Smidge=

    4. Re:cancer? by The+Fun+Guy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just remember, in space, no one can hear you clean.

      --
      The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. - Mark Twain
    5. Re:cancer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      To be honest, my vaccuum is way too small for me to fit in, and really, all the dust inside it would probably stick all over the tape making the whole process worthless

    6. Re:cancer? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 5, Funny

      [...] my vaccuum is way too small [...] all the dust inside it [...]

      Vacuum physics knowledge FAIL.

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    7. Re:cancer? by nevillethedevil · · Score: 5, Funny

      Only in the state of California...*ducks*

      --
      Be gone from my sight or prepare to feel my flaming wraith!
    8. Re:cancer? by hesiod · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sense of humor FAIL.

  2. I'm ready by flanksteak · · Score: 4, Funny

    The catch: you'll need to peel your tape in a vacuum

    I've been practicing this for years. I knew it would come in handy some day.

  3. Vacuum by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Funny

    The catch: you'll need to peel your tape in a vacuum, and have the x-ray film at the ready.

    Sounds like a job for....

    THE GLOVEBOX!!!

    No, not that glovebox, this glovebox. What do you think this is, a redneck website?

  4. In other news... by Smidge207 · · Score: 0, Funny

    ...EVERYTHING in the universe is radioactive to some degree. Except for iron. Meh. And /. trolls. They're flammmmming.

    =Smidge=

    --
    Is it just my observation, or is eldavojohn an idiot?
  5. sounds dirty by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

    The catch: you'll need to peel your tape in a vacuum

    Oh trust me, I "peel my tape in a vacuum" all the time....

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  6. I'm sure I'm not the only one... by RobertB-DC · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sure, almost certain, that the ripping sound you hear is the sound of a million geeks all pulling about 1.2 inches of tape off of their desktop dispenser.

    Bonus points if it's now wrapped around your finger as a memento.

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  7. Re:Can the article example serve as prior art? by Overzeetop · · Score: 5, Funny

    What are you doing taking a hamster on vacation?

    On second thought, don't answer that.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  8. Another fun fact by Gizzmonic · · Score: 4, Funny

    Did you know that Brazil nuts are radioactive? And so is granite! There's radiation everywhere! Luckily, I have a hat.

    --
    (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
  9. Re:Jack Frosty claims another victim by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

    So I should avoid opening Christmas presents too close to the Hoover...check.

    See, this is why I read Slashdot: useful tips like this one. My wife always runs the vacuum around the Christmas tree before we go to bed on Christmas Eve, and often she just leaves it there right by the tree. Luckily, my kids have developed gift opening techniques that somehow manage to rip the wrapping paper into several hundred small pieces without ever disengaging the tape, so they probably haven't been exposed to too much radiation thus far, but we'll have to be sure to put the vacuum back in the closet before going to bed from now on.

  10. so many other options! by CaptainPatent · · Score: 4, Funny
    You could have gone with:
    "Hey baby, I'm gonna get some scotch tape cause I wanna see your insides."
    -or-
    "If I'm scotch tape and your the vacuum then why don't we go release some energy."
    -or even-
    "If you want rapid pulses, I'll give you 1.2 inches a second."

    but instead you went with:

    Oh trust me, I "peel my tape in a vacuum" all the time....

    I'm sorry but I just can't accept that.

    --
    Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
  11. Only if someone is giving you a vacuum cleaner... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or a pony.

    In which case the pony-shaped wrapping and the labored breathing give it away.

  12. What I want to know by PearsSoap · · Score: 2, Funny

    Will this lead to a wave of new sticky-tape-related superheroes?

    1. Re:What I want to know by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

      Will this lead to a wave of new sticky-tape-related superheroes?

      Yes!

      First up, The Great Scotch. He's Scottish, wears traditional Scottish garb including the plaid kilt, is constantly drunk off X-ray enriched Scotch from his secret distillery(some say it is the source of his powers), and fights crime with super-strong and seemingly endless strips of sticky tape that he pulls from underneath his kilt. He won't say where it comes from, which is good because nobody asks. His arch-nemesis is 3M corporation, who are constantly trying to sue him for trademark infringement. No relationship to The Great Scott, who is a transsexual from Transylvania who uses toilet paper as a weapon...

      Next up, for 'urban' markets, The Gift Rapper! He swings around the city on lines of sticky tape that he shoots from his wrists. He disguises himself by covering his entire body in wrapping paper which he changes regularly, to match any nearby holidays for example. The Gift Rapper robs riches from crooked developers, organized criminals, drug lords, and cops on the take. He then delivers the riches to the poor children, gift-wrapped of course, and then performs a free-style rap that combines horrible puns and trite moral lessons about not being greedy, listening to parents, and staying in school for the decreasingly-grateful youngsters. Speculation abounds as to which no-name underground rapper-no-really-see-I-have-a-demo-tape is his secret identity.

      And at this point one part of my brain is threatening the other part with an aneurysm if I don't stop, so I will.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
  13. Re:Only if someone is giving you a vacuum cleaner. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I see you got to your pony on xmas faster than I did.

  14. Latest Nigerian Spam . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Funny

    I used an old vacuum tube and high voltage.

    Well, I don't necessarily endorse your kink, but if it provides a cost effective alternative to Viagra for you ...

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  15. Re:Can the article example serve as prior art? by TheLink · · Score: 2, Funny

    "What are you doing taking a hamster on vacation?"

    It's to feed the snake.

    --
  16. Re:Can the article example serve as prior art? by SleptThroughClass · · Score: 2, Funny

    "What are you doing taking a hamster on vacation?" It's to feed the snake.

    You have that much trouble finding a hotel with rats?

  17. Re:Oh, that's nothing... by operagost · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't let Red Green know or we'll have some really fast, radioactive van running around Canada.

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  18. Re:You must check out the 3M company museum... by OrangeTide · · Score: 2, Funny

    What is the museum doing under water?

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  19. Re:Only if someone is giving you a vacuum cleaner. by samson13 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't save the big one for last.

    I guess that solves the x-ray problem. Lots of glue for next xmas.