5 ms·

Real quick, what does that mean for the rest of the world? Do we have to fear something?

by oemera 16y ago

brazzy 16y ago
Still hard to say. Fortunately, the wind is forecast to go out towards the Pacific for the next few days. But if the situation escalates as badly as Chernobyl, enough stuff may get out for everyone to get some.
tomjen3 16y ago
Yes, you will likely be death in the next 100 years. Seriously though the structure that contained the reactor isn't the only thing that protects the reactor (it was at Chernobyl, which is why it went badly) it is also protected by a thick concrete container (which is pretty much what was eventually built around the Soviet reactor) which means that in the event of a meltdown the structure will contain the radioactive stuff. So in summary: unless you are really close (which you shouldn't be) or have a burning desire to be inside that reactor building you will die of something else entirely (most likely something boring).
adrianN 16y ago
No. Even if shit gets real and the reactor goes Chernobyl, Japan is sufficiently far away from the western world that it doesn't matter at all. People weren't concerned about radiation from the nukes in Bikini either.
- patrickgzill 16y ago
  Except the prevailing winds called the westerlies would put the radiation over California in a matter of days.
  - marshray 16y ago
    At which point it would likely be so dilute as to not be a significant contributor to mortality.
by 16y ago
The things we should fear are myocardial infarction [1] and cerebrovascular accident [2]. These are what will probably kill us in developed countries [3]. The good news is that we know how to prevent many of these deaths: regular exercise, not over-eating, not smoking and moderation in alcohol and drug consumption. Other causes of death and ill-health are also reduced by these actions. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate#Developed_vs._developing_economies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate...
- mortenjorck 16y ago
  An excellent response to nearly any concern of disaster, terrorism, or other highly-visible but highly-unlikely danger. Fear is only natural, but it's amazing how quickly it can be allayed with a little perspective.
georgecmu 16y ago
Don't have a source for this picture, but it probably depicts the worst-case scenario: http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3245/8m6k8n7f8q7z7.jpg http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3245/8m6k8n7f8q7z7.jpg US West Coast gets the fallout cloud in 10 days.

Real quick, what does that mean for the rest of the world? Do we have to fear something?

by oemera 16y ago

Real quick, what does that mean for the rest of the world? Do we have to fear something?

Still hard to say. Fortunately, the wind is forecast to go out towards the Pacific for the next few days. But if the situation escalates as badly as Chernobyl, enough stuff may get out for everyone to get some.

tomjen3 16y ago

Yes, you will likely be death in the next 100 years. Seriously though the structure that contained the reactor isn't the only thing that protects the reactor (it was at Chernobyl, which is why it went badly) it is also protected by a thick concrete container (which is pretty much what was eventually built around the Soviet reactor) which means that in the event of a meltdown the structure will contain the radioactive stuff. So in summary: unless you are really close (which you shouldn't be) or have a burning desire to be inside that reactor building you will die of something else entirely (most likely something boring).

adrianN 16y ago

No. Even if shit gets real and the reactor goes Chernobyl, Japan is sufficiently far away from the western world that it doesn't matter at all. People weren't concerned about radiation from the nukes in Bikini either.

patrickgzill 16y ago
Except the prevailing winds called the westerlies would put the radiation over California in a matter of days.
- marshray 16y ago
  At which point it would likely be so dilute as to not be a significant contributor to mortality.

by 16y ago

The things we should fear are myocardial infarction [1] and cerebrovascular accident [2]. These are what will probably kill us in developed countries [3]. The good news is that we know how to prevent many of these deaths: regular exercise, not over-eating, not smoking and moderation in alcohol and drug consumption. Other causes of death and ill-health are also reduced by these actions. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate#Developed_vs._developing_economies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate...

mortenjorck 16y ago
An excellent response to nearly any concern of disaster, terrorism, or other highly-visible but highly-unlikely danger. Fear is only natural, but it's amazing how quickly it can be allayed with a little perspective.

georgecmu 16y ago

Don't have a source for this picture, but it probably depicts the worst-case scenario: http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3245/8m6k8n7f8q7z7.jpg http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3245/8m6k8n7f8q7z7.jpg US West Coast gets the fallout cloud in 10 days.