it's much more likely asbestosnis in the walls and building structure than
a dec computer
b

On Wed, Jul 29, 2026 at 5:58 PM Martin Bishop via cctalk <
[email protected]> wrote:

> IIRC the Feranti Pegassus computer which graced the London Science Museum
> until about 10 years ago was blackballed and moved into storage as some
> electrical distribution switchgear (fuses ?) "contained asbestos".
> https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co62559/ferranti-pegasus-computer-1956
>
> A sad end, but I guess it failed the can the "acompanying adults" explain
> it test ...
>
> Martin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Koning via cctalk [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: 29 July 2026 21:17
> To: [email protected]
> Cc: Carey Schug <[email protected]>; Paul Koning <
> [email protected]>
> Subject: [cctalk] Re: DEC and Asbestos
>
>
>
> > On Jul 29, 2026, at 12:12 PM, Carey Schug via cctalk <
> [email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > i wondered, and ai confirmed, that vacuum tube computers likely
> > contained asbestos, but suggested in the vacuum tubes, so probably not
> > available unless there was destruction of vacuum tubes involved.
>
> I don't believe that.  I have never seen and can't imagine a vacuum tube
> with asbestos.  What you will find in many small vacuum tubes is mica --
> typical receiver tubes (which is what you'd see in a computer) have the
> elements mounted between two small sheets of mica.  But asbestor is porous
> and fibrous, there isn't any use for that in tubes I can think of.
>
> Just another AI hallucination.
>
>         paul
>
>

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