Send Me To Chernobyl

[DWaves47]

I applauded you on your efforts but youre not doing any research there. The Ukrainian Gov. does routine sampling of everything and top scientists in may fields from around the world have been doing research since the fall of the Soviets. Check with your professors Im sure they can get you in touch with someone that can provide you with info to write a theses. As for the 140 bucks write a check to your favorite charity take a vid of you handing it to them and post it. Sorry dude.

[stephendonnelly88]

You are correct when you say that the Ukrainian gov't does its own "routine" research/monitoring, but by in large, the lion's share of significant work is done by foreign entities. The reasoning is purely one of finances.

[stephendonnelly88]

I do not imagine that I will discover anything new in my own research efforts, but then again, this was never my goal in the first place. I merely intend to add to the existing body of research-gained knowledge in certain specific areas.

[DWaves47]

@stephendonnelly88 What University in S.E. Michigan? What class are you doing this study for and what is the name of your professors? What are you majoring in? How long will your study take? You do know that you cant remove anything, right?

[stephendonnelly88]

I prefer not to divulge too much personal info on Youtube, but you probably could figure out where I'm going since it's the only large-ish sized uni in S.E Michigan. The research is not for any particular class, but rather will serve to satisfy an undergraduate research endeavor that is a requirement for my degree (a "pure" chemistry degree). I'm very much aware that nothing can be removed from the zone, but I do not predict this to be an issue.

[stephendonnelly88]

While I'm fairly certain you mean well, it seams that all posters on Youtube fall into one of two categories: 1) Those who are exceptionally ignorant ("yur gonna come back glowing!"), or 2) those who cannot accept the fact that I'm not trying to be the next Einstein here. This is supposed to be serious undergraduate level research, and nothing more. Theoretically, I would not be required to actually visit the zone. But, I can do a heck of a lot more if I do. There is nothing more to it than that

[thisissick22]

if you could say the word "nuclear". you may be a bit more credible. there have been scientists working inside the ruins of reactor 4 for many years, getting very ill. you will not be allowed to conduct research inside the exclusion zone. have you researched this at all?

[stephendonnelly88]

1) I have no plans on actually entering the Reactor itself.

2) I will be allowed to do what I need to do in order to conduct my research.

3) I have put hundreds and hundreds of hours in to studying everything Chernobyl. I did not just come up with all of this stuff last night.....

[thisissick22]

what research do you intend to conduct?

[stephendonnelly88]

I intentions are to investigate into the effects (if any) that radionuclide has had on local vegetation. My do not expect to come up with any new revolutionary discovery, as some viewers here seem to suggest that I'm trying to do.

[Vipertoffee]

how much money have you got so far?

[stephendonnelly88]

Over the past two years or so, I have very gratefully collected approximately $141 in donations.

Many of those donations have been in amouts of $1.00 (which is all I ask for anyways)... :-)

[Detonater]

Alright, anyways some people CAN get access to reactor 4 area... hell if I know how, think you can do it? :p

[stephendonnelly88]

Save for a direct act of God, I will not be allowed any special access to the reactor. However, access to the reactor itself is not something that would be very helpful to my specific research intentions anyways. My goal is to study how radiation has effected the environment within the zone (at a molecular level)..

[PrimoVids]

I wouldn't even want to unless you wanted to be horribly irradiated. Not only that, you'd also more than likely be sterile. Stay away from the power plant, you seem like a nice guy.

On behalf of STALKER, watch out for the blowouts :)

[ShiznitEntertainment]

I've been on vacation in the Ukraine for 2 weeks and also visited the site (Pyripjat, Chornobyl and the plant) and can tell you there won't be any information for you there. You are only allowed to take pictures of the plant from 1 angle (the other side is probably screwed up) and even the tourist guides won't answer all your questions. The people of Ukraine rarely speak of it, since it damaged their name and their history in the Soviet Union.

Good luck researching though, just my 2 cents

[stephendonnelly88]

Thanks for the information and tips. I greatly appreciate it. :-)

[Detonater]

Am I too late? lol I'm only 16 though so you know.. won't be giving you TOO much.

The funny part is you could milk this for long after you went... perhaps your not going at all :O

Oh well..  xD

[stephendonnelly88]

You are not too late. And, I'm not "milking" anything. This is honestly not all a scam. I am now in my third year at the university, and each year the university continues to up the tuition by as much as 9%...which means my own ability to contribute financially is somewhat restricted. HOWEVER, all of the money I have received thus far as donations (something like $114.00 or so) currently sits in a bank-account. :-)

[2286Phil]

maybe a good idea, however the rock of gamma, alpha and beta is still there, and is radioactive. If you have not seen the effects of this you should watch the movie. all personal in dealing with the nuclear power plant died. On the movie the equipment they tested went up to 3, and the actuall area of radioactive waves was about 30,000. compared to each other this is surely scary.

[stephendonnelly88]

Yes, there are parts of the Exclusion Zone which are still dangerously radioactive. However, no one is allowed to just "freely roam around" in the zone. All visiters are accompanied by a guide who will not permit them to go to the more dangerous spots.

As for your reference to "radiactive waves @ 30,000," I'm not quite sure what you mean. What units (Gy, CPM, R, etc....) are you referring to?

[baileys60]

Hope you get there mate. I also think chernobyl is a gold mine of information. As for following safety rules you are still taking a calculated risk. It is fairly reasonable for tourists to enter the exclusion zone however your best chance of getting close is the current construction project.

[stephendonnelly88]

Hi There. Thanks for your words of support. Indeed it is a calculated risk, but not one that I believe to be a any significant nature. I fully intend to carefully observe all of the rules imposed by the Chernobyl-Internform regarding visitors to the Zone. :-)

[baileys60]

Contamination by limited exposure. Search for bbc horizon return to chernobyl on google videos. It follows a small group of scientists who have worked in the zone for a decade. Good luck mate and don't forget a few bags of toys for the kids.

[rottherotten]

You!. That stuff is interesting so im going there too - but i want to get inside the reactor itself - that would be a grat experience to me.

[stephendonnelly88]

You would not be permitted to get anywhere near Block-4#. It is still much, much too dangerous for the general public to be allowed inside. I believe that the closest that tourists are allowed to the reactor is about 100-300 yards.

[hamsterman1735]

I wouldnt want 2 go anyware near that deadly place!

[stephendonnelly88]

Perhaps not, but I can assure you that if you followed the rules, you would 100% safe. :-)

[woofer0doofer]

Hello stephen, thank you for posting the "inside the sarcophogus" documentary. I would imagine a nuclear war would have so many different variables (emp, wide distribution, 100x more radiation) that studying Chernobyl wouldn't be very helpful. Still, it would be a very interesting place to visit. How close are you to your goal?

[Dodershift]

actually when the chernobyl disaster ocurred four hundred times more nuclear radiation was relised than in the bombing of Hiroshima and I doubt modern nukes exceed that

[stephendonnelly88]

This is true. Although the bomb dropped on Japan was a fission-weapon (which would produce fallout far more deadly than that which would be produced by any of today's nuclear fusion weapons), it has been estimated that Chernobyl released roughly 6 million curies of Cesium-137 alone. And that is not to even begin mentioning the other millions of curies of other highly-radioactive isotopes that were released as well (i.e. Sr-90, I-131, etc.).

[Hemo443]

Hey Stephen, I'm Stephen (What a Coincidence :) ). I am very very interested in visiting tchernobyl in the future. Just commenting to wish you the best of luck with your studies. I'm Sure you will be amazed At what you see in Pripyat And The Reactor 4 sarcophagus. Also How would I go about getting Papers for entry into the exclusion zone? maybe see you over there some day!.

[stephendonnelly88]

Hi there! Thanks for your encouraging words. They are much appreciated.

When I do eventually travel to Chernobyl (hopefully, within the next few years --- while I'm still a student), I will be using a travel agency. They will arrange all of the necessary papers for me. :-)

[respubliklenina]

Наслаждайтесь вашим раком!!

[stephendonnelly88]

Very roughly translated into English: "...Delight in by your cancer!!..."

[respubliklenina]

Have good luck with your studies in Chornobyl Ukraine, ... I make joke.

[seanography5]

ok ty

[seanography5]

could i go to chernobyl and not be affectied by the radiation ????

[stephendonnelly88]

Yes. The Ukrainian government has established an entire tourist industry that is focus around the exclusion zone.

[nitrex]

I feel like visiting Chernobyl my self, the risk of background radiation going high isn't that of my concern since radiation just depends on the exposure. Studying the radioactive fall outs of Iodine and cesium would be great to find.

[korgkiller]

I'm heading to Pripyat someday too, I can get a ferry from england over to europe and then take a bus, it's pretty easy to get the papers.

[Tekknorg]

Interesting. I've been in radioactive contamined areas in Belarus five times. Mostly Caesium 137 and Strontium 90. Maybe you should talk with people who are still affected by the Chernobyl desaster, to become a better understanding. You should not believe the WHO numbers, because WHO and IAEA do have a gag contract, which does not allow the WHO to publish other numbers than those which the IAEA allows. 30, 50, even 9000 deaths - these numbers are lies. Check some of my videos. regards,

[stephendonnelly88]

Yes, they lied. However, the people working at Chernobyl then were under the rule of the corrupt Soviet government.

Today, Chernobyl is not even a part of Russia, and many of the 2,000 scientists who live and work in Chernobyl today are from America and Western Europe. There is no secrets about Chernobyl that are still unknown to the international community.

Perhaps you should do a bit more research on Chernobyl. You seem to lack a correct understanding of what Chernobyl is like today. :-)

[dudeson1000]

Hi!I live in Finland and i have also interested to visit Chernobyl. I had dicovered, that here in our country have been a fallout from Chernobyl and still can be detected some small amounts of radiation in soil, but with a sensitive radiation meter. I also had heard that there in 30 kilometer zone inside lives some people still permanently. I also wish for you all good luck and ending your education!! ;D

[stephendonnelly88]

Thank very much for your kind words. I appreciate your encouragement and support. :-)

[freelancechemist]

I also have an odd fascination with the Chernobyl NPP. always wanted to go too. se what the world is gonna end up like. the idea of radiation gives me a funny excited feeling....something so powerful that you can't even tell is there...idk im ranting

[nitrex]

Nice i am also a chemist, i study radiation and toxicity. I have some Uranium ores in my video if you are interested in seeing them. By the way its great to know their is another chemist on youtube.

[stephendonnelly88]

Thanks for taking the time to view some of my videos..

I will be interested in viewing some of yours. I am always glad to find like-minded youtubers. Have a nice day. :-)

[NiNLeX]

I'm also very interested in Chernobyl incident, however I need to complete my education of chemistry, history and english first. After that I thought that visiting Chernobyl would be really nice and I could find out even more about what really happened there. If you haven't visited Chernobyl by then, I could probably donate you for some money. Good luck in your research.

[stephendonnelly88]

Thank you for your kind words. Best of luck to you with completing your education. :-)

[stephendonnelly88]

I have heard from visitors to Chernobyl that they had the opportunity to lodge at the Chernobyl-Interform (located in Chornobyl) for several days while touring and conducting research withing the exclusion zone.

[stephendonnelly88]

Additionally, I do not believe that any civilians are permitted to live (permanently) anywhere withing the 30-kilometer Exclusion Zone, which encompasses Prypiat. A large portion of downtown Chornobyl has been completely decontaminated, and it is in this region that the resident scientists/workers reside.

[notanadikt666]

Find out if anyone can live in Prypiat by their own choice, radioactive or not I want to live there, I don't care about how dangerous it is.

[stephendonnelly88]

I'm am uncertain as to whether any currently resides in the city of Prypiat, itself. I do know, however, that approximately 2000 scientists and government workers currently reside in the town of Chornobyl, which is located just south of Prypiat and the destroyed reactor.

[stephendonnelly88]

They will not allow you to wonder around freely --- you must be accompanied by a guide. It is true that there are still many areas within the 30-km zone that are highly contaminated, but the guides will not let you anywhere near them....Trust me: I have done many years worth of research here. :-)

[stephendonnelly88]

Additionally, the current levels of ionizing radiation that are present at the areas of chernobyl accessible to the public are quite low. Much of the soil and concrete surrounding the plant have been completely replaced. The Ukrainian government has setup a rather active visitors center. As of 2005, over 2,000 people (mostly scientists) have been living in Chernobyl full-time.

[stephendonnelly88]

I hate to tell you this, but I too, am an incredibly informed university student, myself. According to the World Health Organization, on 56 direct deaths have been attributed to chernobyl, and only 9,000 death are expected in the future..

[baley7]

Don't expect them to rise much more than 56 if not at all. We don't really have any scientific knowledge of low level radiation. We are using an far off extrapolation of a model that works only in high doses as inside the reactor. But apparently the effects of low dose of radiation are overestimated. The BBC Nuclear Nightmares doc. is interesting regarding the topic.

[analyzingfunny]

I'm sorry to tell you this, but you don't want to even 75 miles from chernoybl. I'm a physics student making A's and very informed. I plan to write a paper on what really happened there. 8000/10000 men dies putting out a fire. The first and only open hearth nuclear fire on Earth so strong it pushed the helicopters. They were making a little more than elelctricity there and we no chance of ever surviving

[Ckayt]

duh, dude there's like 300 tourists weekly in summertime visiting Chernobyl