Japan To Create a Nuclear Meltdown

Taco Cowboy writes "Japanese researchers are planning an experiment to better understand what transpires during a nuclear meltdown by attempting to create a controlled nuclear meltdown. Using a scaled down version of a nuclear reactor — essentially a meter long stainless steel container — the experiment will involve the insertion of a foot long (30 cm) nuclear fuel rod, starting the fission process, and then draining the coolant. The experiment is scheduled to take place later this year."

Comments

Re:Great

[gstoddart]

And, it should be noted, they want to find out in controlled conditions with sufficient protective equipment in a facility explicitly configured for this kind of situation.

Of course, if you have no idea of what will happen, how the hell can you know you're got "sufficient" protection and a facility which has been "configured for this kind of situation"?

Because, it seems to me, they don't actually know what constitutes "good enough" in this case, at which point saying you have done enough to mitigate is mostly just guess work, isn't it?

And, no, I don't know a damned thing about nuclear reactions in any meaningful sense of the word, so maybe the answer is fairly obvious to someone who does.