Unbelievable Moment Nuclear Chemist ‘Ate Uranium’ To Show It Was Safe

By Khadija Pervez | Community | 3rd August 2025

Galen Winsor worked in the nuclear industry for a long time and didn’t hesitate to make his case.

In one instance an atom chemist consumed uranium in the midst of cameras rolling to prove that it didn’t cause harm to him.

Since the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1986 this industry of nuclear power has become an area of discussion. There are many who question the safety of its procedures and are concerned about the dangers. Even prior to that the chemical engineer Galen Winsor was making waves for dissing what he believed to be as a frenzied fear of radiation.

Winsor worked in all of the Northwestern United States, often representing the John Birch Society He gave flamboyant speeches on the subject of what he thought were overly strict nuclear rules.

Early Career in Nuclear Science

His professional career started during the 1950s at the Hanford nuclear facility in Washington in the United States, where he managed the extraction of plutonium and also managed the nuclear fuel operation. The handling of radioactive materials was a an integral part of his job.

As time passed, Winsor developed radical views He claimed that exposure to radiation is not as dangerous as people were led to believe. He spoke at radio and lecture talks and even videos that challenged the dominant stories.

The Shocking Demonstration

Then, in 1985 the audience was stunned by exaggerating his claims. In a widely-circulated presentation video Winsor stood in front of the clear glass container of Uranium oxide and calmly explained its supposed security.

In the presence of astonished witnesses the man consumed a small amount.

“What I’ve just done makes me high level nuclear waste,” Winsor declared after putting the Geiger counter to his mouth.
“According to federal regulations, they will have to bury me 3,000 feet in Carlsbad, N.M.”

The audience gasped, but Winsor kept on speaking confidently and insisted that the dangers of exposure to uranium was exaggerated.

Viral Legacy

The video has appeared on the internet several times, with the most recent getting attention on Twitter and YouTube and Twitter, where videos of Winsor taking a swig of uranium in a casual manner are viewed by viewers as a split.

• One user praised him: “Galen is an absolute legend. If every scientist was as brilliant as him, our society would be a lot better. “
• Another referenced its longevity “He survived until age 82 which proves it’s not this risky. “

Winsor actually lived to his death in 2008 and died at 82 years old, but his obituary did not mention the reason behind his the death.

But Was It Really Uranium?

While the incident has made him famous experts advise against interpreting it as a given worth. Based on HowStuffWorks the consumption of just 25 milligrams Uranium can cause kidney damage and 50 milligrams of uranium could cause death..

It has led some to think that Winsor really consumed uranium, or an equivalent substance that is intended for shock value. Whatever the case, his experiment continues to ignite heated debates regarding nuclear security.