Nuclear power lab, once called ‘the most dangerous toy ever made’, goes up for auction

Are you stuck looking for Christmas gifts for kids? The world’s most dangerous toy is available for sale.

The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory was released in the early 1950s and comes with actual uranium ore samples.

Marketed as an educational tool to inspire budding scientists, the kit was the brainchild of Alfred Carleton Gilbert, creator of the iconic Erector set.

Despite its scientific appeal, the Atomic Energy Laboratory did not last long. Production ceased in 1951 due to “government restrictions” and difficulties in sourcing materials, as described in a 1953 letter from the A.C. Gilbert Company.

In 2006, Radar Magazine named it one of the “10 Most Dangerous Toys of All Time”, but a 2020 IEEE Spectrum analysis suggested that its risks may be overstated. Radiation exposure was described as “minimal”, equivalent to “one day’s UV exposure from the sun”, as long as the samples remained sealed in their containers.

Boston-based RR Auction said: “With less than 5,000 units sold, the Gilbert U-238 Nuclear Power Laboratory has become a prized collectible for history buffs, toy enthusiasts and pop culture fans.

“It provides a window into a unique period of post-World War II history when nuclear science was very popular – and controversial.”

The kit will be offered as part of RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts programme, which ends on December 11. It is estimated to cost more than £3,100 ($4,000).

What’s in the box:

Packed in a sleek red suitcase, the kit was filled with these things:

– Four glass jars containing samples of ore containing natural uranium (U-238).

– A cloud chamber for observing alpha particles moving at 12,000 miles per second.

– A spinathiscope to view radioactive decay on a glowing fluorescent screen.

– An electroscope for measuring radiation levels in natural radioactive materials such as carnotite, autonite, torbanite and uraninite.

It also includes extras: the “Gilbert Atomic Energy Manual”, a US government-published uranium prospecting guide, and an eccentric comic book, Dagwood Splits the Atom.