TEDxNewEngland | 11/01/11 | The Future of Nuclear Power: Getting Rid of Nuclear Waste.

For the first time in decades, there are an abundance of new designs for nuclear power reactors -- ones that are safer, more powerful, more portable, and even ones that produce hardly any nuclear waste. From the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Professor Dr. Richard Lester and Graduate Students Mark Massie and Leslie Dewan will talk about the evolution of nuclear power in the United States, and directions that the industry might take in the future. They will also describe new technology that solves two of the biggest problems with nuclear power -- Safety and Waste Disposal.


About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

• Category

  Education

[Neojhun]

Exactly, something does not seem right. I can't figure it out, but it has to do with the selection of people fronting this company Transatomic Power. They appeared basically overnight into the nuclear energy world. I am not one to speculate and make wild theories. But something is fishy.

[Neojhun]

Umm your understanding is misguided based on Critical Uranium & Plutonium fission. This is not that, this is Thorium based sub critical fission. In certain cases to purely use the reactor as a heat source not electricity you do not need Steam. To shut down infact you have to stop the pumps to stop the fuel flowing in a active state. But guess what this is nothing new, there were already Thorium based reactors running around 1965. This team is just trying to execute a forgoten system.

[hyretech]

This seems to be a duplicate upload (the other Tedxtalk has 27,000 views)

[TheKaka1462]

The girl is intelligently beautiful.. :)

[John Richey]

If it is a nuclear power plant, why no power to run pumps when in shut down? They have steam. Use a steam engine to power pumps and make elecricity to run the system.

[LuMagazine]

A sucker is born every minute.

[sks23cu]

I thought plagiarism was frowned upon in academia. Why would the MIT faculty allow students to claim they had invented a new technology when in fact they stole all the ideas from well published internet sites? Search for THORIUM ENERGY ALLIANCE and watch the videos there AFTER you watch the videos on their "portal" tab. It will become readily apparent that the people involved have been working on the technology since before those students matriculated at MIT; maybe even before they were born.

[Jayme Capurso]

great idea, will solve a lot of our short term problems. Now if we can just be smart enough to force companies that go into nuclear to put %10 of their profits into green solutions I will be up for the whole idea.

[Andre Ruas]

Nice presentation!

I have definitely seen this idea in Thorium MSR designs (including the freeze valve and secondary containment).

How do you intend to process those used fuel rods to go into the molten salt reactor?

Any idea of possible risks and costs?

[MrJivePirate]

This design is heavily influenced by the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LiFTR) that was designed by Oak Ridge National Labs (US). There's an online movement to revive LiFTR R&D you will find it interesting a youtube search for Kirk Sorenson will bring up allot.