Researchers manage to transmit digital data using nuclear radiation

Researchers at Lancaster University have managed to use nuclear radiation as a medium for transmitting wireless data. As part of the project, the researchers modulated the neutron field emitted by a piece of Californium-252, a radioactive isotope that's commonly found in nuclear reactors. This allowed them to transmit simple data including a single word, the alphabet, and randomly selected numbers, which were then received and decoded on a laptop sitting at a distance. 

The project was, clearly, a proof of concept, allowing for a trivial amount of bandwidth. However, the concept at its heart could potentially power future wireless devices that don't have their signal impacted by hard surfaces like walls, since fast-moving neutrons pass right through them.

Even in the future, however, the Lancaster researchers primarily envision this technology being utilized in safety-critical environments at nuclear power facilities. The radiation hazard likely makes it of little use as a nuclear alternative to WiFi. 

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