Certainly not as bad as gamma radiation, but beta radiation is still fairly penetrating. Alpha radiation is the one that you can block with a piece of paper.
Considering they can SEE reactions to the radiation shed, that’s probably not a good sign.
As an aside, alpha radiation is usually only really bad for you if the radioactive material giving off it gets into your squishy, less radiation-shielded innards. Your skin stops alpha particles quite handily, most of the time. We’re also exposed to radiation daily – it’s not like we’re not exposed to radioactivity except for in nuclear reactors and school demonstrations – it usually doesn’t do much. I’m not saying you should go juggle radium, but just know that the degree of danger is different.
On the other hand, if you do get an alpha radiation source inside your body, then you are likely in serious trouble. Remember Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned with a small amount of Polonium, and then very quickly got seriously ill and died?
As I understand it, alpha radiation is easily stopped, but that also means that it deposits all of its energy into whatever stops it – skin is hardy enough that it shrugs that stuff off, but squishy innards can’t really take that punishment and tends to break or mutate into cancer.
On the other hand, gamma radiation is extremely hard to stop, but that means that it doesn’t leave all that much of its energy in any one part of what it passes through.
Lastly beta radiation is sort of in between the two others.
Pretty much on the nose. There’s also a factor of how much radiation, naturally. Alpha radiation inside your body will likely mess you up – if there is enough of it. And while gamma tends to pass through, add enough of it and you’ll have enough light accidentally hitting atoms that it becomes a serious issue.
The Spirit of Whimsy I be!
The Fairy of Mending is me!
In disrepair;
Glow in the air
I generate nu-cle-ar-ly!
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
I’m shedding beta like a crime …
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
I’m shedding beta … ‘most all the time!
The Little House creatures I saved!
Machines of destruction I braved!
I saved you, you know,
With buckets of dough!
The way out with dollars was paved!
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
I’m shedding beta all the time …
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
The Geiger data … will show that I’m
Shedding freakin’ beta like a crime!
MadBadger suggested that yesterday, and it’s the kind of situation he would find himself in (hey, classic example of Rule Of Funny) so I was secretly hoping Shaenon / Jeff would have presented it to us today. No such luck 🙁
Did Princess Whimsy turn over the drone to Nick before getting her smooch from Tip? And does Tip know that she did? If yes, and no, it could still happen. Shaenon did say that Nick needs smooches….
The body language tells us it’s Nick, even without the dark eyes and the comment. Does the ‘bot take the same shoe size as Tip? If so, he could just borrow the shoes. Or at least look at the label.
Well, if I remember my particle physics, beta particles are “slower” than gamma or greater radiation, so it can be stopped by skin.
So Sweetheart, an “enhanced” dog with a thick fur coat should be safe from limited exposure; and U.N.I.T.Y., who is U.N.I.T.Y., wouldn’t really notice any type of radiation until she started glowing in the dark. Nick isn’t even technically in the room, so that goes out the window.
Tip, however, should probably be taking the iodine pills after this time. Assuming that smooching a fairy corporation doesn’t provide some benefits.
“Cold-cocked” is not a swearword, it just means “knocked out with force”. He could probably get away with calling Sweetheart a bitch, too, but I think the censor responds to intent rather than semantics.
Wait, it’s not just the Little House that is atom-powered, but also individual artificial characters? Seriously, the site must have closed early in the day, so visitors couldn’t notice things glowing in the dark…
There are two types of beta radiation (roughly), strong and weak beta. The difference is the speed to the electrons. Weak beta can be stopped by clothing or paper. Strong beta require something like a tin can. (Although carrying a strong beta source around in a tin can without a top, but with plenty of styrofoam packing in down will still make you feel a touch nervous.)
I noticed that WhimsyCorp didn’t show her teeth when she talked in the drone. And we know the drone has teeth, or a reasonable facsimile, because Nick (as shown here) does show them when he talks.
I wonder if WhimsyCorp’s logo from the early-to-mid ’90s had Mender fly over the Whimsy House and dot the “i” with a little puff of, *ahem* “starlight” from her wand.
I *love* the way that this webcomic can seamlessly mix conversation about cute animatronic characters and possibly lethal nuclear radiation! I’m glowing with…um…pride? (That is pride that’s causing me to glow, isn’t it? ISN’T IT???)
How does Nick know what that feels like?
…What, that’s never happened to you?
You can’t swing a cat without hitting someone who knows how it feels.
I’m pretty sure that panel one has the best simile I’m gonna see this month.
It reminds me of Christopher Plummer’s description of working with Julie Andrews. “Like getting hit over the head with a valentine.”
Cunningham, shmunningham. Now that’s adorable!
Don’t worry Sweetheart. Iodine’s not going to help you in this situation anyway.
Eh, beta radiation is arguably the least dangerous. They’ll be fine.
Or they’re in dead trouble, but not from the pixie dust.
Certainly not as bad as gamma radiation, but beta radiation is still fairly penetrating. Alpha radiation is the one that you can block with a piece of paper.
Beta radiation requires a two-by-four at minimum.
Standard issue tinfoil hat works fine, too.
Downside is Beta has more biological damage than Gamma. 4x the Gamma damage I think. Alpha was 10X, and Neutron was 25X or higher (if memory serves)
Beta is stoppable by a piece of paper or layer of clothing.
Alpha will not actually penetrate the layer of dead skin on your hands.
High Beta associated w/ cataracts.
I read “cataracts” as “Cataquacks”. You know, the weird duck things from Super Mario Sunshine. Would certainly explain their weird physiology.
I thought Alpha was stopped by paper or clothing (or even a few inches of air for that matter), but Beta required aluminium sheeting to stop.
Considering they can SEE reactions to the radiation shed, that’s probably not a good sign.
As an aside, alpha radiation is usually only really bad for you if the radioactive material giving off it gets into your squishy, less radiation-shielded innards. Your skin stops alpha particles quite handily, most of the time. We’re also exposed to radiation daily – it’s not like we’re not exposed to radioactivity except for in nuclear reactors and school demonstrations – it usually doesn’t do much. I’m not saying you should go juggle radium, but just know that the degree of danger is different.
On the other hand, if you do get an alpha radiation source inside your body, then you are likely in serious trouble. Remember Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned with a small amount of Polonium, and then very quickly got seriously ill and died?
As I understand it, alpha radiation is easily stopped, but that also means that it deposits all of its energy into whatever stops it – skin is hardy enough that it shrugs that stuff off, but squishy innards can’t really take that punishment and tends to break or mutate into cancer.
On the other hand, gamma radiation is extremely hard to stop, but that means that it doesn’t leave all that much of its energy in any one part of what it passes through.
Lastly beta radiation is sort of in between the two others.
Pretty much on the nose. There’s also a factor of how much radiation, naturally. Alpha radiation inside your body will likely mess you up – if there is enough of it. And while gamma tends to pass through, add enough of it and you’ll have enough light accidentally hitting atoms that it becomes a serious issue.
(TUNE: “Getting Better”, The Beatles)
I’m shedding beta like a crime …
The Spirit of Whimsy I be!
The Fairy of Mending is me!
In disrepair;
Glow in the air
I generate nu-cle-ar-ly!
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
I’m shedding beta like a crime …
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
I’m shedding beta … ‘most all the time!
The Little House creatures I saved!
Machines of destruction I braved!
I saved you, you know,
With buckets of dough!
The way out with dollars was paved!
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
I’m shedding beta all the time …
I glow as I flit, I’m shedding beta,
The Geiger data … will show that I’m
Shedding freakin’ beta like a crime!
…sheer genius, sir.
Last panel reminds me of the rooster hat from Scribblenauts.
It’s wonderfully appropriate that the being in charge of overseeing the rehabilitation of the Little House is inhabiting the Mender Fairy.
That new body is adorable! In a radioactive sort of way.
Hey, no fair! We didn’t get to see if the daughter passed on where she found the shoes, or if she smooched with Tip!
Wouldn’t it be funny if Nick got back in control before the smooch was over?
MadBadger suggested that yesterday, and it’s the kind of situation he would find himself in (hey, classic example of Rule Of Funny) so I was secretly hoping Shaenon / Jeff would have presented it to us today. No such luck 🙁
Did Princess Whimsy turn over the drone to Nick before getting her smooch from Tip? And does Tip know that she did? If yes, and no, it could still happen. Shaenon did say that Nick needs smooches….
Maaaybe you shouldn’t have radioactive robots in your funhouse, eh?
“You’re cute, don’t say ‘sumbitch’!”
“I wanna say ‘SPARKLEPUFF’…”
The body language tells us it’s Nick, even without the dark eyes and the comment. Does the ‘bot take the same shoe size as Tip? If so, he could just borrow the shoes. Or at least look at the label.
It’s the money fairy!
Panel 2: I can feel Nick’s eyelid twitch from here. 😀
Well, if I remember my particle physics, beta particles are “slower” than gamma or greater radiation, so it can be stopped by skin.
So Sweetheart, an “enhanced” dog with a thick fur coat should be safe from limited exposure; and U.N.I.T.Y., who is U.N.I.T.Y., wouldn’t really notice any type of radiation until she started glowing in the dark. Nick isn’t even technically in the room, so that goes out the window.
Tip, however, should probably be taking the iodine pills after this time. Assuming that smooching a fairy corporation doesn’t provide some benefits.
… did Nick just swear? Nick swore! Has Whimsy removed his wrongswear as a gift?
“Cold-cocked” is not a swearword, it just means “knocked out with force”. He could probably get away with calling Sweetheart a bitch, too, but I think the censor responds to intent rather than semantics.
So… is this a possible explanation for why we all of a sudden started getting a metric crap-ton of Disney Fairy movies?
I think that it was Mary who said “sumbitch”, not Nick?
Wait, it’s not just the Little House that is atom-powered, but also individual artificial characters? Seriously, the site must have closed early in the day, so visitors couldn’t notice things glowing in the dark…
There are two types of beta radiation (roughly), strong and weak beta. The difference is the speed to the electrons. Weak beta can be stopped by clothing or paper. Strong beta require something like a tin can. (Although carrying a strong beta source around in a tin can without a top, but with plenty of styrofoam packing in down will still make you feel a touch nervous.)
I noticed that WhimsyCorp didn’t show her teeth when she talked in the drone. And we know the drone has teeth, or a reasonable facsimile, because Nick (as shown here) does show them when he talks.
Kind of creepy, moreso than the wide eyes.
Out of 7 strips showing WhimsyCorp driving the drone, 6 show teeth.
*gasp* the Tinkerbell franchise… it all makes sense now
Yes, I just finally got it when I saw this strip: “Mender-fairy” = “Tinker-bell”, because a tinker was someone who mended pots!
I wonder if WhimsyCorp’s logo from the early-to-mid ’90s had Mender fly over the Whimsy House and dot the “i” with a little puff of, *ahem* “starlight” from her wand.
I *love* the way that this webcomic can seamlessly mix conversation about cute animatronic characters and possibly lethal nuclear radiation! I’m glowing with…um…pride? (That is pride that’s causing me to glow, isn’t it? ISN’T IT???)
Yes, of course it is!
…On a completely unrelated question, how’s your supply of iodine pills?