Two articles caught my attention this week about nuclear energy. Both of them reminded me that life’s consequences are often made in an epic moment where decisions happen because of current need rather than a rational analysis.
It turns out that thorium was understood to be a better alternative to uranium back in the late 1950s. Thorium is an outlier in nuclear energy because its radioactivity is readily available and not nearly as explosive. The design of a Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) is far safer than uranium reactors because the system does not need fail-safe backup systems for cooling the core. So why did this strategy not take off?
In the 1950s, the goal was to have weapons, not energy, and it was the ability to deliver weapons of mass destruction that drove development. The nuclear program was overseen by Vice Admiral Rickover. A cousin of mine used to work for Vice Admiral Rickover. His staff had replaced the Navy’s traditional “Aye, Aye,” which means “I understand and I obey,” with the acronym “YARVAR,” which stood for “You’re absolutely right, Vice Admiral Rickover.” Given that absolute, it’s easy to see his decision drove the industry... Read More
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