Episode 81 - This Is Not a Place of Honor

It has threatened to start wars and it has (arguably) finished them; its effects and influences can be found throughout our world today; it has nearly limitless power for creation and destruction; and according to some people it may be our only hope. This week (and the last one too) we are digging deep into the controversial world of nuclear power generation. Over the course of two episodes we'll explore the basics of this technology (which is coincidentally where most other podcasts and videos seem to stop) and go from there to really truly explore the pros and the cons - including plenty that you've probably never considered. Is this technology our best hope for a carbon free future? Or is it another example of too many promises and technological optimism clouding out the realities of our situation?

All this and more in a special two part series on everything nuclear power.

full transcript available

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Chapters

  • 12:16 Unexamined Costs
  • 17:25 Megatons to Megawatts
  • 24:16 Thoughts from former chairman of US NRC
  • 30:01 Construction costs
  • 34:24 Waste
  • 36:24 Church Rock
  • 41:17 Waste disposal plans
  • 44:45 Uranium-235 reserves
  • 46:14 How do you communicate with the future?
  • 56:47 What choice do we have?

Listener Comments

Good clarification on radiation, contamination, and irradiated.

You could go even further though on radiation and clear up some misconceptions about radiation...

There is non ionizing (lower energy) electromagnetic radiation. Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, and up through the visible light spectrum. This is all inherently harmless to life... Unless the intensity is too high and it basically cooks you.

There is also ionizing (higher energy) electromagnetic radiation. Ultra violet, x-rays, gamma radiation, up through cosmic radiation. This radiation has enough energy per photon to knock electrons up energy levels and initiate chemical bond changes. You hear about this type of radiation causing cancer because it causes chemical reactions in DNA. Fission plants and dual tend to produce a lot of gamma radiation. This is the type of radio we use on food to sterilize it and it can't make the food radioactive.

Next there is particle radation...

Alpha radiation is essentially helium nucleases that decay of larger radioactive elements. It can ionize what it bumps into but is blocked by a few centimeters of air or even just skin.

Beta radiation is basically electrons that shoot off a radioactive nucleus. They can travel about a meter in air and also can ionize what they bump into. In addition they can also cause the release of gamma or x-rays when absorbed in some cases.

Finally there is Neuton radiation. This is produced by radioactive decay and by fission and is was sustains fission. It had a much longer penetration and can ionize what it bumps into. A lot of water or concrete is needed to shield it. Not only that, it can actually make regular material radioactive over time by being absorbed by nucleuses.

Bonus: You might also hear about neutrino radiation. These are exotic particals that come out of Nuclear reactions. The sun makes a massive massive amount of them. Luckily they effectively never interact with nornal matter and so basically can be ignored.

  • JackOCat

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Published 04-07-2019 02:22