The Strange Reason Scientists Still Need Pre-1945 Steel

The Strange Reason Scientists Still Need Pre-1945 Steel The world's most sensitive radiation detectors sometimes rely on low background steel produced before the first atomic bomb test in July 1945, according to a new report from SpaceDaily. Steel manufactured before the nuclear age lacks the tiny traces of radioactive fallout that atmospheric weapons testing later introduced into the environment, making it valuable for experiments searching for extraordinarily rare particles and faint radiation signals. The report says that this gave rise to the popular story that scientists depend on steel salvaged from pre...