nuclear

Gadgets

Green, Renewable Microgrids Protect Our Tech From EMPs, Boogeymen

Posted by Jack Loftus at 3:00 AM on October 13, 2008

Their press release reads like a speech from the 2004 GOP presidential convention, but Instant Access Networks still has some pretty cool tech up their sleeves when it comes to protecting our technology from electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). Citing one megaton nuclear bombs over Kansas and rogue terrorist states, IAN says its renewable energy-powered, EMP-protected "microgrids" are just what today's society needs to protect itself from tomorrow's unseen threats.


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Science

Backyard Nuclear Reactor Should Be Ready to Ship by 2013

Posted by Sean Fallon at 8:40 AM on September 26, 2008

Hyperion Power's plans to develop and sell portable nuclear reactors first came to light last year—but most people probably brushed off the idea as some sort of fantasy. Whether that is true or not, Hyperion seems to be committed to the project. A recent interview with Hyperion CEO John Deal revealed that they have every intention of shipping their first product in June of 2013.

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Science

NASA Cooks Up Plans for Nuclear Reactor Under the Surface of the Moon

Posted by Adam Frucci at 9:40 AM on September 12, 2008

It's about time we start populating the moon, don't you think? I mean, we've got to do it eventually, so why not now? NASA knows what's up, which is why they're working on plans for an underground nuclear reactor buried under the surface of the moon. Badass. Hit the jump for NASA's full press release, which describes the plan in more precise terms.


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Science

9/11 Twin Tower Collapse Provides Data For Building Better Fusion Reactors

Posted by Wilson Rothman at 10:00 AM on September 11, 2008

Don't be afraid. You can read that headline again. I'll wait for you... Aaaand, okay: With cold fusion nowhere in sight, hot fusion looks to be the cleanest way to whip up some atomic energy. However, the steel needed to line the reactor may not be able to take the heat. UK scientists said that temperatures inside reactors are nearly identical to those reached on the floors of the World Trade Centre that were struck by planes on September 11, 2001—and that the tragedy itself yielded helpful data. Here, on the eve of the terrorist attack's 7th anniversary, is the deal:


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Weapons

Navy Drops US$7.5 Million on an EMP Generator

Posted by Sean Fallon at 8:59 AM on August 9, 2008

As anyone who has seen the Matrix will tell you, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can wreak havoc on electronics. You may also know that an EMP is a byproduct of a nuclear blast--which is why the Navy has handed over US$7.5 million to L-3 Services, Inc. to build an EMP generator. The device is not going to be used as a weapon, instead it will be used to test the resistance of military systems to specific EMP levels as a preventative measure in the event that a nuclear weapon is detonated in US airspace.


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Science

Korean Scientists Closer To Fusion?

Posted by Matt Hickey at 12:00 PM on July 26, 2008

Korean scientists are one step further in reaching sustainable fusion reactors. In an experiment for the National Fusion Research Institute, scientists were able to achieve a form of supercharged plasma for 249 milliseconds, almost two and a half times longer than they had anticipated. It's a new form of plasma that can be used to generate electricity in a manner similar to conventional nuclear plants but with far less radioactive waste. We think that's cool. So do bears. [Korea Times]


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Science

Snuggle Up to the Looming Nuclear Apocalypse with RST's Gamma Ray-Fighting 'Miracle Material'

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 11:00 AM on June 29, 2008

If Radiation Shield Technologies' Demron fabric pans out, maybe our dystopian, radiation-soaked future won't be so bad after all. At the very least, we'll be toasty--and fashionable too! RST says the fabric (available in full body suits, blankets, gloves and boots) protects against particle ionising/nuclear radiation, and shields against X-ray and low-energy Gamma emissions. The crazy thing is it does it all without any lead inserts, which next to a few inches of solid concrete are currently most effective defence against radiation poisoning. Instead, the material uses a proprietary nanotechnology to block a host of biological, chemical and radioactive sources. The material is damn heavy too; a 90 x 75cm blanket weighs approximately 27kg. [RST via Danger Room]


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Random Stuff

Hunt for Titanic Was Cover for Secret Sunken Nuke Sub Dives

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 3:00 AM on May 27, 2008

According to newly declassified info and the lead scientist himself, Dr Bob Ballard, the successful search for the Titanic wreck was actually part of a secret hunt for two sunken cold war American nuclear submarines. The USS Thresher and USS Scorpion had both foundered in the 1960s, and the Navy needed to know what had happened to their reactors over the years. When Dr Ballard approached them in 1982 for funding to find the Titanic with his new deep-diving robot submersible, the Navy saw the opportunity and granted him the money on the condition he first inspect the two wrecks.


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Science

Scientist Creates Cold Fusion For the First Time In Decades

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 3:00 AM on May 25, 2008

Cold fusion, the act of producing a nuclear reaction at room temperature, has long been relegated to science fiction after researchers were unable to recreate the experiment that first "discovered" the phenomenon. But a Japanese scientist was supposedly able to start a cold fusion reaction earlier this week, which—if the results are real—could revolutionise the way we gather energy.


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Weapons

Paper Sheet Protects World from Nuclear Holocaust

Posted by Jesus Diaz at 9:45 PM on April 10, 2008

A report released this month by the Pentagon has revealed the truth behind the B-52 bomber—loaded with six live nuclear warheads—flying over the US, a mistake that could have had catastrophic consequences. Their explanation: an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of printed paper used to differentiate between nuclear and conventional missiles. Really, it can't get any more absurd than this:


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