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Fascinating! Wikipedia entry of the technology used: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisot

by Jun8 6y ago

Fascinating! Wikipedia entry of the technology used: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_ge... The location is beautiful (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aniva,+Russia,+694005/@46.0229079,142.863915,182164m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x5f173b0c57e1eb75:0xde9f3775ad05ef72!8m2!3d46.0178418!4d143.4153771 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aniva,+Russia,+694005/@46....)

toomuchtodo 6y ago
> Most have no protection, not even fences or warning signs, and the locations of some of these facilities are no longer known due to poor record keeping. In one instance, the radioactive compartments were opened by a thief. There are approximately 1,000 such RTGs in Russia, all of which have long since exceeded their designed operational lives of ten years. Most of these RTGs likely no longer function, and may need to be dismantled. Some of their metal casings have been stripped by metal hunters, despite the risk of radioactive contamination. Yikes.
- etimberg 6y ago
  Lots of these have been abandoned in the wild. One caused an incident in Lia, Georgia in 2001. https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1660web-81061875.pdf https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1660web-81...
  - gambiting 6y ago
    I was going to post this exact link but you beat me to it by 14 minutes :-D All I say is - if you're not good with gore, skip the section about the decay process of the affected people, it's not pretty.
- Medox 6y ago
  At least the lighthouse generators were decommissioned and "all RTGs are now gone" (mentioned at the end of the video).
  - GekkePrutser 6y ago
    "Gone" as in cleaned up or as in "they disappeared and we have no idea where they are"? Sounds like a mix of both.
    - Medox 6y ago
      Gone as in taken to/from a boat with a helicopter, as seen at the end of the video. What happened afterwards, Rosatom knows.
      - simonh 6y ago
        Except we know some of them did disappear, either washed away in storms or carted away by whoever.
opwieurposiu 6y ago
There is a strange looking structure in the water just north-east of the light. https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0472783,143.4338028,652m/data=!3m1!1e3 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0472783,143.4338028,652m/dat... Fish trap?
- _visgean 6y ago
  maybe squid hunting? judging by the lights...
dmos62 6y ago
Started browsing photo spheres. Here's an awe inspiring one relatively close by: https://www.google.com/maps/@54.30123,138.6972783,3a,90y,345.46h,68.54t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPguPltuoDswYWpGs9yKTfin4b588JL9cjUuaw6!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPguPltuoDswYWpGs9yKTfin4b588JL9cjUuaw6%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-10-ya280-ro0-fo100!7i8192!8i4096 https://www.google.com/maps/@54.30123,138.6972783,3a,90y,345...

by Jun8 6y ago

toomuchtodo 6y ago

> Most have no protection, not even fences or warning signs, and the locations of some of these facilities are no longer known due to poor record keeping. In one instance, the radioactive compartments were opened by a thief. There are approximately 1,000 such RTGs in Russia, all of which have long since exceeded their designed operational lives of ten years. Most of these RTGs likely no longer function, and may need to be dismantled. Some of their metal casings have been stripped by metal hunters, despite the risk of radioactive contamination. Yikes.

etimberg 6y ago
Lots of these have been abandoned in the wild. One caused an incident in Lia, Georgia in 2001. https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1660web-81061875.pdf https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1660web-81...
- gambiting 6y ago
  I was going to post this exact link but you beat me to it by 14 minutes :-D All I say is - if you're not good with gore, skip the section about the decay process of the affected people, it's not pretty.
Medox 6y ago
At least the lighthouse generators were decommissioned and "all RTGs are now gone" (mentioned at the end of the video).
- GekkePrutser 6y ago
  "Gone" as in cleaned up or as in "they disappeared and we have no idea where they are"? Sounds like a mix of both.
  - Medox 6y ago
    Gone as in taken to/from a boat with a helicopter, as seen at the end of the video. What happened afterwards, Rosatom knows.
    - simonh 6y ago
      Except we know some of them did disappear, either washed away in storms or carted away by whoever.

opwieurposiu 6y ago

There is a strange looking structure in the water just north-east of the light. https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0472783,143.4338028,652m/data=!3m1!1e3 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0472783,143.4338028,652m/dat... Fish trap?

_visgean 6y ago
maybe squid hunting? judging by the lights...

dmos62 6y ago

Started browsing photo spheres. Here's an awe inspiring one relatively close by: https://www.google.com/maps/@54.30123,138.6972783,3a,90y,345.46h,68.54t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPguPltuoDswYWpGs9yKTfin4b588JL9cjUuaw6!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPguPltuoDswYWpGs9yKTfin4b588JL9cjUuaw6%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-10-ya280-ro0-fo100!7i8192!8i4096 https://www.google.com/maps/@54.30123,138.6972783,3a,90y,345...