A widely shared video shows a nuclear chemist eating a radioactive substance, trying to prove that long-held fears about radiation may be overblown.
Galen Winsor, a nuclear chemist born in 1926, spent years working at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington – the site of the Manhattan Project during World War II – where plutonium production played a key role in the early atomic program.
That hands-on experience with radioactive materials shaped views that later put him at odds with mainstream science, and over time, he became increasingly vocal, arguing that public fear around radiation had been exaggerated and that regulations had gone too far.
Swam in spent nuclear fuel
During speaking tours in the 1980s, Winsor pointed to what he described as firsthand exposure to support his views.
“Winsor swam in the pool where spent [nuclear] fuel rods were kept and the water was heated to 38°C. He further claimed to have drunk a glass of water from the pool every day without ill effects,” according to Physics 8: Quantum, Nuclear and Particle Physics.
“By contrast, since the 1980s, former workers have been attempting to gain compensation for symptoms caused by alleged exposure to radiation due to lax safety measures at the plant,” the booklet explained.
‘Unless you’ve been burned’
He also challenged major nuclear incidents. While speaking publicly, he suggested that the 1979 crisis at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island had been exaggerated, despite historical reporting.
According to PBS, a senior engineer said there was “a meltdown at Three Mile Island,” which released radioactive gas over several days.
“Unless you’ve been burned, you haven’t got a problem,” Winsor said in a 1985 interview with The Herald.
Eats uranium
The moment most closely associated with Winsor unfolds during a lecture, where he set out to prove his point in a way that left no room for doubt.
Standing in front of an audience, the chemist lifted a small container he claimed held uranium oxide and brought a Geiger counter – used to measure radioactivity – close enough for everyone to hear it react. The steady clicking filled the room, confirming the presence of radiation, but instead of backing away, he leaned into it.
Without breaking his rhythm, he tipped a small amount into his palm, paused just long enough for the sound of the detector to register, and then, in a move that still catches viewers off guard, placed the substance in his mouth and swallowed.
He then licked the leftovers from his hand.
“What I’ve just done makes me high-level nuclear waste,” he said, according to the Herald. “According to federal regulations, they will have to bury me 3,000 feet in Carlsbad, N.M.”
He claimed this was not a one-time act and said he repeated similar demonstrations during his tours.
“It’s just another form of sun-tan,” said Winsor of licking the yellow powder, according to the Oregonian. “I do this in front of audiences, and they go wild.”
Experts question claims
Although the footage has been verified as real, key details remain unclear, with Snopes explaining it could not confirm whether the “substance Winsor consumed in the in-question video was uranium.”
That uncertainty matters, especially as HowStuffWorks reports that even small amounts of uranium – typically used to fuel nuclear power plants – can damage the kidneys, while larger amounts may be fatal.
Winsor went on to live into his eighties, dying in 2008 at the age of 82, with his obituary offering no cause of death.
What do you make of Winsor’s claims – bold experiment or dangerous misinformation? Share your thoughts and pass this story on!
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