A Science Kit Unlike Any Other
In 1950, the A.C. Gilbert Company released the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, a children’s science kit designed to teach nuclear physics. It included actual radioactive materials, such as U-238 ore samples, and instruments like a Geiger counter to measure radiation.
What Came Inside the Box
The kit contained four uranium ore samples, a Wilson cloud chamber to visualize radioactive particles, and a spinthariscope for observing nuclear decay. A manual guided children through experiments to detect and study radiation.
The Most Expensive Toy of Its Time
The kit sold for $49.50 (about $600 today), making it one of the most expensive toys of its era. Despite its educational value, it failed commercially, selling only around 5,000 units.
A Short-Lived Experiment
By 1951, the Gilbert U-238 Lab was discontinued, partly due to low sales and safety concerns over its radioactive contents. Today, surviving kits are rare collector’s items, with some selling for thousands of dollars.
In 1950, the A.C. Gilbert Company released a science kit like no other—the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab. Marketed to children, it included real uranium samples and radiation detection tools. Designed to teach nuclear physics, this kit was unlike anything sold before. 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/AvT8fYxC6i
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) February 13, 2025