Accidental Radioactivity

Radioactivity is just another aspect of elements that many people fear because it's so different from the normal things we look for in materials (like melting points, strength, reflectiveness, transparency) but all in all radioactivity is just another trait that can easily be used for many useful things. Sometimes though, a material is used for traits that aren't obvious, like glass is chemically resistant and makes perfect gas-tight seals, many uses don't care at all that it's perfectly transparent, even though that's one of it's most seemingly useful traits.

This can happen with radioactive elements too, although most such uses have been banned or avoided because of irrational fear of radioactivity. Uranium, such a terrifying element capable of blowing up cities and causing wars, was once used in bright, cheerful colored ceramic glazes and dyes regardless of radioactivity, just as thorium was used to make things heat-resistant because it's oxide had a high melting point, once again regardless of radioactivity. This page is dedicated to these types of uses.

This is my collection!