What is it about?
A simple derivation of E = mc^2 is provided based on conservation of momentum. The conversion of mass into energy in nature fuels the production of light by the sun and stars. Man-made nuclear fission and fusion reactions have been used to produce nuclear weapons to help end World War II, but sadly this has led to the production of mass quantities of nuclear weapons around the world even though the World War ended. Further, nuclear fission reactors, used to boil water for electricity, release radioactive isotopes into the environment that cannot be trapped and produce vast waste that cannot be safely stored for the duration of its toxicity.
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Why is it important?
The work is important because the general public is largely unaware of the toxic effects of nuclear plant releases into the environment. Nuclear fission reactors continue to be supported by governments around the world and the disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima have not caused a halt in their use. Tritium water releases into the sea from Fukushima alone will increase the tritium levels that accumulate in biologic matter in the world's oceans. The common claim that nuclear reactors are better than traditional power plants because they do not release carbon dioxide is nonsensical. The waste stored at hundreds of reactor sites in the U.S. testify to the fact that nuclear power plants must be discontinued and not supported by the government.. Dumping nuclear waste from either industrial sources or military uses is contaminating the environment irreversibly for generations to come.
Perspectives
I fought with "nuclear engineers" in the 1970s' against their intent to produce nuclear reactors for electricity gention, because there is no possible way to neutralize the vast nuclear water they produce including isotopes of plutonium that are hot for scores of thousands of years. The nuclear regulatory agencies are of little help to control releases from these plants and do not fully understand or consider the pathologic effects of the inhaled radiation released from stacks that cannot be trapped which are known to cause cancer in children who live within 10 miles of such plants. Nothing was going to stop the engineers who merely presumed that some day the wastes would be able to be neutralized or stored safely. There are no repositories for the vast tons of waste from these plants, so the waste is all kept on site in containers that cannot withstand the radiation for thousands of years. This is also demonstrated by the spreading leakage of military nuclear waste at Hanford, Washington. The underground storage of mass drums of military waste because nuclear missile bomb tips need to be regularly replaced due to unavoidable radiation damage is a disgrace. Nuclear weapons de-escalation treaties need to be restored.
Dr. Richard Sauerheber
Palomar Community College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: On the Significance and Misuse of E = mc2, SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2023, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4529641.
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