On Thu, Jul 30, 2026 at 12:05 PM Christian Corti via cctalk
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 29 Jul 2026, Carey Schug wrote:
> > i wondered, and ai confirmed, that vacuum tube computers likely
> > contained asbestos, but suggested in the vacuum tubes, so probably not
>
> Go back to school and learn the old-fashioned way. Never trust AI, always
> verify the results.
> Asbestos _in_ vacuum tubes ... *lol*
>

Perhaps you should learn the very old-fashioned way of valves/vacuum tubes :-)
There were some very early triodes that deliberately contains residual
gas. See here

https://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/objects/_expand.php?key=954

There was a little side/top tube containing asbestos that you heated
to release some of said gas that was adsorbed onto the asbestos.

So yes, some valves _do_ contain asbestos. But it would only be a
hazard if the glass was broken.

And if such a valve was ever used in any DEC computer or peripheral I
almost say I'll eat a PDP11!

-tony

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