5 ms·

Eh, Fukushima had a western reactor design. And it sort of blew up.

DennisP 5y ago
After getting hit by a tsunami. And it was a 1970s design; modern designs would not have blown up, and in fact some other reactors in the area built ten years later faced the same challenges and did fine. And even the one that blew up released very little radiation to the surrounding area. You'd get more of a dosage living in Denver than Fukushima.
- godelski 5y ago
  Fukushima didn't blow up. There was no explosion. Taking a bulldozer to a building is very different than using explosives (especially nuclear explosives).
  - DennisP 5y ago
    The reactor didn't blow up. The building around it, outside of the containment structure, did blow up because of a hydrogen leak. It wasn't actually a big problem by itself, but it looked pretty dramatic on TV, so it probably contributed to people's overreaction afterwards.
theshrike79 5y ago
Fukushima weathered the worst earthquake AND tsunami in decades at the same time. And we only had one direct fatality from radiation.
- godelski 5y ago
  > Fukushima weathered the worst earthquake AND tsunami in decades at the same time. To also elaborate, all the reactors at Fukushima were designed to be able to handle any earthquake and tsunami that they thought could possibly happen in the region. Problem is that there was an earthquake larger than any in recorded history and larger than they thought the fault was capable of making. Some people are surprised that we've learned a lot about earthquakes and faults within the last 40 years.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
    Hrrm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake Different region, though...
    - godelski 5y ago
      I'm not sure what you're trying to say. That bigger earthquakes can happen? Yeah. That's known. But there's also a maximum quake that a particular fault can generate. The Liquiñe-Ofqui fault is not the same fault line that caused the Tōhoku earthquake. You're comparing apples and oranges. It's like saying that Pompeii could happen in Arizona.
      - LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
        (me vaping some good shit) If Yellowstone burps, it maybe disturbs, the Aspen Anomaly, down to Lee's Ferry, wiping downstream with the rubble of Glenn Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, it could be hell. I'm just a stoner, you're bright and smart. No reason to be so uptight, and judging hard. (Where are my Mango and Passionfruit drops? Nothing compares! Munchy Munchy Yum Yum (Vanishing madly giggling into the off.)(Don't scoff!))

After getting hit by a tsunami. And it was a 1970s design; modern designs would not have blown up, and in fact some other reactors in the area built ten years later faced the same challenges and did fine. And even the one that blew up released very little radiation to the surrounding area. You'd get more of a dosage living in Denver than Fukushima.

godelski 5y ago
Fukushima didn't blow up. There was no explosion. Taking a bulldozer to a building is very different than using explosives (especially nuclear explosives).
- DennisP 5y ago
  The reactor didn't blow up. The building around it, outside of the containment structure, did blow up because of a hydrogen leak. It wasn't actually a big problem by itself, but it looked pretty dramatic on TV, so it probably contributed to people's overreaction afterwards.

theshrike79 5y ago

Fukushima weathered the worst earthquake AND tsunami in decades at the same time. And we only had one direct fatality from radiation.

godelski 5y ago
> Fukushima weathered the worst earthquake AND tsunami in decades at the same time. To also elaborate, all the reactors at Fukushima were designed to be able to handle any earthquake and tsunami that they thought could possibly happen in the region. Problem is that there was an earthquake larger than any in recorded history and larger than they thought the fault was capable of making. Some people are surprised that we've learned a lot about earthquakes and faults within the last 40 years.
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
  Hrrm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake Different region, though...
  - godelski 5y ago
    I'm not sure what you're trying to say. That bigger earthquakes can happen? Yeah. That's known. But there's also a maximum quake that a particular fault can generate. The Liquiñe-Ofqui fault is not the same fault line that caused the Tōhoku earthquake. You're comparing apples and oranges. It's like saying that Pompeii could happen in Arizona.
    - LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
      (me vaping some good shit) If Yellowstone burps, it maybe disturbs, the Aspen Anomaly, down to Lee's Ferry, wiping downstream with the rubble of Glenn Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, it could be hell. I'm just a stoner, you're bright and smart. No reason to be so uptight, and judging hard. (Where are my Mango and Passionfruit drops? Nothing compares! Munchy Munchy Yum Yum (Vanishing madly giggling into the off.)(Don't scoff!))