So, Japan has you thinking about American nuclear?

Good, I say!  Personally, I think it is impossible for the US to consider increasing it's energy independence without nuclear power plants (fission, that is).  But, current nuclear will not solve our problems.  We need fusion and we need it in the next 30 years or so.  That is just my opinion.

At least the Japan disaster has raised some interesting issues and dialog about the future of American nuclear plants and safety.  Granted, the popular news agencies have been quite idiotic about it all, but I really think the American people take anything showing up on TV with a huge grain of salt these days.  Well, at least the younger generation does (40 and under... ugh, did I just call 40 year olds young...).

I have found another great article on Japan's nuclear disaster, but geared more toward the implications on American nuclear policy.  It is an interview with Rush Holt, a PhD in nuclear physics, a long time member of Congress and one of the few people to beat Watson at Jeopardy!  ZapperZ, over at Physics and Physicists, posted this and I thought it was a great article.

So, here it is: Rush Holt on Japan's Nuclear Crisis.

Please, let me know your comments, thoughts or questions.  Cheers!

Japan's Nuclear Power Plants - update

This is an update to my previous post concerning Japan's Nuclear Power Plants.  Hence the name, geez, I sure am clever!

Things seem to be turning for the worse.  Japan's Prime Minister has publicly stated things are "Very grave."  The severity of the crisis has been escalated from a 4 to a 5 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. This means a "release of large quantities of radioactive material within an installation with a high probability of significant public exposure."  It is serious.  But let me be clear, there is absolutely no reason for American citizens to be worried for their own health from the disaster. 

I have a new resource everyone should read to stay on top of the whole disaster.  An excellent blog came to my attention from colleagues of mine from the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville [1].

Just like the previous post I made, everyone should read this: Plain English Nuclear.


It is exceptionally well documented and well written (albeit maybe a little long).

[1] note - I am not a nuclear engineer.  I do not have a stake in the nuclear power game.  I do interface with some nuclear engineering researchers, since my own research is in nuclear physics.  I just wanted to be clear about that, lest the few readers I have actually worry that I am not being as honest as possible.

Japan's Nuclear Power Plants

I truly cannot believe the amount of horrible information being, fiction and lies being spewed all over the news these days about Japan's nuclear power plants and what is happening there.

Location of Japanese Nuclear Power Plants

First, before you do anything else, please go read this article by Keith Yost in the The Tech (an MIT newspaper).

Ok, now you have the basics of what is actually going on. No need for ill-informed journalists with editors who don't know the difference between nutrients and neutrons.  No need for random idiots to show up on fluff news shows, like the Today Show, and tell the public that we all need to have potassium iodide tablets on hand.

So, the reactors survived the earthquake quite well.  But the tsunami and flooding is what really caused the trouble.  The flooding knocked out the generators which were pumping water to cool the reactor (and moderate the neutrons, if my reactor design understanding is correct).  No water, no cooling.  That is a problem.

If you want to keep up to speed on the actual facts of what is going on in Japan regarding their nuclear power plants, the best site I have seen which is updated a few times a day, is Information on the Japanese Earthquake and Reactors in that Region by the Nuclear Energy Institute.

So, stay informed.  Ask questions of people who know, not from people who are only concerned about ratings.  And remember, the nuclear reactors survived the earthquake.  A catastrophic earthquake.  A 9.0 earthquake. That is quite amazing in my opinion.