# I own three pieces of Trinitite! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444 "2004-09-28T06:06:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/1 "2004-09-28T06:06:40Z")
It’s official. I am a genuine weirdo geek guy. I just bought three pieces of Trinitite on the web. For those who don’t venture into the world of military arcana, Trinitite is the fused sandy soil from the base of the tower where the first nuclear test (The Trinity Device) was exploded. It is a unique synthetic mineral. And I bought some. So, I was excitedly looking around for someone to tell about it, and realized that I just don’t know any hard core geeks anymore. (I should have remembered when I bought the Klein Bottle, but I guess you only remember the good times.) My sister said, “Geeze, you know, I know three things you have bought for yourself, in the last couple of decades, and they include a Kein bottle, a piece of Trinitite, and some petrified turtle dung! Now do you understand why no one gets you birthday presents?” Hey, I am really enjoying my Trinitite. It’s sitting on my desk, right next to the Klein’s bottle. (I’m going to look for my turtle dung, now.) Tris ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/2 "2004-09-28T06:16:31Z")
FYI, I don’t think you’re supposed to possess that stuff. When I visited the Trinity site, the Army guys (I think it was the Army, anyway) were pretty clear that we shouldn’t take any of it. Not because of the radioactivity–they just don’t want people taking it. However, I don’t know if it’s actually _illegal_ to take it, or if it’s just frowned upon. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/3 "2004-09-28T06:24:02Z")
If I carried one in my pocket, all the time, I would recieve slightly more radiation from it than I could expect to get living in Denver, without one. I don’t actually carry it around, though. The army dug it all up, a few years back, and buried it somewhere, and they aren’t telling where. The folks I bought it from buy it from folks who collected it back when the Army didn’t even care enough to drop by Alamagordo once a decade. It is not illegal to own, or sell, or transport Trinitite. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/4 "2004-09-28T06:28:50Z")
When did they dig it up? When I was at the Trinity site, they said that they’d just trucked in a bunch of dirt and dumped it on top of the fused soil in the crater. If you looked around, you could still see lots of pieces of trinitite lying around. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/5 "2004-09-28T06:33:42Z")
Don’t have an actual date. I have the report of the lady I spoke with at [ByyourselfapieceofTrinitite.com](http://ByyourselfapieceofTrinitite.com) that they (da Gummint) dug it up “a few years ago.” It might be a pack of lies. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/6 "2004-09-28T08:56:25Z")
How big is it? You could use it to build a little HO-scale parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/7 "2004-09-28T12:17:49Z")
Now you need an [Ecosphere](http://www.abundantearth.com/store/ecosphere.html). See you sister just needs to be more creative. Point her here for gifting ideas. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/8 "2004-09-28T12:56:58Z")
Pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/9 "2004-09-28T13:05:04Z")
Ecosphere’s are cool, man. Don’t bring them down. I got one for Lady Chance for her birthday last year and she’s loving it. Those shrimp are like sims to her. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/10 "2004-09-28T16:00:23Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Ecosphere’s are cool, man. Don’t bring them down. Absolutely. I want one. Badly. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/11 "2004-09-28T16:26:32Z")
OK, [The turtle dung is on the left, Trinitite in the center, and a penny for scale.](http://www.alwaysbackup.com/~michaelk/images/Trinitite.jpg) Tris ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/12 "2004-09-28T16:31:28Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Ecosphere’s are cool, man. Don’t bring them down. > > I got one for Lady Chance for her birthday last year and she’s loving it. Those shrimp are like sims to her. You’ve got sea monkeys sealed in a glass ball! Have they created their own little civilization yet? ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/13 "2004-09-28T16:53:07Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > OK, [The turtle dung is on the left, Trinitite in the center, and a penny for scale.](http://www.alwaysbackup.com/~michaelk/images/Trinitite.jpg) > Tris And a _wheat_ penny at that. That’s what I call posh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/14 "2004-09-28T17:04:15Z")
So how does one go about purchasing trinitite? Robin ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/15 "2004-09-28T18:28:10Z")
Well, given the state of the rules, here on the Straight Dope, I could never sell any of the three pieces that I have for ten bucks plus shipping, so, I guess you will have to go to Google, and search Trinitite. 🙂 Minimum purchase where I got mine was 25 dollars, hence my abundant supply. They do have some bigger pieces, though, for the wealthier geek. I don’t think the rules allow me to post a link to a commercial site, either, do they? Tris ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/16 "2004-09-28T18:32:48Z")
You need a few more items-[ul] [li]A Trilobite Fossil[/li][li]A piece of amber with an insect in it.[/li][li]A Plasma sculpture[/li][li]At least 1 Lava Lamp[/li][li]A collection of powerful magnets (away from your computer).[/li][li]And why not a lodestone?[/li][li]A replica dinosaur skull[/li][li]A stuffed armadillo.[/li][li]An Astrolabe.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/17 "2004-09-28T20:09:53Z")
Tris, check your e-mail. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/18 "2004-09-28T22:30:04Z")
You guys remember when I offered the objects under my monitor scree as subjects for “remote viewing”? Now how likely do you think it would have been if the objects were then what they are now? Hell, I doubt if most folks would be able to identify two out of three if they were looking at them from two feet away! Tris ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/19 "2004-09-28T23:01:13Z")
\*\* Triskadecamus\*\* – What do you think of my list? ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444/20 "2004-09-28T23:28:39Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > You’ve got sea monkeys sealed in a glass ball! Have they created their own little civilization yet? He might need some Trinitite to help those useful mutations along. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-own-three-pieces-of-trinitite/266444.md?page=2)