Feedback loops and nuclear accidents: or the false promises of fast neutron reactors
M.V. Ramana
(University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Princeton University, USA)
Nuclear power plants, as history has shown, are capable of suffering severe accidents leading to the spread of radioactive contamination across large areas. This talk will explain why the possibility of future accidents can never be ruled out, focusing specifically on the case of fast neutron (breeder) reactors, a class of designs favoured by many people who propose these as the solution to the enduring problem of nuclear waste. It will combine insights from engineering and sociology to explain why nuclear energy is uniquely problematic.