16
kiki
179d

Soviet “Altair”: a Nintendo Game&Watch with a built-in Geiger counter.

Right side, top to bottom: game 1, alarm, game 2, reset, time, µSv/hr x 100 µR/h
Top side: Altair
Bottom side: Dosimeter ✻ Watch ✻ Game

Comments
  • 7
    The reason for its existence is probably twofold:

    1. Cold War era Soviet govt was preparing for a nuclear war, and kids were exposed to basic military training since high school. We even had chemical weapons attack drills in kindergarten, and I'm sure @vintprox learned how to field strip an AKM in seventh grade.

    2. Because of Soviet culture, kids of that time romanticized everything techy and sciency, especially things like space and nuclear tech, both weaponized and civilian.

    I know for sure that a Soviet kid that had this very rare toy was THE king of his school.
  • 2
    @kiki We didn't have those. I played Tetris bought on chinese market, though. Such fun modes. I had a round clock with orange/blue light and radio. Got my first CD with shareware there, as well. Hmmm, would not replace that for such nothingburger. 😊
  • 2
    @kiki vint is too young for this. That hasn't been done for quite some time.
    My mom learned that tho.
  • 1
    I was born in the GDR (East Germany) and we had (incompatible) Lego in military green to build tanks etc. Also military guys were telling us how great NVA (GDR army) was at least twice a year since kindergarten.
  • 2
    Former Yugoslavia had something like that minus the geigermeter/dozimetr!
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