Nuclear power

Failed Nuclear Weapons Recycling Program Could Put Us All in Danger

Some government screw-ups are so epic that they require decades of effort. Such was the case for the recently cancelled plan to convert surplus weapons-grade plutonium into nuclear fuel. Not only did the U.S. waste $4 billion dollars, it increased the likelihood that terrorists could obtain bomb-making materials. It sounded like a good idea at…

These Vintage Cutaway Drawings Show How Nuclear Reactors Really Work

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably wondered how a nuclear reactor works. When you look at pictures nuclear power plants, questions must march through your head. Why are some of them shaped like weather balloons? How do they keep the fuel safe? Where’s Mr. Burns’s office? Well, these cutaway drawings can supply some answers.…

Why Nuclear Power Is So Controversial In the United States

The United States has the largest nuclear power generation capacity in the world, but as a percentage of total energy production, we rank a mere 16th. At least part of the reason is that people fear nuclear energy, whether rationally or not. The New York Times’ video channel has a nice short documentary on the…

The economic viability of US nuclear reactors is worsening, says a report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Any additional loss of nuclear capacity, the study argues, would increase carbon dioxide emissions, making it more difficult for the US to achieve its 17% emissions reduction pledge by 2020.

Floating Nuclear Reactors Might Make More Sense Than You’d Think

At a symposium held by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers this week, a team of MIT engineers will present an idea that seems to tempt fate: A floating nuclear reactor, anchored out at sea, that would be immune to tsunamis and earthquakes. Is it really that crazy of a plan? First, here’s what they’re…

Fukushima Could Make Japan a Leader In Nuclear Cleanup Tech

The idea that a nuclear disaster could actually drive innovation is definitely a new way to look at Japan’s ongoing Fukushima debacle. But a new report from the AP does just that, suggesting that the long-term cleanup effort that Japan now faces will make it a world leader in decommissioning nuclear plants. This Tuesday will…

This chain smoking, gun loving guy built a nuclear reactor in his home

He chain smokes. He loves his guns. And he almost looks homeless. But he’s actually pretty damn awesome. Meet Doug Coulter. A gunsmith who’s also an amazing DIY engineer. So amazing that he’s built a nuclear fusion reactor in his basement. Yup. Motherboard visited Coulter to see his DIY fusion reactor and to see how…

Tepco Removes First Fukushima Fuel Rods, Finally Gets Something Right

TEPCO workers successfully removed the first fuel rods from the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and transferred them into portable casks on Monday. Those who have been following the follies of the power company should be pleased that a meltdown did not occur. These are just the first of many fuel rods that…

The Trick To Disposing of Nuclear Waste Could Be Turning It Into Glass

Nuclear power is great, but the waste it creates is a problem. Best case scenario we can turn it into more power in the future, but for now we’re stuck just stashing it away. But there’s another way—a badass way—that’s poised to make it easier and safer: nuclear glass. https://gizmodo.com/the-future-of-nuclear-power-runs-on-the-waste-of-our-nu-5990383 The process is surprisingly simple.…

The UK Is Building Its First Nuclear Plant in a Quarter Century

The UK has set some very ambitious carbon reduction goals for itself—including the overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 80 percent by 2050, but this goal is proving more challenging than anticipated. At this rate, the UK will have to go fully-carbon free by 2030. So to meet its environmental deadline, they’re…

Almost All of America’s Nuclear Regulators Are About to Be Furloughed

That pesky government shutdown is still causing all kinds of problems, and this one’s a doozy. Starting Thursday, some 90 percent of the workers who watch over America’s 100 nuclear reactors will be furloughed. Since these guys are sort of the first line of defense in a nuclear disaster, that’s really bad news. Thankfully, a…

Spacey Fukushima Worker Pushes Wrong Button, Almost Causes Meltdown

It’s another week and another chance for TEPCO to embarrass itself at the beleaguered Fukushima power plant. Sometime on Monday morning, the cooling pump for the reactors shut down suddenly. It must’ve been some mechanical failure or some freak accident, right? Nah. Some worker just pushed the off button by mistake, according to the Nuclear…

Nuclear-Powered Vehicle Concepts from the Mid-20th Century

One of the promises of the Atomic Age was the notion that, one day, we would all be riding around in nuclear-powered cars, trains, and airplanes. Even if our roads were never filled with nuclear cars, many designers came up with prototypes and concept art for atomic transportation. Ford Nucleon, 1958 This 3/8th-sized scale model…

Fukushima’s Leaking Radioactive Water into the Ocean After All

Well over two years after the Tōhuku earthquake and tsunami, TEPCO officials admit that radioactive groundwater has been leaking into the nearby ocean for, well, two years. The confession came just one day after an election that brought Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pro-nuclear party a solid majority, and months after watchdogs raised the red flag…

Why environmentalists embrace nuclear power

A new documentary, Pandora’s Promise, has scientists and politicians arguing over the future of nuclear power. It’s a movie about how prominent environmentalists went from being anti-nuclear power to favoring it — largely because the alternative, fossil fuel, is so damaging to our ecosystems. New York Times journalist Andrew Revkin has captured the substance of…

Dangerous San Onofre Nuclear Plant Finally Shutting Down

The long troubled oceanfront nuclear plant in Southern California will be shut down for good, Southern California Edison announced today. The doomed domes have been closed for multiple, outrageous safety and operating violations since January 2012. More than 7 million people live within a 50-mile radius of the dangerously mismanaged and unsafe nuclear plant. Sitting…

NASA Researchers: Nuclear power will kill fewer people than natural gas

Writing in the latest issue of Environmental Science & Technology, NASA scientists Pushker A. Kharecha and James E. Hansen report that nuclear energy leads to fewer pollution-related deaths and greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil-fuel sources: Using historical production data, we calculate that global nuclear power has prevented about 1.84 million air pollution-related deaths and…

Fukushima Explosion Was Concealed by Japanese Government Until Right Before It Happened

Newly released evidence from Japanese utility company TEPCO shows that the Japanese government ordered it not to tell anyone that Fukushima reactor 3 was about to explode until right before it happened. Could better procedure have made this disaster less catastrophic? According to TEPCO teleconference footage obtained by the Japan Times, the utility was forced…

These photographs of present-day Chernobyl are utterly haunting

Back in 2009, redditor HoHoNOPE paid a few hundred bucks to charter an illegal tour of the Chernobyl power plant and nearby ghost town of Prypiat. This is what he saw. “The irony in this apocalyptic place being littered with cliche utopian artifacts was pretty unreal,” said HoHoNOPE in response to a question about the…

Is nuclear power really on the way out?

Last year’s horrifying natural disaster in Japan sent shockwaves around the world in more ways than one. The meltdown at Fukushima was a stark reminder of what can happen when nuclear power gets out of our control. Some nations responded to the catastrophe by shutting down plants and announcing ambitious phase-out plans — leading some…