BLOG ENTRY: MIT Nuclear Facility Visit

BLOG ENTRY: MIT Nuclear Facility Visit

Visiting the MIT Nuclear Reactor (shown above) provided an opportunity to see the facilities we have been discussing in class in person. I had been completely unaware that we had such research reactors available in the country! Instead, I had imagined all nuclear reactions taking place in huge nuclear power plants. These facilities, from what was discussed during the tour, really provide us the tools we need to do all forms of research. From medical to energy production analysis, this trip underscored the importance of continued research funding by the government.

Initial Impression

Entering the actual reactor itself was very interesting. I learned from just that initial moment that these reactors required a different amount of air pressure. That’s a small detail I didn’t know, but something (that if changed) would probably cause so many problems inside the reactor! Further, the layers of radiation checking/scanning truly made it a surreal experience that seemed straight from the movies. Some things can be exaggerated, but the precaution taken at these types of plants certainly were not! Varying forms of radiation measurements, and the real-life usage of a Geiger-counter, added a hands-on learning experience with what we had discussed in class and from Tom Vales’s lecture.

Tour

Our tour guide provided an enthusiastic and informative session. The biggest takeaway I had was the amount of medical research that can be conducted at a nuclear reactor. When I had imagined radiation being used for cancer treatment, I didn’t imagine the rays they had set up at MIT.  There were posters that demonstrated how such medical treatments would take place, and they offered a detailed look at research-driven operations. Further, it was unfortunate that it seems that research is often driven by interest fueled funding more-so than healthcare needs. This tour re-energized my view that basic scientific research needs to be receiving more consistent support.

The next part of the tour that I found to be most interesting was the control room (shown above). It looked like something that could have been inside of submarine! However, the work being done in those rooms are so incredibly important to the safety of those working in and around the reactor. I simply cannot imagine how big those rooms may be in a larger nuclear facility that’s consistently at critical energy levels. From the demonstration we received, it surprised me that none of the tools was computer-generated. This provided security against potential cyber threats, although newer technologies are now being tested with software.

Lastly, I noted the amount of security precautions taken even for those who seemed to be comfortable in the facility. There was multiple layers of personnel monitoring the equipment, in addition to individuals wearing protective gear around the top of the reactor. While it didn’t provide me with an answer to the nuclear safety question, it brought to my mind the question of the potential that nuclear power plant security concerns are overblown. The tour guide underscored the amount of radiation put into the atmosphere from different byproducts of coal mining and other energy sources, and I found that to be an argument often not used by advocates of nuclear power. Nuclear energy isn’t the only form of energy production that ultimately leads to radiation output, and that’s an important detail in the broader energy debate!

Conclusion

While it’s interesting to read and write about the potential pros and cons of nuclear energy, it’s a great experience to go to a facility and get up close and personal. The realization I had with this tour, as I implied earlier in my blog, is that there seems to be an information deficit with nuclear power. I have consistently viewed radiation as something inevitable with nuclear power exclusively, and linked that with overall fear of nuclear power utilization. However, given a broader realm of information on radiation and actually seeing the safety measures in action, my views are continuing to evolve. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to see the facility, and am glad to walk away with a more grounded opinion on nuclear research and the potential benefits. These reactors provide a great amount of information that will likely lead to safer medical uses of radiation and a greater amount of secure nuclear power in the future.