Nukes 5of6: Nuclear North Korea and Reactor Accidents

Lecture by Professor Richard Muller of the University California, Berkeley. Taken from Lecture 7 of the spring 2006 webcasts of Physics For Future Presidents. Also known as Descriptive Introduction to Physics. Empahsis is on conceptual understanding, rather than mathematics.

This lecture deals with nuclear reactions, bombs and reactors. Also some information about the nuclear programme of Iraq in the 90s and North Korea recently.

All Lectures:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=095393D5B42B2266

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Nuclear
• Chernobyl
• Radioactive
• Uranium
• Plutonium

[burnedHAHA]

I question the ability to hold a piece of plutonium without immediate, serious health problems and eventually death...

[theinquisitor]

That just shows how deeply and widely misunderstood radioactivity is. Plutonium emits alpha particles which cannot penetrate skin or even paper. If you burned the stuff and inhaled the fumes that would be bad but you can handle it without a problem. It's worth remembering that there are differnt isotopes of plutonium, which have different levels of radioactivity. There is radiation all around us and we evolved to cope with some small amount of it.

[johnfox137]

Holy smokes this nuclear physics actually makes sense now

[MysticalGrooveWTC]

that was a curious comment about terrorists blowing up apartment buildings with natural gas instead of hitting nuclear reactors..

[koisoke]

@theinquisitor Actually I'd be a bit paranoid about going anywhere near North Korean plutonium because of spontaneous fission neutrons and gammas from possibly huge levels of 240Pu, 241Pu and its decay products, but I'd happily hold weapons grade plutonium from any civilized country in my hand. ;-)

[scotchy451]

instead of 3% enriched uranium if 20% enriched was used in a reactor with a moderator is a nuclear explosion still impossible?

[TheFlashback1969]

i'm i the only one who thinks the whole treaty stuff (0:01-0:39 ) is BS, maybe they want to defend themselfs from the usa because they know its only a matter of time before the usa finds a reason to attack. (and i realize there are people who want to hurt people with these bombs but some of these eastern counties have dictators who want to protect their people and their country)

[DrMotorDude]

I was living in Europe at the time the Chernobyl reactor exploded, 26 April 86. The Soviet Union "announced" the disaster THREE DAYS after it happened!!! Scientists in Norway and Sweden detected radiation, then a US satellite photographed the evacuation and reactor building with the top missing. The Soviets DID LIE ABOUT IT! I WAS THERE, PROF!

[papcio]

well if this relation would be true people who for example do sports would be far more exposed to the risk of cancer than the ones who just dont do anything, because more free radicals would destroy their DNA just like radioactivity does and everybody knows that is just not true

[papcio]

lol wuuut? 36 thousends dead people? yup thats what the leftiest say acctualy it was like 30 or 40 :/ well how they come to that? they calculate it using the linear relation between radioactivity and cancer cases, which is completle false due to natural defence system, so exposure to low radioactivty causes NO health issues

[jasbcor]

It's a heavy metal with a very long half life...slow slow decay..so, yes you could hold it safely. Best to use rubber gloves to be on the safe side probably as you wouldn't want to lick your fingers after. You wouldn't want to inhale the dust or ingest it.

[mysticalgroove]

wow, what a highly informative lecture, thanks for sharing