Ebook: Atomic accidents: a history of nuclear meltdowns and disasters: from the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima

A Triumph of Soviet Technology -- Bill Crush and the Hazards of Steam Under Pressure -- We Discover Fire -- World War II, and Danger Beyond Comprehension -- A Bit of Trouble in the Great White North -- Birthing Pains in Idaho -- Making Everything Else Seem Insignificant in the UK -- In Nuclear Research, Even the Goof-ups are Fascinating -- The Atomic Man and Lessons in Fuel Processing -- The Military Almost Never Lost a Nuclear Weapon -- The China Syndrome Plays in Harrisburg and Pripyat -- Tragedy at Fukushima Daiichi -- Caught in the Rickover Trap.;From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. The author, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at nuclear incidents and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns. Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom - and the author puts forth a proposal for what the future should be for this frontier of science that still holds so much promise.