TIL the Soviets powered Arctic lighthouses with RTGs, triggering a post-USSR radioactive cleanup
wstone_bd · x · 2026-10-21
The author shares a piece of trivia: the Soviets used RTGs (radioisotope thermoelectric generators) to power a network of Arctic lighthouses, and after the USSR fell there was a major international effort to secure the scattered radioactive materials.
The post is circulating for its sheer absurdity — leaving unattended nuclear batteries across remote wilderness hasn't aged well.
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