Dr. Ruzic lectures on nuclear waste. A detailed description of what high-level radioactive wastes are and where they come from including fission products and trans-uranic elements. How much is produced and exists is explained. Why the plutonium from nuclear wastes will not work in an atomic bomb. How they are stored, where they are stored, and the safety of that storage are discussed. Yucca mountain is shown and described as well as other alternatives such as dray cask storage.
Now see Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRsfbDpBE-s
How nuclear weapons work and what is inside of them including critical mass, tampers and triggers, as contrasted to a nuclear reactor. History of nuclear weapon design and their magnitudes. Enrichment of uranium and how it is done both by gaseous diffusion and by centrifuges. Origin and cause of a mushroom cloud. Effects of nuclear detonations including the radiation zone, blast zone and fallout. Difficulty of making plutonium but why it is desired. Mix of isotopes made in a fission reactor. Countries which have nuclear weapons. How a Hydrogen bomb works and what is inside of one. Videos of nuclear explosions.
Now see Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjkTzk8NAxM
Alpha, beta and gamma rays are explained in physical terms. Where they come from and how they can be stopped. Demonstration are included. The electromagnetic spectrum is explained. Neutrons are talked about in the same terms describing their origin, stopping and effect. The “cookie problem” where you have to eat, sit on or throw out three cookies one emitting alphas, one emitting betas, one emitting gammas is explained in detail.
Now see Part 4: How Three-Mile Island Ended, but ....: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AALvz5RBEZM
The fateful wrong decision that broke the core during the Three Mile Island nuclear power station accident in 1979. Creation of hydrogen and a hydrogen explosion is discussed. Also how cold water can break hot rocks. Radioactive gasses being released into the containment building and what was done with them.
Now see Part 5: What did we learn? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0SCf0rxX4E
What was learned from the nuclear power station at Three Mile Island accident and how that has changed operations, training and equipment. The advent of simulators. Discussion of how generation three reactors are different and do not need water to constantly cover the core and with out as many back up power sources.
Now see Part 6: How did Media Behave? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rilYW10rW0I
March 28, 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the partial meltdown of Reactor #2 at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station near Harrisburg, PA. Here's a look at WNEP-TV's coverage of the nuclear scare.
Now see Part 7: Dispelling the Myths of Nuclear Energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1QmB5bW_WQ
This is a lecture I give to high school seniors and college freshman emphasizing need for nuclear power, and countering the common objections to it. My individual videos on this channel have much more detail on each topic; this is meant as an overview. I gave this in front of a "live" Zoom audience, and since we were using the light board anyway we decided to release it as a video. I hope you enjoy it.
Now see Part 8: The Economics of Nuclear Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbeJIwF1pVY
What are the costs to construct, fuel and operate a nuclear power plant compared to a natural gas power plant. Compares capital cost and fuel costs and looks at how the cost over time should be analyzed. This is done in a visual manner. The time to construct the plant is shown to be a critical variable along with interest rates. The years when the investment is paid off, when the costs are equal and the variables which could change in value over time are all discussed. Electric production costs of all different types of fuels are compared.
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