# responce to question on radioactive glow
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [December 7, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107 "2002-12-07T07:24:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gogabego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gogabego)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/1 "2002-12-07T07:24:46Z")
Dear Cecil and loyal compadres,
in responce to a question posted at [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990430a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990430a.html)
on radioactive glow, I believe Cecil neglected to state that radioactive substances, specifically uranium, glows when a blacklight is shown upon them. Back in the 1950’s and 60s’, I belive the way to identify uranium would be to hold up a special blacklight to the uranium, which would in turn glow. Please respond.
Gabriel S.
Bethlehem, PA
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### Author:  [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/2 "2002-12-07T07:36:28Z")
Lots of things glow, or flouresce when “black light” shines on them. Including many creepie crawlies, like scorpions. During the uranium rage of the late '40’s and early '50’s, all kinds of people were running around the hills at night shining their “black lights” on things. The “black light” manufacturers did well, but I never heard of any of the prospectors getting much out of it. Except mayber exercise.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/3 "2002-12-07T07:41:12Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **gogabego**. Thank you for including a link to the column. It is much appreciated.
Since this is a comment on one of Cecil’s columns, I’ll move this thread to the Comments on Cecil’s Columns forum.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
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### Author:  [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/4 "2002-12-07T08:05:28Z")
This is true. In fact, manufacturers of dentures used to mix small amounts of uranium into the ceramic material they used, so that the dentures would mimic the flourescence of natural teeth.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/5 "2002-12-07T22:13:48Z")
Let’s see how many of Cecil’s columns we can drag into one thread. [Is uranium added to false teeth to give them a natural glow?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_107.html)
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/6 "2002-12-07T22:17:11Z")
By the way, in that column, Cecil says the fluorescence of uranium has nothing to do with its radioactivity.
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### Author:  [@cdhostage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdhostage)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responce-to-question-on-radioactive-glow/141107/7 "2002-12-07T23:13:14Z")
Mmmm… bwhat is it in white fabrics that flouresces? It gllows pruurple.