Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by adfrhgeaq5hy 1705 days ago
Nuclear reactors cannot explode. It is not physically possible. It isn't even close to physically possible. Reactor-grade uranium is about 5% U235 while you need >90% to make something that can explode.

May as well ask why we use wind turbines when they might take off and start dropping napalm.
1 comments
cesarb 1704 days ago
> Nuclear reactors cannot explode. It is not physically possible. It isn't even close to physically possible.

They can and they do (see: Chernobyl, Fukushima). But it's not a nuclear explosion (as you say, it's not possible with their fuel enrichment and geometry); it's a steam or hydrogen explosion.

link
adfrhgeaq5hy 1704 days ago
Lots of things can go wrong and I certainly don't intend to downplay the risks. Mismanagement like at Fukushima or Chernobyl can do a lot of harm.

But there are a lot of people who think a nuclear reactor can level a city, which is totally impossible.

link