6 ms·

Remember when he literally sued to block the launch of the Cassini probe?

scarejunba 7y ago
For others reading, this appears to be because he believed that in an accident the radio-thermal isotope generator on board Cassini would spread radioactive material all over the place.
- eth0up 7y ago
  ...all over the place A small, but possible chance of Pu-238 spreading over Florida. I just read that 238 (half-life 87 years) emits mostly alpha, which is said to be easily blocked, even by paper. In FL, many go about half naked, so I'm not sure if this matters. I wonder how thoroughly Kaku considered everything. Seems his concern was based partially on NASA's (small but not null) history of failures. I don't know, but doubt he was being deliberately unreasonable. Maybe his Japanese (distant) ancestry was a factor? Publicity would be a surprising motive. So would general ignorance.
  - yongjik 7y ago
    Actually, alpha emitters are very dangerous when ingested, for the same reason they are readily blocked by paper - your body will absorb all the radiation. This is why Polonium 210 is one of the most toxic material known to us. (Not agreeing with Michio Kaku, by the way.)
  - namarie 7y ago
    > Maybe his Japanese (distant) ancestry was a factor? Why would it be?
    - catalogia 7y ago
      Both atomic bombings, the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, and the Fukushima disaster come to mind. Perhaps a better question is why wouldn't people with a personal connection to Japan be wary of nuclear contamination? Or 'why don't the rest of us?' Certainly there are some people in/from Japan who are enthusiastic about the future of nuclear energy. But I think it's fair and reasonable to say that cultural trends exist and a randomly chosen person with a personal connection to Japan is more likely to be critical of nuclear energy than a randomly chosen person from the rest of the general population.
      - QuesnayJr 7y ago
        Cassini was launched more than a decade before the Fukushima disaster.
    - sanxiyn 7y ago
      As the only nation attacked by nuclear weapons, Japan tends to be anti-nuclear.
      - fsh 7y ago
        Nonsense. Few countries rely more on nuclear energy than Japan. Even Fukushima didn't manage to change that.
      - namarie 7y ago
        However he is not japanese.

For others reading, this appears to be because he believed that in an accident the radio-thermal isotope generator on board Cassini would spread radioactive material all over the place.

eth0up 7y ago
...all over the place A small, but possible chance of Pu-238 spreading over Florida. I just read that 238 (half-life 87 years) emits mostly alpha, which is said to be easily blocked, even by paper. In FL, many go about half naked, so I'm not sure if this matters. I wonder how thoroughly Kaku considered everything. Seems his concern was based partially on NASA's (small but not null) history of failures. I don't know, but doubt he was being deliberately unreasonable. Maybe his Japanese (distant) ancestry was a factor? Publicity would be a surprising motive. So would general ignorance.
- yongjik 7y ago
  Actually, alpha emitters are very dangerous when ingested, for the same reason they are readily blocked by paper - your body will absorb all the radiation. This is why Polonium 210 is one of the most toxic material known to us. (Not agreeing with Michio Kaku, by the way.)
- namarie 7y ago
  > Maybe his Japanese (distant) ancestry was a factor? Why would it be?
  - catalogia 7y ago
    Both atomic bombings, the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, and the Fukushima disaster come to mind. Perhaps a better question is why wouldn't people with a personal connection to Japan be wary of nuclear contamination? Or 'why don't the rest of us?' Certainly there are some people in/from Japan who are enthusiastic about the future of nuclear energy. But I think it's fair and reasonable to say that cultural trends exist and a randomly chosen person with a personal connection to Japan is more likely to be critical of nuclear energy than a randomly chosen person from the rest of the general population.
    - QuesnayJr 7y ago
      Cassini was launched more than a decade before the Fukushima disaster.
  - sanxiyn 7y ago
    As the only nation attacked by nuclear weapons, Japan tends to be anti-nuclear.
    - fsh 7y ago
      Nonsense. Few countries rely more on nuclear energy than Japan. Even Fukushima didn't manage to change that.
    - namarie 7y ago
      However he is not japanese.