Tag: radioactivity

Is the Dyatlov Pass incident solved?

The Dyatlov Pass incident has intrigued people for generations, but a new theory pointing to a slab avalanche as the culprit does a thorough job of explaining how the 9 Russian trekkers died. A new video and more here. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/dyatlov-pass-incident-mystery-solved-slab-avalanche…

For the First Time Scientists Detect Neutrinos Traced To CNO Cycle Inside the Sun

NBC News calls it “the ghostly signal that reveals the engine of the universe.” Long-time Slashdot reader fahrbot-bot shares their report: In research published Wednesday in the journal Nature, scientists reported that they’ve made the first detection of almost-ethereal particles called neutrinos that can be traced to carbon-nitrogen-oxygen fusion, known as the CNO cycle, inside the sun. It’s a landmark finding…

Japan Decides To Release Treated Fukushima Water Into the Sea

hcs_$reboot shares a report from CBS News: Japan will release more than a million tons of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in a decades-long operation, reports said Friday, despite strong opposition from environmentalists, local fishermen and farmers. The release of the water, which has been filtered to reduce radioactivity, is likely to start in…

Industrial Waste Can Turn Planet-Warming Carbon Dioxide Into Stone

sciencehabit writes: Every year, mining and industrial activity generates billions of tons of slurries, gravel, and other wastes that have a high pH. These alkaline wastes, which sit either behind fragile dams or heaped in massive piles, present a threat to people and ecosystems. But alkaline wastes could also help the world avert climate disaster. Reacting these wastes with carbon dioxide…

Iter: World’s Largest Nuclear Fusion Project Begins Assembly

Thelasko writes: The world’s biggest nuclear fusion project has entered its five-year assembly phase. After this is finished, the facility will be able to start generating the super-hot “plasma” required for fusion power. The $23.5 billion facility has been under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, southern France. Advocates say fusion could be a source of clean, unlimited power that would help tackle the…

Mysterious Spike In Radioactivity Over Northern Europe, Accident At Russian Nuclear Plant Suspected

An anonymous reader quotes the International Business Times:
Watchdog agencies last week detected an increase in radioactivity levels in the atmosphere over northern Europe, suggesting a potential damage at a nuclear plant. Authorities noted the possibility that the spike may be the result of accidental release of radioactive material from one of the nuclear plants in Russia, but a spokesman denied any…

Could Radioactivity Make Otherwise Frozen Planets Habitable?

sciencehabit writes: Not too close, but not too far. That’s long been the rule describing how distant a planet should be from its star in order to sustain life. But a new study challenges that adage: A planet can maintain water and other liquids on its surface if it’s heated, not by starlight, but by radioactive decay, researchers calculate. That opens…

Fukushima Melted Fuel Removal Begins 2021, End State Unknown

Japan’s economy and industry ministry said Monday that it will start removing melted fuel from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2021. The milestone step of debris removal is considered the most difficult part of cleaning up the crisis-hit facility. ABC News reports: Nearly nine years after [the Fukushima nuclear power plant was wrecked by a massive earthquake and tsunami],…

Enceladus’ ocean right age to support life

The subsurface ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus seems possibly habitable in many ways. Now a new study has determined it’s the right age to support life, too. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/enceladus-ocean-moon-habitability-right-age-to-support-life…