Further Proof That Tape Is Evil

And I Quote:

“Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have shown that simply peeling ordinary sticky tape in a vacuum can generate enough X-rays to take an image — of one of the scientists’ own fingers (see videos).

“At some point we were a little bit scared,” says Juan Escobar, a member of the research team. But he and his co-workers soon realized that the X-rays were only emitted when the kit was used in a vacuum. “We don’t want to scare people from using Scotch tape in everyday life,” Escobar adds.”

Yes, actually. We do. We want to scare people from using Scotch tape on archival documents and works of art.  Let’s not forget to mention radiation in our tape prevention lectures, shall we?

The researchers go on to say this:

“…the high charge density generated by peeling the tape could be great enough to trigger nuclear fusion. Michael Loughlin, a nuclear analyst at the international nuclear fusion experiment, ITER, in Cadarache, France, is sceptical. But he adds that if he is proved wrong, a system that could provide fusion reactions at the flick of a switch would be very useful.”

Oh, goodness.  Be careful scraping with that spatula, would you?

Seriously, though – what does this mean for research about adhesion and release? Anything?

And talk about toys – watch the video and check out the monitor in the background showing the adhesive releasing as the spool unwinds in the vacuum chamber. Nice.