[News] Japanese Meltdown

The CNN coverage of the Japanese nuclear plant is insane. They're calling sea-water pumping a "hail mary pass". Nonsense: plants are built for that option if they want to scram the reactor entirely. They're pumping seawater into the core (along with Boron, which absorbs radioactive emissions) is a "do all" tactic that cools the core as well as rendering the core unusable in the future (seawater corrodes the interior walls).

All this means is Japan has written-off a 40 year old reactor that had a minor rod meltdown and they don't want to risk more than that. Its called BEING RESPONSIBLE.

Jesus, the news can't even get BASIC MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE RIGHT.

(Also - Did anyone see the anchor on CNN yell Bill Nye off the air for trying to explain it wasn't that bad?)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Zergrinch

O, I donno. Making the commitment to pump seawater and render a billion-dollar facility nonfunctional does give off a hint of desperation.

lol, what.

Pumping sea-water and boron into a 40 year old reactor core is the physicist's version of "Cash For Clunkers". The building was errected a decade before Three Mile Island, it probably SHOULD be shut down by this point.

Originally Posted by Shin

Also, it's weird how CNN pick science experts who don't seem to know much about science.

Thats true - Nye is a Mechanical Engineer by degree.

Similarly (or perhaps not, I'm just being an asshole here) I knew enough about nuclear reactors and how they work to go on television and say the exact same things Bill Nye did. That shouldn't reflect badly on Nye (he's a figurehead for intelligence/science/etc now. Or something?) but it should reflect badly on CNN for bringing him on, perhaps.

That said - CNN can eat a fat helping of bologna dick after their treatment of this situation.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Sugarloaf Mountain

Ummm, FUCK.

Keep in mind that a "reactor fire" can mean any number of parts within the facility. Cooling system, turbines or any other non-nuclear devices within the whole. The diesel generators that run the cooling system shutdown after the first hour they kicked in and the news reported it as COMPLETE MELTDOWN IMMENENT.

You have people in America and Germany buying iodine pills, for crissake.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.