13 things that do not make sense
This article from New Scientist on 13 current troublesome issues for science had a great deal of interesting information. Rather than glaring flaws they’re problems undergoing study and further investigation, generally on a rather large scale.
One of the more interesting items mentioned ancient African natural nuclear reactors. This phenomena in Oklo, Gabon in Africa was quite interesting to read about. The first related item I read had further details that compared modern public nuclear reactors versus research and military reactors in their relative size, Uranium enrichment percentage and power output. It really makes me wonder about the safety of operating and being aboard those seabound hulks that are central to a military’s overall capability.
Most nuclear reactors operate with uranium fuel which has been enriched in 235U, typically between 3% and 5% (Knief, 1992), although research reactors have 235U enrichments of up to 20%. Military reactors may have enrichments in excess of 90% in order to achieve the power densities necessary for their effective use.
For a more friendly overall picture and much more useful illustration, the second article was much more useful in illustrating the natural reactors in a friendly and less academic format. A third article had some brief details on how the phenomena was discovered. A final article is the ever-popular ancient-culture/alien/conspiracy theory whacko site which shunted me further off course to some weird discourse on an ancient universal language. It did however have some interesting things to look up, including a strangely irradiated excavation site at Mohenjo-Daro.
(It’s pretty important to fact check everything, but one should take particular pains to review anything posted on a site that includes a “Salvation Quiz” with a next page submit button ironically/appropriately labeled “Advance to Next Level.”)
My point? HOLY CRAP! Natural nuclear reactors? That’s pretty cool. Science is neato. Right James?
Though James would frown on this…
Whacko Mystery Debunker BONUS Thread!!
Sad -> Truth -> Learning is Fun(ny)
19 March 2005, 14:32 ::
commenting closed for this article
— j smiley 2005-03-23 11:31 #