Summary
- The becquerel is the SI unit for radioactivity, equivalent to one radioactive decay per second.
- However, because the decay is random, it is impossible to generate one becquerel of radioactivity.
- A vetinari clock is an eccentric invention that ticks irregularly, conceived by Terry Pratchett in his Discworld series of books.
- Home-made versions of the clock are popular amongst some hackers.
- Mihai Cuciuc has created one using Am-241, a radioactive isotope of americium.
- Gamma and alpha detectors establish the becquerel rate of decay, and the clock ticks whenever there is a decay.
- Cuciuc had to ensure theBecquerel level of radioactivity was achieved by using the inverse square law.
- The clock ticks at one hertz, but loses 0.4 seconds per day as the isotope decays.
By Tyler August
Original Article