Radon

January is National Radon Action Month. Somerset and Morris County are two of many counties in NJ that have high levels of naturally occurring Radon.

Radon is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Radon can cause lung cancer. Without a test, there is no way to know if you have Radon in your home. 

Please take 5 minutes to find out the answers to the following questions:

 
• Has your home ever been tested for Radon? If so, when was the last test
• Does your home have a radon vent? If so, where is it?
• How long has your family lived in your home? Many home sales have Radon tests done now, but mostly in the last 20 years or so.

For more information about Radon or how to test for Radon, please see the following website from the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html

Atomic Bomb

Whenever we talk about the atom, the topic of the atomic bomb comes up. This year, I spent a few days talking about it and showed some video clips as well. We read Einstein’s letter to FDR, as well as his response. Reading the letters was a great activity, we talked about letter writing, formal vs friendly, typing, zip codes, WW2, the Manhattan Project, the Cold War, and the kids were really interested.  I ended with two video clips: one was “Duck and Cover” and the other was a graphic representation of all the bombs that have been detonated starting with the Trinity Test.

Other resources:

Atomic Bomb Testing – NY Times Photos

Trinity Test - video clip History Channel

“Fat Man Little Boy” video clip

Manhattan Project

Einstein’s letter to Roosevelt

Einstein and the atomic bomb video clip

50 years – Trinity Test