Blowups Happen

AFTERWORD

December 1979, exactly 40 years after I researched BLOWUPS HAPPEN (Dec. '39): I had some doubt about republishing this because of the current ignorant fear of fission power, recently enhanced by the harmless flap at Three Mile Island. When I wrote this, there was not a full gram of purified U-235 on this planet, and no one knew its hazards in detail, most especially the mass and geometry and speed of assembly necessary to make "blowups happen." But we now know from long experience and endless tests that the "tons" used in this story could never be assembled — no explosion, melt-down possible, melt-down being the worst that can happen at a power plant; to cause U-235 to explode is very difficult and requires very different design. Yes, radiation is hazardous BUT—

RADIATION EXPOSURE

Half a mile from Three-Mile plant

during the flap 83 millirems

At the power plant 1,100 millirems

During heart catheterization for angiogram 45,000 millirems

— which I underwent 18 months ago. I feel fine.

R.A.H.