Exotic ways to die.

[sobrique]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6182804.stm

Recent case in the news. Ex-spy, gets poisoned.
With some stuff called 'polonium-210' which is a toxic radioactive isotope.

According to Wikipedia Polonium is really very rare, of the kind where in all the reactors in the world, 100grams is produced each year. That particular isotope has a 138 day half-life. It's an alpha emitter, and it glows blue.

Now is it just me who finds this an extremely strange choice of way to get someone dead? I mean, it's "highly radioactive and difficult to handle" Not to mention exceedingly rare, and ... well not exactly very subtle as a poison. I mean, blue and glowing, you _can_ hide, but ... well, what's wrong with cyanide?

Assuming it actually _was_ a poisoning attempt, it strikes me that it's almost as if someone's read too many James Bond books, and is going for a hideously complicated and difficult way of killing someone.

There's so many ways to kill someone that don't involve:
a) A nuclear research lab - this stuff isn't commonplace. There's probably only a few places in the world it could have come from.
b) something that'll make geiger counters ping.
c) doesn't glow blue
d) isn't frighteningly difficult to handle.
e) isn't phenomenally expensive, due to it's rarity.

OK, so you do only have to feed someone 0.12 micrograms to kill them, but ... well, a 9mm cerebral haemorrhage is probably a lot more effective.

Sadly Alexander Litvinenko is now dead from polonium-210 poisoning, but I can't help but wonder what the hell that was all about.

Comments

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

It's basically untraceable; it's totally irreversable after administration and, crucially, there is a delay period between administration and first symptoms that makes tracing the culprit much, much more difficult.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Hmm, a delay period makes a lot of sense. Poisoning someone and being able to make a getaway before their even aware (and so meaning that it's very hard to backtrack, even if there is things like camera footage) would be useful.

I was thinking in terms of if you've been poisoned with something fast and readily available then ... well, who are you going to tell. But then again, you might be able to do this in a public place, and, as you say, be untraceable.

Apart from the 'rare radioactive isotope' bit of course.

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

Expect to see more of this occouring - weither as Assasins get better at doing it or hear about it and think 'great' (better than frozen aids blood bullets or ice bullets for untraceability) or as medical staff get better at noticing it

[malal.livejournal.com]

Blood & ice bullets don't work. The explosion heat melts them, so you get a puff of smoke basically.

Mythbusters is a great, great show. :-)

[myki.livejournal.com]

So you're saying we'll be an ice crossbow?

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

You don't use standard guns on them, you just need to accelerate them really damn fast

[fearmeforiampink]

I briefly thought "magnetic acceleration" though I then realised that requires a metal bullet. Or possibly some spring related system.

[ihilate.livejournal.com]

Or an exceptionally strong magnet...