Fukushima still leaking radiation

Prof_Sai · 08-30-2013

If nuclear safety was a technological problem, we would solve it. Alas it isn't, it's a human one. People make mistakes. They get tired and cut corners. No one can really know every detail of the entire plant, so it is impossible to foresee every possible interaction.

"these things are designed far beyond reason when it come to safety of the public." If this were true then there would be no accidents. Safety is a "weakest link" objective. You can put inordinate effort into strengthening every link you see, but if a link exists that no one knows about, effort elsewhere is meaningless.

This is true for all sorts of other things besides nuclear power. But with nuclear you have the unique combination of complexity and catastrophe. A thousand years from now, people are still going to be dealing with the results of Chernobyl and Fukushima. We've had such disasters every 20 years or so. (Maybe more if the Russians and Chinese are still keeping secrets.) At this rate, in 1000 years there would be 50 such radioactive zones all over the Earth. If we have a world war or social collapse, that could be 10 years instead of a thousand. Where will humanity live then?

08-30-2013	#14
Prof_Sai Instigator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Earth, mostly Posts: 5,875	Re: Fukushima still leaking radiation If nuclear safety was a technological problem, we would solve it. Alas it isn't, it's a human one. People make mistakes. They get tired and cut corners. No one can really know every detail of the entire plant, so it is impossible to foresee every possible interaction. "these things are designed far beyond reason when it come to safety of the public." If this were true then there would be no accidents. Safety is a "weakest link" objective. You can put inordinate effort into strengthening every link you see, but if a link exists that no one knows about, effort elsewhere is meaningless. This is true for all sorts of other things besides nuclear power. But with nuclear you have the unique combination of complexity and catastrophe. A thousand years from now, people are still going to be dealing with the results of Chernobyl and Fukushima. We've had such disasters every 20 years or so. (Maybe more if the Russians and Chinese are still keeping secrets.) At this rate, in 1000 years there would be 50 such radioactive zones all over the Earth. If we have a world war or social collapse, that could be 10 years instead of a thousand. Where will humanity live then? Last edited by Prof_Sai; 08-30-2013 at 03:52 PM.