Interesting thesis that USSR products may have been built from rigged US secret 'plans.' I hadn't heard this idea before, but it makes a certain Spy-vs-Spy sense... I think, though, that the Soviets scientists and engineers have all the expertise they need to smoke such gimmicks out.
Yes, on the problems the USSR had (and has) with building quality things generally (like housing and automobiles), but in the areas of space and energy, I imagine they did things right. I repeat that I was told that the Chernobyl unit was being experimented with when it went out of control. Re. religion and engineers.... My sense is that the world is slowly discovering that religion generally is misleading, and that it imposes undesirable biases on any human endeavor. So yes, nukes under ayatollahs does worry me. But it worries me equally that they may be under Christian fundies, or Jewish fundies. The current silliness being engaged in by Condie et al is a case in point. By refusing to recognize that Iran has a fundamental right to develop its nuclear capabilities -- whether it is for power or weaponry -- we take a stance that cannot be supported under any viable concept of international relations, except that of 'might making right'. And I think that anyone taking even a middle-term view of things will agree that that is no viable concept, tempting as it may be in the short run to those who have the might. Too many people with too much power are playing games that are increasingly dangerous. Until their electorates come to the idea that they have an obligation to learn about the issues and assess political candidates carefully, we will continue to be saddled with politically ambitious people who are more interested in the exercise of ego and the acquisition of power than the performance of service in the public good. Cheers, Lawry -----Original Message----- From: Brad McCormick, Ed.D. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 9:16 AM To: Darryl & Natalia Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Futurework] Back to Chernobyl Darryl & Natalia wrote: > Thanks, Lawry, > Any way to confirm this? I would think that Iran, and other nations > foolish enough to consider the Russian product would appreciate this > tidbit. Though I'm certain all reactors sold are to be "used only as > directed", it would be useful info for those who need it for accurate > assessment or study. If correct, it really should be made public. And > I realize this could be difficult. Some things to be concerned about: (1) It is possible that the soviet reactor design contains flaws that got there by them stealing designs that the U.S. intentionally modified to have flaws in them to help Communism self-destruct. I have read that this *was* the reason the Soviet SST was crash-prone, because they copied Concorde plans that we altered. (2) The Soviet Union and its "satellites" does not seem to have always built to high engineering standards even when the U.S. didn't "help" them screw up. (3) Iran may have fine engineers. But don't you worry a bit when engineers are operating in a religious environment, as in the United States today -- oops, I meant: as in Iran today? \brad mccormick > Natalia > NAV scanned > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Lawrence de Bivort <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > *To:* [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > *Sent:* Friday, June 02, 2006 9:32 AM > *Subject:* [Futurework] Back to Chernobyl > > Greetings, everyone, > > After our discussion some time ago on Chernobyl, we were left with > some uncertainty over just what happened. This information is from > a reliable source, one of the Russian engineering team that went > into Chernobyl to assess the accident and its causes. They used > robots, of course. > > The reactor is a graphite, and had no containment vessel. There > were about 200 tons of enriched uranium (235) in Unit Four, the > one that had the accident. The crew was experimenting with the > possibility of increasing the heat yield (and thus the amount of > steam that could run the electricity-generating turbines) and lost > control of the reactor. Steam built up rapidly within the core, > and blew the top of the reactor off. Then there was a second > explosion, equal they think to an 'inefficient' atomic bomb in > power. This dispersed into the atmosphere, to a height of 70,000 > feet, approximately 190 tons of the enriched uranium. Thus now in > the reactor only about 10 tons of the material is left. It was > covered hastily in a concrete 'sarcophagus.' The Ukraine is asking > for more international money to redo the sarcophagus, as it is > deteriorating. The official story is that the great majority of > the uranium is still in the sarcophagus, but photographs show that > this is not correct. > > This person did not look at the health impacts of the explosion. > > The remaining three units remain in operation today. This is the > same model that the Russians have sold to the Iranians, in a deal > made in '91 or '92. The Iranians are having to pay more and more, > and they still don't have their reactor. > > Cheers, > > Lawry > > </DIV> <P> <HR> > <P></P>_______________________________________________<BR> Futurework > mailing > list<BR>[email protected]<BR>http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/m ailman/listinfo/futurework<BR></BLOCKQUOTE> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [email protected] > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > -- Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
