Comment by tigeba

My sons recently completed the Nuclear Science merit badge, and one of the experiments involves the creation of a cloud chamber. The 'old school' method for obtaining a radioactive source is using a lantern mantle, which is a practical item that a scout might be able to access. I did not previously realize that old school mantles were dipped in Thorium. Alas, these are somewhat difficult to obtain today as you might expect. It was pretty fun to discover that the modern solution is to just order some Uranium ore from Amazon.