2 ms·

These studies and ideas are fascinating, but frankly they sound like someone got a little bit too excited by the task. Dig a hole a few hundred metres deep in a

These studies and ideas are fascinating, but frankly they sound like someone got a little bit too excited by the task. Dig a hole a few hundred metres deep in an unattractive, geologically stable area without risk of polluting water sources; put the stuff there, cover with concrete, close and forget. Any future civilization advanced enough to actually dig up the hole will also have the tools and knowledge needed to detect the danger.

2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
If society is collapsing who will cover up the hole? It does seem like an excessive amount of work to theoretically save a few lives tops in a theoretical future cataclysm.
- throw310822 3y ago
  The same ones who should have put up the eerie hostile architecture and system of universal menacing messages. With the help of those who should have dismantled the nuclear plants and disposed of the nuclear weapons. Seriously, filling the hole and covering it should be a one-time operation. Although in a sense you're right, if society collapses suddenly all that stuff stays there. But then we have a lot of other problems.
- throw0101b 3y ago
  > If society is collapsing who will cover up the hole? You pre-wire the site for demolition and set a countdown timer: if the counter is not resent regularly it goes down to zero and the charges go off sealing things off. Society is needed to prevent closing things off, so if it's gone then it happens without intervention. If they accidentally go off, then things are fail-safed closed, and you have to expend resources to re-open things. If you don't want (or have) the resource to re-open then you don't have to worry about it.
ben_w 3y ago
While I agree the danger is overstated, if I'm wrong about that then it is important that humans were doing substantial mining even in antiquity.
PaulHoule 3y ago
Might as well put up a sign that says something like "Dig here and find something that can fuel your civilization for 1000 years" or "Dig here and find something to smite your foes with" The essence of the nuclear "waste" puzzle is that nuclear waste is not waste. that is we have used less than 3% of the energy that is there. If you want it to be left undisturbed the last thing you want to do is call attention to it.

2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago

If society is collapsing who will cover up the hole? It does seem like an excessive amount of work to theoretically save a few lives tops in a theoretical future cataclysm.

throw310822 3y ago
The same ones who should have put up the eerie hostile architecture and system of universal menacing messages. With the help of those who should have dismantled the nuclear plants and disposed of the nuclear weapons. Seriously, filling the hole and covering it should be a one-time operation. Although in a sense you're right, if society collapses suddenly all that stuff stays there. But then we have a lot of other problems.
throw0101b 3y ago
> If society is collapsing who will cover up the hole? You pre-wire the site for demolition and set a countdown timer: if the counter is not resent regularly it goes down to zero and the charges go off sealing things off. Society is needed to prevent closing things off, so if it's gone then it happens without intervention. If they accidentally go off, then things are fail-safed closed, and you have to expend resources to re-open things. If you don't want (or have) the resource to re-open then you don't have to worry about it.

ben_w 3y ago

While I agree the danger is overstated, if I'm wrong about that then it is important that humans were doing substantial mining even in antiquity.

PaulHoule 3y ago

Might as well put up a sign that says something like "Dig here and find something that can fuel your civilization for 1000 years" or "Dig here and find something to smite your foes with" The essence of the nuclear "waste" puzzle is that nuclear waste is not waste. that is we have used less than 3% of the energy that is there. If you want it to be left undisturbed the last thing you want to do is call attention to it.