The story was all over Reddit this year, where I found it. In 1947, kids could send 15¢ and a boxtop from Kix cereal to see atoms splitting in an Atomic “Bomb” Ring - powered by deadly radioactive polonium. 3,500,000 were distributed. And it turned out that the Lone Ranger somehow was involved in this mess.
The CIA’s mindforces couldn’t cram a better set of trigger words into a couple of sentences to hook me. I became obsessed with the story and scoured the internet for better info.
As I should have expected, what was on the internet was some truth, some half-truth, some distortions, and some nonsense, with a lot, including an entire second act, left out. I dropped everything else I was working on and dove in.
I surfaced with an article that apparently for the first time ever contains the whole story, everything known and findable about the very real Atomic “Bomb” Ring. (Love those quotes.) Yes, it was powered by polonium. No, it was never dangerous. Does the word spinthariscope mean anything to you? Not to me, until I did the digging. As for The Lone Ranger, well, the radio series had him sent to guard a shipment of mysterious ore from the constellation Andromeda. Like Dave Barry, I swear I am not making this up. The words are never used but it couldn’t be clearer that the ore is the source for an atomic bomb or possibly a fusion bomb. The four-part serial ran at the same time as the newspaper ads in comic strips, but the words Lone Ranger are similarly never used by Kix. Many mysteries remain.
The Atomic “Bomb” Ring is now a pricey collectible, despite the quantities that once circulated. You can buy one, but it won’t work. Not an atom of polonium will (statistically) have survived the half-lives.
Please check out my article, because the story is too wonderful in many senses to be left to Reddit. I think I beat Wix into submission and that everything works. If not, let me know.