4 ms·

Nonsense, Japan already has invested a lot in Tsunami protection, they will not starve funding for that. Who says it is an "either invest in anti-Tsunami or ant

by Tichy 16y ago

Nonsense, Japan already has invested a lot in Tsunami protection, they will not starve funding for that. Who says it is an "either invest in anti-Tsunami or anti-nuclear-power measures" kind of thing? And no, I don't live in a coastal area, so enhancing seawalls is not my interest or priority. As for protection suit: contamination, why should it matter if it is only as bad as eating a banana? Your banana argument really makes no sense. I have little hopes for nuclear power to go away, nor fossile fuel plants. I think it would be possible, but lifestyles would have to change too much (for the better in my opinion, but many people would disagree). We certainly could save a lot of power, so it would not have to be necessary to replace nuclear power plants with fossile fuel plants.

Natsu 16y ago
> As for protection suit: contamination, why should it matter if it is only as bad as eating a banana? Your banana argument really makes no sense. How radiation affects one's body is a complex issue. The inverse square law also comes into effect. So something can be dangerous close up, but no threat to anyone who doesn't get close. Ars Technica has a nice article about radiation that goes into these issues in more detail than I can: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/03/know-your-nukes-understanding-radiation-risks-in-japan.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/03/know-your-nukes-... My main point about bananas, though, is that radiation is normal. You experience it every single day, even if you don't realize it. All sorts of background radiation is constantly going through your body. Not to mention intentional exposures like chest X-rays. It's sort of like fire, then. You can burn yourself and you should treat it carefully. You should fear it enough to avoid burning yourself, but not much more than that. It's also going to become just about as necessary to civilization as fire, soon, from the look of things. Maybe fusion will pan out and I hope so, but people are then going to have to learn all about neutrons and why they can make normal materials become radioactive.... But maybe clever moderator designs will make it so that most neutrons are absorbed by easily replaceable things that don't become anything nasty.
- Tichy 16y ago
  Radiation is normal, and so is water. I drink water every day with no ill side effects, yet it killed thousands of people in a Tsunami. How long does supply of nuclear fuels last anyway? Isn't it a limited resource? Will it be as necessary to civilization as SUVs? From the article it seems clear that inhaling or digesting contaminated stuff is dangerous.
  - Natsu 16y ago
    A lot longer than any of our other energy sources, except maybe the sun, so fusion is a good thing to be able to manage, because hydrogen is so abundant. However, entropy will ultimately kill the universe. Once the entire universe runs out of available energy (which it can manage without any human help), then we're screwed barring radical new physics that can give us answers like "this is how you create another universe and then travel there." The good news is that it will take a looooooong time before anybody seriously has to worry about that.

by Tichy 16y ago

Natsu 16y ago

> As for protection suit: contamination, why should it matter if it is only as bad as eating a banana? Your banana argument really makes no sense. How radiation affects one's body is a complex issue. The inverse square law also comes into effect. So something can be dangerous close up, but no threat to anyone who doesn't get close. Ars Technica has a nice article about radiation that goes into these issues in more detail than I can: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/03/know-your-nukes-understanding-radiation-risks-in-japan.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/03/know-your-nukes-... My main point about bananas, though, is that radiation is normal. You experience it every single day, even if you don't realize it. All sorts of background radiation is constantly going through your body. Not to mention intentional exposures like chest X-rays. It's sort of like fire, then. You can burn yourself and you should treat it carefully. You should fear it enough to avoid burning yourself, but not much more than that. It's also going to become just about as necessary to civilization as fire, soon, from the look of things. Maybe fusion will pan out and I hope so, but people are then going to have to learn all about neutrons and why they can make normal materials become radioactive.... But maybe clever moderator designs will make it so that most neutrons are absorbed by easily replaceable things that don't become anything nasty.

Tichy 16y ago
Radiation is normal, and so is water. I drink water every day with no ill side effects, yet it killed thousands of people in a Tsunami. How long does supply of nuclear fuels last anyway? Isn't it a limited resource? Will it be as necessary to civilization as SUVs? From the article it seems clear that inhaling or digesting contaminated stuff is dangerous.
- Natsu 16y ago
  A lot longer than any of our other energy sources, except maybe the sun, so fusion is a good thing to be able to manage, because hydrogen is so abundant. However, entropy will ultimately kill the universe. Once the entire universe runs out of available energy (which it can manage without any human help), then we're screwed barring radical new physics that can give us answers like "this is how you create another universe and then travel there." The good news is that it will take a looooooong time before anybody seriously has to worry about that.