Woman Made Ricin, Tested It On Neighbors At Retirement Community

Discussion in 'In the News' started by Ken Anderson, Dec 3, 2017.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    This wasn't one of you guys, was it?

    Source: KSDK 5
     
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  2. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    Someone's frontal lobe is going out. No wasn't me. I'm still working at taking care of these people.
     
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  3. Bill Boggs

    Bill Boggs Supreme Member
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    I wouldn't want to make ricin but voodoo sounds attractive. Wonder how her tests come out, if any of her testees fell ill?
     
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  4. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    The television report said that one person was hospitalized, but that his condition was not life-threatening. That may not have been mentioned in the article that I posted.
     
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  5. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    Ricin comes from Castor Beans; the plants are easily grown. The beans are used to make Castor Oil, Ugh! But, Ricin contained in the beans naturally is not oil-soluble, so rarely is any found in the oil itself. The beans softened and chewed, or ground up and ingested can provide a route to Ricin poisoning. 5 to 20 beans contain sufficient Ricin to cause death in an adult. Very unpleasurable way to go however. Don't even think about it!
    Frank
     
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  6. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    You sure it wasn't a relative of yours doing this Frank...you sure know an awful lot about the stuff. :)
     
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  7. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    Frank beats me in the brains department that is for sure. Lets stay on his good side. :D
     
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  8. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Babs Hunt @Kitty Carmel

    Nah, actually, Ricin is one of the many things I never have made. Of the many I have made, some are dangerous in ways other than being toxic.
    During the year I taught Math. in a small-town Missouri high school, I decided to offer the Seniors a chance to make extra credit by building a fair-sized High Voltage Tesla Coil.

    [​IMG]

    That's a standard Fluorescent Lamp held in one's hand, illuminated with no wires attached, by the energy transferred from the Tesla Coil. It need not be held in the electrical streamers to light up. In fact many in the ceiling-mounted class room lamps close to the coil illuminated as though turned on.

    Many parts were scrounged. The primary coil-form was an old plastic flower-pot inverted, the secondary coil was hand wound, several thousand turns of fine copper wire, by two of the girls. Excellent job! I had most of the other needed parts on hand; the school funded none of the project. High-voltage capacitors were made using strong green glass beer bottles filled with salt water, standing in a plastic dishwashing-tub also filled. The primary high voltage source was an old 15,000 volt neon sign transformer from under my workbench. I calculated output at about a million volts. Any pointed metal part, scissors, knife, screwdriver, held in the hand and advanced toward the coil when operating emitted the beautifully-colored purplish sparks typical of high voltage high-frequency energy release. When done, one feels no sensation. A bare fingertip, however experiences a hot sensation a bit painful, but harmless. How can a million volts causing electric current flow within the human body be harmless? I'll explain, if asked. I fear I may be high-jacking the OP.

    These kids, young adults, were much like I remembered being at 17. Somehow, they understood they could trust me, and besieged me with personal questions I know none of the rest of the long-time faculty would have ever been asked. The students voted me teacher of the year; the faculty hated me! No matter, I did my best, and quite a few of the other teachers allowed their classes to come into my room to see something so unusual, the whole town (pop. 390) became aware of it. Frank
     
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  9. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    Very interesting @Frank Sanoica Yet out of my scope of any real comprehension.

    Of coarse the other teachers hated you. It sounds like you were a true teacher, there for the students and not part of an social or political B. S. so prevalent in work places. Well done!
     
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  10. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Kitty Carmel
    I surely appreciate your comments! I started out on the first day of classes very nervous about the whole idea, never having taught before, but confident that having used all that Math I had studied to become an Engineer for much of my life did qualify me to teach it. I told the students in each class right up front I was NOT a teacher, but rather an Engineer. They appreciated my no-nonsense approach.
    Frank
     
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