this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2025
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xkcd #3131: Cesium

Title text:

Someday I hope to find a way to mess up a recipe so badly that it draws the attention of the International Air Transport Association, the International Mathematical Olympiad, or the NSA.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3131/

explainxkcd for #3131

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[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 22 points 8 hours ago

It's not often that a news story makes it into an xkcd.

[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 45 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

Holy shit it was cesium-137?

It can be found in natural U-238, but otherwise it's produced in nuclear fission. Stupid radioactive, and has a halflife in your body of like 70 days.

People who consumed this will be at a higher risk of cancer.

How the fuck did shrimp get contaminated with Cesium-137? Did they have like an X-ray machine radiation source blow up over a batch?

[–] fahfahfahfah@lemmy.billiam.net 41 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Apparently the shipping containers themselves were contaminated. The shrimp itself wasn’t detected to be radioactive but they’re recalling it anyways out of caution.

[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 20 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

That makes sense, but it's weird that the shipping containers were contaminated unless they were shipping nuclear waste or unsafe radiological sources...

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 hours ago

Smuggling and clandestine military operations with zero regard for public safety are more common than you’d think, because when things go wrong nobody gets punished.

[–] _stranger_@lemmy.world 4 points 5 hours ago

I'm sure they hosed it out before piping in the shrimp.

[–] Bubs@lemmy.zip 21 points 9 hours ago

Best guess I heard was broken medical equipment leaked cesium

[–] jawa21@piefed.blahaj.zone 5 points 7 hours ago

Ok, wow. This is real. I'll just steer clear of shrimp in general for a while.

[–] EvilEdgelord@sh.itjust.works 19 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Live reaction from Schrödinger's cat:

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 13 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

What are you doing? If we can see the cat, we will know if it died.

[–] AreaKode@lemmy.world 14 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't look like it's moving. Death state is inconclusive.

[–] EvilEdgelord@sh.itjust.works 13 points 10 hours ago

My bad, here's the proper video feed:

[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 13 points 11 hours ago

Ooo topical!

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

New and magical food screwups!