A “delightfully astute” and “entertaining” history of the mishaps and meltdowns that have marked the path of scientific progress (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
Radiation: What could go wrong? In short, plenty. From Marie Curie carrying around a vial of radium salt because she liked the pretty blue glow to the large-scale disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima, dating back to the late…
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Author : Jim Mahaffey
Genre : Science
Summary : A “delightfully astute” and “entertaining” history of the mishaps and meltdowns that have marked the path of scientific progress (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Radiation: What could go wrong? In short, plenty. From Marie Curie carrying around a vial of radium salt because she liked the pretty blue glow to the large-scale disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima, dating back to the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. In this lively book, long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy James Mahaffey looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns. Every incident, while taking its toll, has led to new understanding of the mighty atom—and the fascinating frontier of science that still holds both incredible risk and great promise.
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Author : James Maheffey
Genre : Science
Summary : From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns.Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom—and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise.
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Author : Instaread Summaries
Genre : Science
Summary : PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary of the book and NOT the original book. Atomic Accidents by James Mahaffey - A 30-minute Instaread Summary Inside this Instaread Summary: • Overview of the entire book • Introduction to the important people in the book • Summary and analysis of all the chapters in the book • Key Takeaways of the book • A Reader's Perspective Preview of this summary: Introduction Water in the form of steam has always intrigued and terrified people. Steam locomotives were fascinating in their heyday. They tended to explode, crash into each other and run off the rails. Some people were so afraid of this technology, they would not ride trains. However, everyone seemed to love watching staged train crashes. This entertainment was popular from the 1890s until the 1930s. One impresario of the staged crash was William “Bill” Crush, an agent for a Texas railroad. Forty thousand people witnessed his first crash staged near Waco in 1896. Crush knew little about the mechanics of steam engines, but insisted his hundred-mile-an-hour crash would be safe. He was wrong. The resulting boiler explosion killed three and injured six. Another promoter, “Head-On” Joe Connelly, was more successful. He staged seventy-three crashes without killing anyone. Unlike Crush, he knew he had to keep the train speed down and hold spectators back. The last staged crash of this type was in 1935. The fear of steam explosions never left the public’s mind. When engineers began developing nuclear power, they believed that steam explosions were the major challenge to safety. Although other methods were investigated, boiling water was, and still is, the cheapest and most reliable way to collect energy produced at a power plant. Therefore, it was not a challenge that could be worked around when designing a nuclear power plant. Additionally, steam from a nuclear plant accident can spread radiation. In fact, during the Cold War, public fear of radiation was more intense than fear of steam locomotives ever was. Chapter 1 In November 1879, three hunters in the Ozarks found a cave filled with a weird vein of silvery-blue metal. They had to flee when they became dizzy, disoriented and short of breath. One of the hunters, Billy Henry, broke out in strange sores. He recovered and the story was forgotten. In Europe, neon lights and X-rays were discovered as scientists unraveled the mysteries of the atom. Radiology was discovered in the United States by Nikola Tesla, but he did not pursue practical applications, so Wilhelm Rontgen of Germany got the honor of introducing radiology to the world. Tesla decided to take another look and stuck his head in an X-ray beam for science. He developed blisters and other wounds. He advised everyone to avoid radiation...
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Author : Baby Professor
Genre : Science
Summary : Historical facts will give you either joy or sadness. In this case, you will experience deep sadness as you go over some of the Devastating Nuclear Accidents throughout History. You will be reading about what happened then and why it happened. The causes and results of such accidents should be taken into account for a deeper understanding of the risks of nuclear energy. Buy a copy now!
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Author : Serhii Plokhy
Genre : History
Summary : A chilling account of more than half a century of nuclear catastrophes, by the author of the “definitive” (Economist) Cold War history, Nuclear Folly. Almost 145,000 Americans fled their homes in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in late March 1979, hoping to save themselves from an invisible enemy: radiation. The reactor at the nearby Three Mile Island nuclear power plant had gone into partial meltdown, and scientists feared an explosion that could spread radiation throughout the eastern United States. Thankfully, the explosion never took place—but the accident left deep scars in the American psyche, all but ending the nation’s love affair with nuclear power. In Atoms and Ashes, Serhii Plokhy recounts the dramatic history of Three Mile Island and five more accidents that that have dogged the nuclear industry in its military and civil incarnations: the disastrous fallout caused by the testing of the hydrogen bomb in the Bikini Atoll in 1954; the Kyshtym nuclear disaster in the USSR, which polluted a good part of the Urals; the Windscale fire, the worst nuclear accident in the UK’s history; back to the USSR with Chernobyl, the result of a flawed reactor design leading to the exodus of 350,000 people; and, most recently, Fukushima in Japan, triggered by an earthquake and a tsunami, a disaster on a par with Chernobyl and whose clean-up will not take place in our lifetime. Through the stories of these six terrifying incidents, Plokhy explores the risks of nuclear power, both for military and peaceful purposes, while offering a vivid account of how individuals and governments make decisions under extraordinary circumstances. Today, there are 440 nuclear reactors operating throughout the world, with nuclear power providing 10 percent of global electricity. Yet as the world seeks to reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change, the question arises: Just how safe is nuclear energy?
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Author : Serhii Plokhy
Genre : Science
Summary : CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY SUNDAY TIMES AND HISTORY TODAY 'Absolutely stunning. . . a formidable achievement. A six-part historical thriller that is essential reading for both our politicians and the ordinary citizen' Kai Bird Best-selling historian Serhii Plokhy returns with an illuminating exploration of the atomic age through the history of six nuclear disasters In 2011, a 43-foot-high tsunami crashed into a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan. In the following days, explosions would rip buildings apart, three reactors would go into nuclear meltdown, and the surrounding area would be swamped in radioactive water. It is now considered one of the costliest nuclear disasters ever. But Fukushima was not the first, and it was not the worst. . . In Atoms and Ashes, acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy tells the tale of the six nuclear disasters that shook the world: Bikini Atoll, Kyshtym, Windscale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Based on wide-ranging research and witness testimony, Plokhy traces the arc of each crisis, exploring in depth the confused decision-making on the ground and the panicked responses of governments to contain the crises and often cover up the scale of the catastrophe. As the world increasingly looks to renewable and alternative sources of energy, Plokhy lucidly argues that the atomic risk must be understood in explicit terms, but also that these calamities reveal a fundamental truth about our relationship with nuclear technology: that the thirst for power and energy has always trumped safety and the cost for future generations.
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Author : Arun K. Nayak
Genre : Technology & Engineering
Summary : Severe Accidents in Nuclear Reactors: Corium Retention Technologies and Insights presents an authoritative and practical analysis of the latest severe accident management strategies based on previous events and experiments. Written for utilities and industries operating and researching nuclear cooled reactor power plants, this book presents the exponential growth in research since major nuclear accidents and acts as a guide to retaining molten corium, both inside and outside the reactor vessel. Sections cover the physics behind several complex phenomena occurring during corium coolability, providing the reader with an in-depth understanding by presenting the insights obtained from simulated severe accidents. In addition, the book validates several severe accident codes and provides evidence on the termination of severe accident progressions to help the reader evaluate the safety of existing reactors and design the next generation of nuclear reactors. Provides a step-by-step guide to various severe accident management experiments Includes evidence on the termination of severe accident progressions Validates several severe accident codes