3 ms·
I believe his point runs along the lines of, ``there are radioactive elements released with coal smoke''. Which may be a big surprise to many people. NB., a fu
by dexen 16y ago
I believe his point runs along the lines of, ``there are radioactive elements released with coal smoke''. Which may be a big surprise to many people.
NB., a fun experiment: explain a smoker that the cigarette contains proverbial half of the Mendeleyev table.
In any case, the theoretical content of fissible elements in coal may be significant, but it doesn't seem to be economical to extract it at this point. We have heaps of uranium ore, and nuclear fusion seems to be around the corner.
- jbooth 16y agoYeah, but there's trace radioactive elements in literally everything on earth. Hence, the biggest non point I've ever seen in my life. Unless coal is actually radioactive to a noteworthy significantly-more-than-a-banana extent, which I probably would have heard of by now (not that I haven't been wrong before).
- dexen 16y agoYou are right about the facts. And perhaps that's a non-point on well-educated HN. But the general public seems to be under-appreciating the pervasiveness of natural radiation, and freaking out about any nuclear contraptions. In some countries you can't even import those glowing tritium keychains :-(
- cromulent 16y agoHis point has little to do with bananas and much to do with the danger of radiation and how it is commonly attributed to nuclear power plants rather than coal. Here is an example of someone else making the same point: http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.ht...
- fleitz 16y agoheh i still smoke. im less interested in finding out all the ways i could die, and much more interested in finding all the ways to live.
- dexen 16y agoOn a very off-topic note, I fell madly in love with Totally Wicked Mini DSE901 [1]. And since I started composing liquids to my taste, I'm half-way in heaven ;-) ---- [1] http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/products/electronic-cigarette-starter-kits/mini-products.html http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/products/electronic-cig...
- Karzyn 16y agoFusion power is 20 years away and always will be. Less snarkily, is there actually good reason to believe that we're any closer to usable fusion?
- dexen 16y agoThe second space race is a reliable reason to believe. Several governments bet big (well, perhaps medium) money on race to the Moon, to extract helium-3 [3] from water ice in there. A key component to commercial nuclear fusion -- and with only small-time other uses in medicine and stuff. ---- [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium-3#Fusion_reactions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium-3#Fusion_reactions
- hartror 16y agoActually physicists are saying "Fusion power is 20 years away" without sniggering now!