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# Radioactive Slime Man?
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/19034/
- Published: 2006-10-12T19:10:27.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:35:23.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:23

**Richard Young**  

Did everyone's favourite little dictator set off a nuclear bomb or just so much smoke and mirrors? With scientists still in a [quandary](http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/12/asia/AS%5FGEN%5FJapan%5FNKorea%5FRadiation.php?ref=opendemocracy.net) over this question, an intriguing development in Spain might resolve the issue - radioactive snails.

You see glowing gastropods are currently terrorising a village in Spain, causing a bit of an international incident. It all goes back to 1966 when the very surprised residents of sleepy Palomares suddenly found themselves the target of three [H-bombs](http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2006-10-12T122820Z%5F01%5FL11737906%5FRTRUKOC%5F0%5FUS-NUCLEAR-SPAIN.xml&WTmodLoc=OddNewsHome%5FC2%5FoddlyEnoughNews-3&ref=opendemocracy.net) after a mid-air collision between a US hydrogen bomber and a refuelling plane caused the bomber's payload to explode near the village. The resulting plutonium and uranium clouds contaminated the surrounding countryside - and its snails. Now the slimy delicacy have turned on the locals, prompting proposals for an international clean up operation.

Now, instead of a blockade on North Korean goods proposed by our other favourite dictator, what we need to do is get all those yummy little snails out - so we can give them the once over.