Carnival of Nuclear Energy 245

The Carnival of Nuclear Energy 245 is up at Fukushima Commentary

Forbes- The moon is a planet. A minor planet.

In our Solar System, there are 28 planets of all sizes within the orbit of Pluto. Major planets. Minor planets. Dwarf planets. And the Moon is one of the minor planets.

Here are many small, or minor, planets in our Solar System, some are even larger and more complex geologically than Mercury. Io, a very small planet, is the most geologically active planet in our Solar System – volcanoes are erupting constantly from its highly differentiated and heated mantle. Source: NASA

Atomic Insights – Suppressing Differing Opinions to Promote “No Safe Dose” Mantra

Dr. Ed Calabrese has published additional installments in his continuing effort to illuminate the methods by which the 16 member Genetics Committee of the 1956 National Academy of Sciences Biological Effects of Atomic Radiation committee altered history. That small group of colleagues, chaired by the man who approved their research grant requests during the period from 1932-1959, effectively shifted radiation risk assessment from the threshold model to a “no safe dose” model for ionizing radiation.

The well-planned promotional effort helped to ensure that the Genetics Committee report received wide attention, while the confidence that the committee reported in its estimates added to its credibility. The warnings and numbers that it provided were welcomed by the growing segment of the scientific community that was involved in political actions to halt nuclear weapons testing. One of their chosen levers was increasing fear of radiation, another was creating distrust in the Atomic Energy Commission and its repeated reassurances that the testing produced doses that were not harmful to people.

Nextbigfuture – China’s biggest reactor operator will put five nuclear reactors into operation this year

China’s biggest reactor operator, China General Nuclear Power Group CGN), will put another five reactor units into operation this year, company executives said, adding that they remain confident in the sector’s growth despite approval delays.

Nextbigfuture – EMC2 Chief Scientist presents a path to Electrostatic Nuclear Fusion

It has been noted that EMC2 Fusion would need at least $100 million in funding and seven years to get to a breakeven nuclear device. The high-pressure confinement, also known as high-beta confinement, is what’s described in the ArXiv paper. One of the keys to solving that problem was to do away with the joints between the reactor’s rings. However, the test device did not demonstrate the neutron production that would be required for an actual fusion reaction.