Apologies for the lack of photos during our myriad experiments at CTU's VR-1 Training Reactor, but we were busy! The faculty there was wonderful and walked us through a variety of procedures including neutron detection, activation, and analysis; conducting safety checks and radiation protection; as well as a variety of lectures. While some of the concepts were familiar to me thanks to classes at MIIS (e.g. Science & Technology for WMD), seeing them in practice and being able to use the tools and equipment with my own hands really solidified my understanding.
This may look like a science-fiction torture chamber, but it's actually one of two radiation detection rooms at the Czech National Radiation Protection Institute. The idea is that an individual with suspected radiation poisoning sits in the chair for about twenty minutes while the equipment above him/her registers the level of neutron, gamma, beta, or alpha radiation found in internal organs. The levels of acceptable radiation for a human body vary depending on the sensitivity of the tissue, so it's important to know what was exposed and for how long! The copper plating you see on the walls and ceiling is part of the thick shielding that surrounds the room. Pro tip: the three measures you can use to protect yourself from radiation are time, distance, and shielding. Depending on the source, the less time you spend with it, further you are away from it, and type of barrier you can get behind (ranging from a piece of paper for alpha radiation to a wall of lead for gamma radiation) can protect you from a lot of nasty stuff!