All radioactive atoms have a specific probability of weither theyll decay at that instant or not.
That prob scaled up to a fuckton of atoms and a continuous flow of time gives us a materials "half-life".
That "Half-life" is ingrained into that specific material because of how the fundemental atomic forces act on it. It cant be changed.
Though, just thought experiment: What if we could induce rad decay?
Well, first all reactors would get a turbo-button where its fuel burns (decays) faster. Enormous potential with that.
We can also run nuclear waste through it and make it burn into harmless (relatively) ash, enormous potential there as well.
If you could get whatever process to happen wirelessly you could induce the radioactive potassium, iodine, and sodium inside someones body into decaying all at once. Making an odd sort of weapon.
Probably cause a stealth increase in cancer risk.
Not gonna touch on the other things you brought up, but if only just one of those things are true. We would see some giant tech leaps once they hit mainstream.
Can't "induce" radioactive decay.
All radioactive atoms have a specific probability of weither theyll decay at that instant or not. That prob scaled up to a fuckton of atoms and a continuous flow of time gives us a materials "half-life".
That "Half-life" is ingrained into that specific material because of how the fundemental atomic forces act on it. It cant be changed.
Though, just thought experiment: What if we could induce rad decay?
Well, first all reactors would get a turbo-button where its fuel burns (decays) faster. Enormous potential with that.
We can also run nuclear waste through it and make it burn into harmless (relatively) ash, enormous potential there as well.
If you could get whatever process to happen wirelessly you could induce the radioactive potassium, iodine, and sodium inside someones body into decaying all at once. Making an odd sort of weapon. Probably cause a stealth increase in cancer risk.
Not gonna touch on the other things you brought up, but if only just one of those things are true. We would see some giant tech leaps once they hit mainstream.
Yes you can induce decay.
Subject U235 to the right neutron field, it will decay more rapidly.
This is how reactors and bombs work.
That's speeding up a nuclear fission reaction (atom splitting). U-235 has the same unchangable half-life.
Uranium doesnt naturally decay by splitting.