Our last class was a bit different from the others. We had to walk to MIT to see their nuclear reactor. I knew that we were heading to an interesting achievement that MIT students did since the professor asked us to send her our addresses and names in order to give them to MIT’s staff. The nuclear reactor was highly secured. After checking in, I was asked to wear a radiation detector, which is a device that helped us detect/track high-energy particles. Afterwards, one of the MIT’s staff took us to a classroom where he explained the concept and the uniqueness of MIT’s nuclear reactor.
Unlike the other nuclear reactors, the one in MIT does not have commercial purposes, but it was made for scientific research and experiments. As far as I’m concerned, I believe that traditional cancer treatments are not as much effective as the use of nuclear reactor. MIT’s nuclear reactor was used for medicine purposes to cure people who suffered from cancer with less severe side effects. The nuclear reactor used a treatment called NCT which stands for Neutron capture Therapy. It is “a cutting-edge treatment method that uses neutrons captured during operation of a nuclear reactor to irradiate the tumor.” (Phys.org).
The lecturer started by giving us an idea of how the nuclear reactor does work and by presenting the various components of the reactor. He later on explained two concepts of nuclear energy: fusion and fission. The two terms might be similar in terms of words but different in terms of definition. According to the article published in the university of Wisconsin nuclear reactor tour, Fission is defined as “a nuclear reaction in which atomic nucleus splits, or fissions, into fragments of comparable mass, with the release of large amounts of energy in the form of heat and radiation.” However, fusion is defined as a combination of light nuclei.
After the presentation, we were led to the reactor itself where the guide explained us that the nuclear reactor is smaller than the regular average size. In the entrance, we could see the high measurements of security that have been set up inside the reactor. The guide showed us a board, which included the names of workers accompanied with light bulbs. So, in case of an emergency, workers could know easily who of the employees is still inside the nuclear reactor. Also, the guide showed us the most significant “piece” which consisted in controlling all the components of the nuclear reactor. With the aid of light bulbs, workers could see which component is working and which is not.
I learned a lot from the tour and I liked the fact that our course was diversified by such interesting activities.
“Particle Detector.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_detector>.
“Nuclear Reactor as a Cancer Cure.” Nuclear Reactor as a Cancer Cure. N.p., 03 May 2005. Web. 03 Nov. 2013. <http://phys.org/news3245.html>.