Not exactly true (not sure what you mean by "neutron gun" either). The original U235 bombs could go critical just by having sufficient mass in the correct geometry. As long as enough neutrons didn't escape (or were reflected back) you could have criticality. We don't make them anymore because they are inefficient. Big uranium bombs will vaporize a lot of the fuel before it has a chance to participate in the reaction. U235 is also very difficult to purify and we have the Teller–Ulam based hydrogen bombs now anyway.
Plutonium will also go critical in the correct configuration and mass, just like U235. Sure you can shoot a block of it, same goes for U235. Compressing it with explosives is just a way to reduce a hollow sphere into a critical sphere (with a neutron trigger/booster in the middle).
"Plutonium is considered impractical for the gun method because of early triggering due to Pu-240 contamination and due to its time constant for prompt critical fission being much shorter than that of U-235." In other words it would go critical before the entire slug entered the target.
Plutonium can go critical in the right configuration (a solid sphere) just like U235. Subcritical Pu accidents have happened.
"On 21 August 1945, Los Alamos scientist Harry K. Daghlian, Jr. suffered fatal radiation poisoning after accidentally dropping a tungsten carbide brick onto a sphere of plutonium, which was later nicknamed the demon core. The brick acted as a neutron reflector, bringing the mass to criticality. This was the first known criticality accident causing a fatality."
"On 21 May 1946, another Los Alamos scientist, Louis Slotin, accidentally irradiated himself during a similar incident using the very same sphere of plutonium responsible for the Daghlian accident. Slotin surrounded the plutonium sphere with two hemispherical cups of neutron reflecting material; one above and a larger one below. He was using a screwdriver to keep the cups slightly apart which kept the assembly subcritical. When the screwdriver accidentally slipped, the cups closed completely around the plutonium sending the assembly supercritical. Immediately realizing what had happened, he quickly disassembled the device, likely saving the lives of seven fellow scientists nearby. Slotin succumbed to radiation poisoning nine days later."
It is a truly evil disease. I think my mom was going down that path so when she died almost instantly from a massive stroke I saw it as a bit of a blessing for everyone. Beats watching her soul slowly get scooped out of her (and probably hellish for them too).
Right away I also wondered if it was a prion-like issue with malformed tau proteins. Has anyone confirmed whether the structure and orientation (left vs right) of the free tau protein is identical to that of normal tau?
As far as I know tau protein is used to maintain microtubules in cells. Maybe something is damaging the microtubules and the free tau is just a result of this or the tau is malformed to start with and it results in cells dying from defective microtubules.
I've heard congressmen boast about not using computers yet feel they are qualified to vote on IT bills. I don't expect them to be experts on it but to wear their ignorance as a badge of honor? Can you imagine someone running for president boasting about knowing nothing about defense or foreign policy? "I'm uniquely qualified to chair the House Armed Services Committee because I'm not one of those military service nerds".
Our pork will now come with a photo of the animal that died along with a little biography ("He liked sunny days spent wallowing."). It'll be like one of those "support a child overseas" charities.
Slashdot Mirror
Not exactly true (not sure what you mean by "neutron gun" either). The original U235 bombs could go critical just by having sufficient mass in the correct geometry. As long as enough neutrons didn't escape (or were reflected back) you could have criticality. We don't make them anymore because they are inefficient. Big uranium bombs will vaporize a lot of the fuel before it has a chance to participate in the reaction. U235 is also very difficult to purify and we have the Teller–Ulam based hydrogen bombs now anyway.
Plutonium will also go critical in the correct configuration and mass, just like U235. Sure you can shoot a block of it, same goes for U235. Compressing it with explosives is just a way to reduce a hollow sphere into a critical sphere (with a neutron trigger/booster in the middle).
"Plutonium is considered impractical for the gun method because of early triggering due to Pu-240 contamination and due to its time constant for prompt critical fission being much shorter than that of U-235." In other words it would go critical before the entire slug entered the target.
Plutonium can go critical in the right configuration (a solid sphere) just like U235. Subcritical Pu accidents have happened.
"On 21 August 1945, Los Alamos scientist Harry K. Daghlian, Jr. suffered fatal radiation poisoning after accidentally dropping a tungsten carbide brick onto a sphere of plutonium, which was later nicknamed the demon core. The brick acted as a neutron reflector, bringing the mass to criticality. This was the first known criticality accident causing a fatality."
"On 21 May 1946, another Los Alamos scientist, Louis Slotin, accidentally irradiated himself during a similar incident using the very same sphere of plutonium responsible for the Daghlian accident. Slotin surrounded the plutonium sphere with two hemispherical cups of neutron reflecting material; one above and a larger one below. He was using a screwdriver to keep the cups slightly apart which kept the assembly subcritical. When the screwdriver accidentally slipped, the cups closed completely around the plutonium sending the assembly supercritical. Immediately realizing what had happened, he quickly disassembled the device, likely saving the lives of seven fellow scientists nearby. Slotin succumbed to radiation poisoning nine days later."
Here is hoping you aren't suffering from feature creep also.
Sounds like something a 10 year old came up with. "I'm the head of the Very Important Government Stuff!!"
The GOP has been saying government is the entire problem with America since at least the Reagan era...
Unless it is the FBI, CIA, military, TSA, corporate subsidies, etc.
And their constituents support them keeping their pork coming and fighting the pork going to other states.
Not sure if this is so much as funny as more like close to what they really said.
Really, can we get rid of the legal gimmick of cherry picking where you want the trial held because you know certain areas in the country are biased?
That is why we have www.tallseniorsshittingonmidgets.com
...and is there a porn site that uses it?
It sounds like a cheap way to build a database of popular porn sites.
It is a truly evil disease. I think my mom was going down that path so when she died almost instantly from a massive stroke I saw it as a bit of a blessing for everyone. Beats watching her soul slowly get scooped out of her (and probably hellish for them too).
Right away I also wondered if it was a prion-like issue with malformed tau proteins. Has anyone confirmed whether the structure and orientation (left vs right) of the free tau protein is identical to that of normal tau?
As far as I know tau protein is used to maintain microtubules in cells. Maybe something is damaging the microtubules and the free tau is just a result of this or the tau is malformed to start with and it results in cells dying from defective microtubules.
This article assumes that the moon landings actually occurred. It discriminates against conspiracy theorists.
0 days would've been better. If he had Rommel's book on armored warfare would the UK government charge him with planning an invasion of Russia?
China called, they want their security apparatus back.
Slow day
Wait until 3D printer copies of your car start appearing. "Hey, he has the same bumper sticker and fast food wrappers in the front seat..."
Wait until the first tv viruses come out. "Turn off! Turn off!"
It would give me more time to write letters to the government and yell at the neighbors.
So I don't have to switch off my turn signal anymore? Sweet!
I'm pretty sure you can get plenty of sperm for free from millions of sources. Many of them will pay you to take it.
Realistically doesn't this just make it more likely for people with defective genes to reproduce?
People of Wal-Mart needs a steady supply of customers.
I've heard congressmen boast about not using computers yet feel they are qualified to vote on IT bills. I don't expect them to be experts on it but to wear their ignorance as a badge of honor? Can you imagine someone running for president boasting about knowing nothing about defense or foreign policy? "I'm uniquely qualified to chair the House Armed Services Committee because I'm not one of those military service nerds".
Our pork will now come with a photo of the animal that died along with a little biography ("He liked sunny days spent wallowing."). It'll be like one of those "support a child overseas" charities.
No, the problem is that magnets are delicious.