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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
 Posted - 11/02/2005 : 02:55:05
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As a final aside to the "The Earth Will Explode" post yesterday, Scientific American has an article this month with the above title, describing how a uranium ore deposit was discovered with conclusive evidence that a fission reaction had transpired for thousands of years in intermittant "bursts" of several hours, yielding perhaps 100 KW... enough power to run a bunch of appliances. Thought fission was our bad idea? Nope- nature was a step ahead.
But no, I still don't think this means the mentioned post might be right (claimed the Earth's core is a giant reactor, that's "getting ready to blow.") Sleep well.
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Ron White |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 03:05:23 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by ronnywhite
As a final aside to the "The Earth Will Explode" post yesterday, Scientific American has an article this month with the above title, describing how a uranium ore deposit was discovered with conclusive evidence that a fission reaction had transpired for thousands of years in intermittant "bursts" of several hours, yielding perhaps 100 KW... enough power to run a bunch of appliances. Thought fission was our bad idea? Nope- nature was a step ahead.
But no, I still don't think this means the mentioned post might be right (claimed the Earth's core is a giant reactor, that's "getting ready to blow.") Sleep well.
Nature is always one step ahead, and after all, nucular reactions are a natural phenomena. If they weren't, they wouldn't, would they....?
I hadn't heard of this. Gotta link?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 11/02/2005 03:06:12 |
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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 04:19:32 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
I hadn't heard of this. Gotta link?
Sorry, saw it at the library in the paper version... don't immediately have one. |
Ron White |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 05:43:12 [Permalink]
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We better prepare a team of adventurers with enough nukes so they can burrow down to the core in case the nuclear reaction down there stops, blow them up, and get the reaction started again. If that core isn't active, God knows what bad shit can happen to the surface of the planet.
They'll come back as heroes!
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 11/02/2005 05:44:30 |
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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 06:40:50 [Permalink]
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The article in SA also stated that a natural reactor can no longer occur. U235 (which fissions with the addition of thermal neutron) has a shorter half-life than U238 so the concentration of U235 in deposits of uranium has dropped below the threshold where fission would occur.
Therefore the earth won't explode - we will have to do that ourselves.
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If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 07:17:23 [Permalink]
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| Damn it. Then we really do have to get that team of adventurers prepared... |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 12:29:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
Nature's reactors
In the early 1970s, French scientists noticed something odd about samples of uranium recovered from the Oklo mine in Gabon, West Africa. All atoms of a specific chemical element have the same chemical properties, but may differ in weight; these different weights of an element are known as isotopes. Some uranium samples from Gabon had an abnormally low amount of the isotope U-235, which can sustain a chain reaction. This isotope is rare in nature, but in some places, the uranium found at Oklo contained only half the amount of the isotope that should have been there.3
Scientists from other countries were skeptical when first hearing of these natural nuclear reactors. Some argued that the missing amounts of U-235 had been displaced over time, not split in nuclear fission reactions. "How," they asked, "could fission reactions happen in nature, when such a high degree of engineering, physics, and acute, detailed attention went into building a nuclear reactor?"
Perrin and the other French scientists concluded that the only other uranium samples with similar levels of the isotopes found at Oklo could be found in the used nuclear fuel produced by modern reactors. They found that the percentages of many isotopes at Oklo strongly resembled those in the spent fuel generated by nuclear power plants, and, therefore, reasoned that a similar natural process had occurred.4
That is very interesting -- this is the first I've heard of such.
Now, the question is: can the New Ager blithers and homopathic swindlers turn this to their advantage, and why haven't they done already?
Can't you just see the lable in the bottle:
Nature's Nuclear Nasal Nostrum!
A one snort treatment effacious for nose-bleeds and sinus conditions, as well as syphlis, pancreatic warts, bloody piles, deleirum tremens, posterior carbuncles, gout, Yossarian's disease (seeing everything twice), hair loss, chirrosis, chiropratic neck, blanched kidney, toe jam, leproatic rot, rabies, the clap, necrosis of the cerebellum, impotence, politition's knees, vertigo, Saint Vitus' dance, guinea worm, elephantisis, scrofula, ergot, and all other complaints and maladies that commonly afflict ladies and gentlemen of quality.
Satisfaction guarenteed!
If not ENTIRELY satisified, return unused portion of Nature's Nuclear Nasal Nostrum for a COMPLETE refund!
Refund offer void in all states and countries with populations that breath oxygen in amounts exceeding 5% of the atmosphere.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 14:14:16 [Permalink]
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quote:
Refund offer void in all states and countries with populations that breath oxygen in amounts exceeding 5% of the atmosphere.
Aha! Loophole! There will always be populations of some organism whose surroundings contain less than 5% oxygen in any country. But then you could always argue that bacteria don't actually breathe... Drat.
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METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 15:34:16 [Permalink]
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Poor wording on my part...
It should read to the effect that places with populations that breath air of more than 5% oxygen & ec.
Don't ya just love that fine print?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 16:05:14 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Ricky
quote:
Originally posted by Hawks
quote:
Refund offer void in all states and countries with populations that breath oxygen in amounts exceeding 5% of the atmosphere.
Aha! Loophole! There will always be populations of some organism whose surroundings contain less than 5% oxygen in any country. But then you could always argue that bacteria don't actually breathe... Drat.
But it says that is is void in all states with populations that breath oxygen in amounts exceeding 5% of the atmosphere.
So if a state or country has any population that breaths oxygen in amounts exceeding 5% of the atmosphere, the offer is void.
Ahem, of course it is. |
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2005 : 00:06:28 [Permalink]
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Ricky-
Yea, that's right, it was the oslo site- filthy nailed it, but in the other post he forgot to include "webbed toes."
Along those lines, SI had a neat article maybe 15 years ago about radioactive homeopathic remedies (mainly containing radium and mesothorium) in the early 20th century when we started to notice radiation could mysteriously shrink tumors, clear-up fungus rashes, etc. and it was all the rage. The usual elixirs with alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, and opium had been around for a while and were "old stuff" with the new "nuke tonics" being like the "Red Bull" energy drink of the day... bottoms-up.
Otherwise, well, I suppose a trip to the core's the only way to settle the matter... they're funding NIH investigating urine therapy, therapeutic-touch and all that, so why not?
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Ron White |
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