MIT Nuclear Reactor Trip

A nuclear reactor in the heart of Cambridge, MA does sound pretty alarming. In fact, I did not even know the Reactor was active until my classmates and I arrived at the MIT Reactor. The facility was pretty locked down with top-notch security features. We had to wait to get let inside the building, and then a worker had to confirm our identity, sign us in, and assigned us an Embitter. This embitter monitored the amount of radiation being let off anywhere in the building. We were instructed to carry this embitter on us at all time, and stow our cellphones in a secure room.

Entering the reactor felt like I was in a classic James Bond movie. Moving into a pressurized entryway, we all had to cram into a small space to await the go-ahead for entrance into the reactor. Our tour guide preceded to provide a retinal scan to gain entrance into the secure facility. Granted we could not see the actual reactor itself due to radiation and security measures, it still felt pretty amazing to be allowed into the Reactor.

Our tour guide was extremely informative, and helped me understand the basics of the reactor. It was interesting to hear that a reactor like this would not be allowed to exist today, but since it’s been here for so long the federal government allows them to continue the research. Going into the control room was a highlight of the trip, because we got to see the Reactor’s central command and all the functional systems that control the reactor. I was blown away to see one person was behind the entire facility running, but after learning all the important fail-safe measures were centrally located by the control operator, I felt more relieved.

All in all, I had a really good time getting to the see the ins-and-outs of the MIT Reactor. I would recommend anyone getting more information on the reactor, or even taking the tour!