4 ms·

Uranium deposits can (under the right circumstances) can form a natural nuclear fission reactor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_nuclear_fission_reactor ht

Uranium deposits can (under the right circumstances) can form a natural nuclear fission reactor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_nuclear_fission_reactor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_nuclear_fission_reactor Occam's Razor dictates that the simplest answer is probably correct. What's simpler: A) This is the result of a naturally occurring process that has happened on our own planet. B) Aliens I'm as excited as the next sci-fi fan to shake hands with aliens, but this isn't even remotely close to a reasonable argument.

huxley 12y ago
Interestingly enough, in 2011, Brandenburg thought that was the case too: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/1097.pdf http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/1097.pdf The more recent paper seems like a rehashed subplot from Heinlein's "Rocket Ship Galileo" From chapter 11: Morrie grasped his arm, to steady himself apparently, but quite as much for the comfort of solid human companionship. "You know what I think, Ross," he began, as he stared out at the endless miles of craters. "I think I know how it got that way. Those aren't volcanic craters, that's certain—and it wasn't done by meteors. They did it themselves!" "Huh? Who?" "The moon people. They did it. They wrecked themselves. They ruined themselves. They had one atomic war too many." "Huh? What the-" Ross stared, then looked back at the surface as if to read the grim mystery there. Art stopped taking pictures. "How about it, Doc?" Cargraves wrinkled his brow. "Could be," he admitted. "None of the other theories for natural causes hold water for one reason or another. It would account for the relatively smooth parts we call ‘seas.' They really were seas; that's why they weren't hit very hard." "And that's why they aren't seas any more," Morrie went on. "They blew their atmosphere off and the seas boiled away at Tycho. That's where they set off the biggest ammunition dump on the planet. It cracked the whole planet. I'll bet somebody worked out a counter-weapon that worked too well. It set off every atom bomb on the moon all at once and it ruined them! I'm sure of it."
jschwartzi 12y ago
Suppose that it is a result of a natural process. How would you create the conditions necessary for supercriticality given only plate tectonics, an atmosphere, multiple asteroid impacts, and liquid water? One necessary prerequisite is enrichment of the Uranium. We currently use industrial processes to do this. How else might uranium become enriched, absent an industrial process? Are there other elements or isotopes that are also capable of supercriticality? Could those become enriched through a natural process? I'm not arguing against Occam's Razor. I actually think, given those broad questions, that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the simplest explanation(A).
- nknighthb 12y ago
  Did you read the article on natural fission reactors? Completely? If not, do so. It answers your question. No enrichment was necessary at the time, natural quantities were sufficient.
yiyus 12y ago
Aliens would be the result of a naturally occurring process that has happened on our own planet too. But yeah.
- actsasbuffoon 12y ago
  Not only are you correct, but you made me laugh like a lunatic in front of my co-workers. You've won twice today.
- api 12y ago
  You just won the thread. Congratulations.
lotsofmangos 12y ago
On the other hand again, which is more likely, warlike beings that develop nuclear weapons visiting Mars to nuke it, or warlike beings that develop nuclear weapons visiting Mars to broadcast a reality TV show with no good long term plan for the contestants.

huxley 12y ago

Interestingly enough, in 2011, Brandenburg thought that was the case too: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/1097.pdf http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/1097.pdf The more recent paper seems like a rehashed subplot from Heinlein's "Rocket Ship Galileo" From chapter 11: Morrie grasped his arm, to steady himself apparently, but quite as much for the comfort of solid human companionship. "You know what I think, Ross," he began, as he stared out at the endless miles of craters. "I think I know how it got that way. Those aren't volcanic craters, that's certain—and it wasn't done by meteors. They did it themselves!" "Huh? Who?" "The moon people. They did it. They wrecked themselves. They ruined themselves. They had one atomic war too many." "Huh? What the-" Ross stared, then looked back at the surface as if to read the grim mystery there. Art stopped taking pictures. "How about it, Doc?" Cargraves wrinkled his brow. "Could be," he admitted. "None of the other theories for natural causes hold water for one reason or another. It would account for the relatively smooth parts we call ‘seas.' They really were seas; that's why they weren't hit very hard." "And that's why they aren't seas any more," Morrie went on. "They blew their atmosphere off and the seas boiled away at Tycho. That's where they set off the biggest ammunition dump on the planet. It cracked the whole planet. I'll bet somebody worked out a counter-weapon that worked too well. It set off every atom bomb on the moon all at once and it ruined them! I'm sure of it."

jschwartzi 12y ago

Suppose that it is a result of a natural process. How would you create the conditions necessary for supercriticality given only plate tectonics, an atmosphere, multiple asteroid impacts, and liquid water? One necessary prerequisite is enrichment of the Uranium. We currently use industrial processes to do this. How else might uranium become enriched, absent an industrial process? Are there other elements or isotopes that are also capable of supercriticality? Could those become enriched through a natural process? I'm not arguing against Occam's Razor. I actually think, given those broad questions, that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the simplest explanation(A).

nknighthb 12y ago
Did you read the article on natural fission reactors? Completely? If not, do so. It answers your question. No enrichment was necessary at the time, natural quantities were sufficient.

yiyus 12y ago

Aliens would be the result of a naturally occurring process that has happened on our own planet too. But yeah.

actsasbuffoon 12y ago
Not only are you correct, but you made me laugh like a lunatic in front of my co-workers. You've won twice today.
api 12y ago
You just won the thread. Congratulations.

lotsofmangos 12y ago

On the other hand again, which is more likely, warlike beings that develop nuclear weapons visiting Mars to nuke it, or warlike beings that develop nuclear weapons visiting Mars to broadcast a reality TV show with no good long term plan for the contestants.