Such a shame paranoia caused the removal of the radium painted instruments. The people doing the painting were in horrible danger but being exposed to a few square inches of decades old paint would be perfectly safe.,(reply>), @Arthur Alford the dials are behind glas that the alpha particles can't even penetrate. But spread more hysterical nonsense.,(reply>), @Arthur Alford radium is a source of Alfa radiation which isn't of itself dangerous. Only if inhaled or ingested. You're right on the half life. I knew they stopped glowing but apparently that's down to the failure of phosphorus which is stimulated by the radium.,(reply>), It's not perfectly safe. Radium has a half-life of 1600 years, which means it takes that long for it to be half as radioactive. Plus, an accidental scrape on the face of the instruments could cause particles to be broken off and inhaling radium is a Bad Thing. I do wonder why they can't replicate the instruments with electronic ones that act like the originals, or put older ones in with lights.