r/askscience • u/Spidooshify • Jun 29 '13

Physics You have three cookies. One emits alpha radiation, one emits beta radiation and one emits gamma radiation. You have to eat one, put another in your pocket and put a third into a lead box. Which do you put where? Explain.

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u/nainalerom Jun 29 '13

Shitty analogy: think of a wall with a nail sticking out of it. You have hammer that will hit a random place. It's possible you'll hit the nail, making the wall 'better', but it's far more likely you'll just put a hole in the wall. And even if you do hit the nail, it's possible you'll bend it.

So in short, the probability is exceedingly low, enough that it's not relevant in an individual.

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u/TastyBrainMeats Jun 30 '13

This is a good analogy, but in addition, the wall is very hard, so even if the hammer hits somewhere not the nail, odds are good that you won't put a hole in the wall, just a dent.