The Last Post Game!!!!

[Swatopluk]

In particular, what kind of messages pass between distant atoms to decide which is next to decay?
Hello Earth? Alpha Centauri here. We met our quota of thorium decay a week in advance. Could you put yours on hold for a few days, please.

Last _{but the bet is on game of dice, pace Einstein} Post

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Thorium has definitely been placed on hold.

Last _{quickest way to anger some nuclear energy people} Post

[Swatopluk]

My personal opinion on nuclear energy is: Humans cannot be trusted not to cut corners concerning safety, so I do not support it.
Fusion power may be on the safe side, fission definitely isn't.

Last _{parts of the chemical industry aren't much better but at least problems tend to stay more local} Post

For something completely different: I have attached my latest (pseudo) mosaic (as pdf since the graphics filr is 45 MB)

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I was reading recently an article about a different way to do fusion using lasers to accelerate the atoms and control the process that way. As an added bonus no need to use deuterium or tritium. It would completely sidestep current tokamak design and avoid superhigh temperatures/pressures to make fusion possible.

As for thorium the whole point is that a salt based design is safer than current designs, but of course, radioactive materials can never be totally safe.

In reality, solar panels are so much easier to make, install and manage that the whole nuclear deal seems more like an overcomplicated subsidy to some mega-corps [cough]GE[/cough] out there.

Last _{fusion is something that seems useful for interstellar travel but that will take a while} Post

For something completely different: I have attached my latest (pseudo) mosaic (as pdf since the graphics filr is 45 MB)

That looks awesome!

[Swatopluk]

Ironically (or not) coal fired power plants emit much more radioactiovity via fly ash than nuclear ones (when nothing goes wrong).
Solar kills mainly the workers digging up the special ingredients for making the panels.

Last _{so, if everything runs as planned the real killer is the coal fired plant} Post

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

In fairness radioactivity from coal is dispersed enough to make it much less problematic than lead, mercury and particulates emitted.

Last _{as for the solar panels rare elements, at least there is an active effort to reduce or eliminate it's use} Post

[Swatopluk]

Tell that to people whose drinking water got poisoned by leaking (or overflowing) coal ash ponds in the US.

Last _{admittedly the heavy metals alone are sufficient for that even when not radioactive} Post

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

They will die of poisoning well before that cancer gets them.

Last _{but that is their patriotic duty even if respiratory illness will definitely shorten their lives 30 years} Post

[Swatopluk]

Unfortunately heavy metals often just make life a living hell without necessarily shortening it by that much.
And if they kill, the victims may even think it's too slow.

Last _{for a quick exit, go organic not arsenic*} Post

*not a heavy metal actually

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Living hell for many sounds like the goal of a number of business critters.

Last _{apparently comfort is not so comfortable if everybody else is} Post

[Swatopluk]

Since at least Tertullian (2nd/3rd century CE) we know that many "Christians" think that a significant part of the pleasure of heaven is the knowledge of (and maybe the possibility to watch) the sufffering in hell.

Well, given how dull descriptions of heaven tend to be, the option to watch a real (second) death horror movie may be the only bright spot

Last _{better than The Sound of Music twice an hour and Jaws I,II and III} Post

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The hills are alive, with the sound of torture...

Last _{there's a particular breed of xtian that for sure would volunteer for torture work in hell} Post

[Swatopluk]

Well, they want to be on the side of the angels.

Last _{if need be the fallen ones} Post

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

But to be fair, most would hate the idea.

Last _{despite feeling righteous about it} Post

[Swatopluk]

Those are not the 'right' kind, obviously.

Last _{Why are those on the left righteous and those on the right sinister?} Post