Mike Koss

Seattle startup guru Mike Koss of Startpad.org was watching news coverage of the crisis in Japan when he noticed people holding large sheets of cardboard over their heads, covered in tin foil, presumably hoping to protect themselves from radioactive fallout.

Which raised an interesting question in his mind: Would that work?

As he explains in the video above, he just happens to be the proud owner of a Geiger counter and a small sample of uranium. (“It was legal when I bought it — I think,” he tells us via phone.)

In other words, he had the perfect ingredients to test the implicit hypothesis put forth by the Japanese people.

See the video for the results. Without spoiling the ending, it’s safe to say we’ll sooner wrap our heads in wet towels than cover them with tin foil, if it comes down to it.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.