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@Jim Carver Speeling / language packs come from office or word

@VeenOui O they do. In Linux they're compiled into the kernel. Another reason why windoes sucks.

@edano nuclear blast?? Isn't this going a little too far with speculations? If that was a nuclear blast it would have released massive amounts of radiation that if the Japanese authorities concealed, another institute across the world would have measured, plus the fallout from the reactor. The radiation would have been massive to go unnoticed. One can reasonably tell that the shape of the plume is defined by the building external structure (pretty reinforced thus forcing the explosion burst upwards) and as to where the hydrogen was concentrated at the time of the explosion. It looks more like pulverized concrete to me...

still can't believe that tepco throws bolts into the drywell (maybe even into the core ?). no mechanic or surgeon or anyone can work like that. it is a shame. but it will be the same all around the world. shut down the darn nukes ! obviously they cannot be managed properly.

@Edano One would expect a more organized process where you would not have parts falling into a reactor. Mis-steps do happen even in an operating room but there are usually lots of things in place to try to prevent accidents. What I can't decide is if all of these oddities we are finding add up to sloppy work or are just so foreign to the rest of us because we have an assumption in our minds of how things would be done in a plant?

sadly: On February 14, the dead body of a 57 year-old man who was in charge of the fuel environment of FBR prototype Monju (280MW) was found in the mountains of Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture. He went missing on the 13th and it is presumed that he committed suicide. He was in charge of recovering a relay device that accidentally fell into the core of Monju's nuclear reactor. Also at Monju, after the 1995 sodium leak and fire accident responsibility for falsified reports fell on a public relations executive, who then committed suicide.
CNIC newswatch 141 March/April 2011 cnic.jp

@UKVal : hhhmmmp.

@ Edano - you're right. After Chernobyl the tendency was to see it as solely a USSR probelm -outdated technology, USSR inefficiency etc. The more I research the more I agree that no nuke plant opearator can be relied on. In the UK in Feb this year there was a LOCA at 1 plant & a leak at another - as far as we know both were minor, but nothing I read inspires any confidence in nuclear safety

1600C is huge, but if it is designed for it it is much better then a BWR at 300C.

@ Ralph - I guess that design could be safer - but I have increasing difficulty in believing reports from those with a substantial investment in proving a design is safe. Witness the controversy over thorium designs

IIRC thorium designs are dismissed only because they are not made out of bomb style nuke materials, that is the investment that might be hurting.

@ Ralph www.ieer.org

@Ralph Unger I found some articles on Thorium reactors, will have to go find them again. One gave a good unbiased view of the pros and cons. Much of the articles out there are by people who are extremely pro-thorium and have left out some critical information on thorium reactor flaws and accidents.

All I can find is lower levels of enrichment for typical fuels already used. My bad .

re article I posted below -sorry pressed enter too quick. I haven't researched thorium extensively, but that article suggests drawbacks

I think the articles I read about thorium might have been about a blend.

I hate to say it. but we need Nike power. In the future, that might not be the case. I just want it to be done as safely as possible.

@Ralph sorry I didn't elaborate on my comment, what I meant is that if a core was exposed we would see much more drastic actions taken. They would need to keep the temp cooling going and start reconstructing parts of the building around to prevent massive release of radiation. In the pictures from the time of the incident, workers don't seem to be wearing any heavy armors.

"Radioactive Zirconium Found At Fukushima Confirms Exposed Fuel Rods As High Level Radiation Emitted From Broken Core" gramercyimages.com

Maps On Radiation Levels Around Crippled Nuclear Plant To Be Compiled

TOKYO —
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will compile maps showing the extent of air and soil contamination as part of government efforts to enhance the monitoring of radiation levels and reevaluate evacuation zones around the crippled nuclear plant.

Three kinds of maps will be released to show on-the-spot radiation levels, estimated levels of accumulated radiation over one year and the levels of radioactive concentration in surface soil, the ministry said.

Monitoring spots will be added and more equipment installed to measure radiation levels and the concentration of such radioactive materials as iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137, according to the ministry. Monitoring frequency will also be increased.

The first two maps will be made public by the end of this month with plans to release them twice monthly thereafter, the ministry said, adding that releasing soil contamination maps would take more time because more time is needed to analyze relevant data.

Monitoring within the evacuation zone covering a 20-kilometer radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been and will be conducted mostly through aerial surveys.

But nuke energy is highly dense, a few pounds can make as much energy as many tonnes of coal. I think it can be done in a safe manner, but only by governments, not private industries given a lack of liability by their governments. So if they screw up, like TEPCO, the government and the people have to pay the costs.