The Radioactive Toy of the 1950s
The shocking history of the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, a real 1950s toy containing actual uranium.
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The shocking history of the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, a real 1950s toy containing actual uranium.
Full transcript of The Radioactive Toy of the 1950s
In 1950, parents bought their children a toy box containing real, live uranium. It was called the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab. For fifty dollars, kids received four types of genuine uranium ore. Inside the box sat a real Geiger counter, clicking away in bedrooms. The creator, Alfred Gilbert, believed science should be hands-on. He even included a comic book showing how to find uranium in the wild. Children played with radioactive sources, completely unaware of the invisible threat. They stared through a spinthariscope, watching alpha particles collide in the dark. To them, the glowing sparks were just magic. But the government had a secret motive for supporting the toy. They wanted to train a generation of prospectors to find domestic uranium reserves. The Cold War was heating up, and America needed raw power. The toy was pulled from shelves after only one year. Not because of safety concerns, but because it was too expensive to make. Today, these surviving red boxes are highly radioactive collector's items, still ticking in silence.