a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
kleinbl00  ·  2404 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Thorium could power the next generation of nuclear reactors

Considering the other stupid shit we spend money on hell yes let's build some thorium reactors just to see. But I'll be pleasantly surprised if it ends up changing anything.

I think the issue most people have with nuclear power is they think it's invented by Einstein, built by Donald Trump and run by Homer Simpson. Most building professionals I've ever met are scrupulous and intelligent but it only takes one. Most power professionasl I've met are scrupulous and intelligent but it only takes one. And when you have a flour explosion or a propane explosion or a munitions explosion or whatever, it's destructive, it's terrible, it's over, it's done. Whenever you invoke subcritical isotopes it gets really complicated and scary.

Nuclear weapons are actually less intimidating than nuclear power in that way - you drop a bomb it goes off it kills everyone and it makes that place radioactive until it isn't anymore but if you aren't under that bomb, oh well, right? But something like Fukushima just sits there and acts menacing forever.