[X] My Assistant

I'm curious to what degree background radiation - if any - from steel forged post-1945 has on the strength of a blade. Do you happen to know off-hand?

It should be a non-issue. Isotopes of an element have the same physical and chemical properties apart from their atomic mass, and modern methods produce steel that has no significant impurities. Fresh iron ore as dug out of the ground hasn't been contaminated by nuclear test fallout or reactor waste, and absorbs a tiny amount of radioisotopes from the air during smelting. The main contaminant is cobalt-60, which has a half-life of only 5.3 years and produces beta & gamma radiation as it decays to stable nickel-60. Low-flux beta & gamma radiation do basically nothing to steel, just temporary excitation of the electrons. Cobalt & nickel are intentionally added to many steel alloys, and the percentage by mass in the end product is tested and verified to be within spec for the alloy. So you get a slightly, slightly radioactive steel with no difference in its mechanical properties that only matters if it's around the most sensitive of detectors. Worldwide anthropogenic background radiation peaked in 1963 and has fallen to 1/20th since then with the end of most nuclear testing.

Steel produced too long ago is going to run into quality problems. Even basic modern blade steel outperforms anything from feudal times.

Before you know it, hours have passed

It should be a non-issue. Isotopes of an element have the same physical and chemical properties apart from their atomic mass, and modern methods produce steel that has no significant impurities. Fresh iron ore as dug out of the ground hasn't been contaminated by nuclear test fallout or reactor waste, and absorbs a tiny amount of radioisotopes from the air during smelting. The main contaminant is cobalt-60, which has a half-life of only 5.3 years and produces beta & gamma radiation as it decays to stable nickel-60. Low-flux beta & gamma radiation do basically nothing to steel, just temporary excitation of the electrons. Cobalt & nickel are intentionally added to many steel alloys, and the percentage by mass in the end product is tested and verified to be within spec for the alloy. So you get a slightly, slightly radioactive steel with no difference in its mechanical properties that only matters if it's around the most sensitive of detectors. Worldwide anthropogenic background radiation peaked in 1963 and has fallen to 1/20th since then with the end of most nuclear testing.

Steel produced too long ago is going to run into quality problems. Even basic modern blade steel outperforms anything from feudal times.

Thank you for satisfying my curiosity!!
You're a venerable fount of knowledge on this subject, I deeply appreciate your insight

"Maybe I should've changed the background color."

Just as things were going to start to happen in that manga, the main antagonist got somewhat "Black Beast of Argh-end"ed, and everything was over.
The mangaka wasn't very subtle in axing this, and if it's not axing, maybe it's worst (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I feel sick in my stomach. That feeling in your gut when you've lost someone or something and it won't ever be coming back. Gone forever, gone in this lifetime that feels like forever.

I need to hit my backlog for light novels I want to read, but at the same time it's so tempting to pick up new series.

I thought it wise not to get involved.

Nothing wrong with praying for others' failures or misfortunes. Nur Syabira, Timothy Huang, Seliseh, Peter Ha, Lau Shieh Yuen have sinned against me.

I'm so tired that I don't feel like doing anything

today is so tired


This post has been edited by SilverZero1007: Sep 17 2022, 18:00

I'm so tired

today is so tired

I have my eye on you, buster. :P

Every day is the same scene and I feel empty

why do i live

I feel reluctant to give up for the ending of a cartoon

Only unpleasant things can happen...

humankind is doomed (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

verything's shitty, therefore everyone likes shitty things. But it's okay, because opinions are weird like that.

I feel reluctant to give up for the ending of a cartoon

Which one?

humankind is doomed (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

humankind is doomed (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

(IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)