MIT TOUR
Unfortunately I was not able to attend the MIT tour. I hope you still find my blog to be interesting and full of fun facts.
As I browsed thought the MIT website it was apparent the NRL (Nuclear Reactor Lab) served multiple services. The lab is available to:
- MIT undergrad students
- MIT grad students
- Operator training programs
- Research Projects
Those are all examples of how MIT uses the nuclear reactor in-house. But as we all now know the reactor is also used for external reasons. MIT focuses on educating the community and general public, they hope that the public is interest and encouraged to learn about the Nuclear Reactor Lab. Initiatives such as:
- Tours – general public – high school students
- Assistance to students with science fair project
Because I did not attend the tour, I figured I’d view as many images as possible. I believe the Images above are the best display of what I missed out on.
Nuclear reactor labs in a heavily based engineering school seem to work as a motivational tool for students attending the university.
“Students are particularly enthusiastic about experimental work on the MITR-II because it gives opportunity to apply their academic learning to challenging engineering and scientific problems. Also, they acquire the skills needed to coordinate projects and are imbued with the “safety culture” needed for the proper operation of nuclear facilities”.
Tying the nuclear reactor lab with topics covered in previous blogs, I found an article published by Boston Magazine on August 2011. If you read my “Fukishima” blog you will note the article was written around the same time.
“CAMBRIDGE’S LITTLE NUKE has operated happily and quietly for years, and MIT absolutely intends to keep it that way. But the incidents at Fukushima have renewed concerns about its safety, stoking fears that the “blue mushroom” could wipe out Boston in a mushroom cloud”
This Quotation summarizes what the article was about, the city of Boston was simply nervous.
“City Manager Robert Healy confer with MIT and the heads of relevant municipal departments, such as fire and police, to respond to residents freaking out about their nuclear neighbor. One by one at the meeting, citizens rose to face the elected officials, clearly having Googled in preparation. Sandra Foster, who seemed spooked, commented that “I’m sure if they continue to use that highly enriched uranium many, many people would die.” James Williamson, in a Harvard baseball cap and unbuttoned white shirt, criticized the city manager’s response to Seidel’s request for information as “woefully inadequate,” calling it “dismissive to say the least.”
For a short period of time the city of Cambridge was uneasy and nervous with having a nuclear reactor lab in their town. As of late many critiques remain uneasy and nervous, but there is no public outcry.
http://www2.cambridgema.gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/MITResponsesNuclearSafetyConcerns.pdf
The link above has a lot of facts defending MIT nuclear reactor. The PDF defends every action MIT has taken and lists any incident that has occurred or any
After and only after you read all the facts from both bias parties I would love to hear comments on the matter. God forbidding, if a nuclear accident were to occur we would all be affected in one way or another. Cambridge is within a few miles and our campus, and livelihood would all change.
Remember guy’s participation is 5%, so please answer or comment on the following questions:
- Are you comfortable with the nuclear reactor in Cambridge?
- Do you ever think about a worse case scenario?
- After visiting the reactor do you believe it is safe from terrorist act?
The two links below are the complete opposite. The first link explains the positives and potential of nuclear reactor labs, the other is an example of Fukishima.
The Future of Nuclear Power
http://video.mit.edu/watch/the-future-of-nuclear-power-richard-meserve-13756/
Fukushima Meltdown
I can’t wait to read your comments!
References:
http://www2.cambridgema.gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/MITResponsesNuclearSafetyConcerns.pdf
http://web.mit.edu/nrl/www/index.html
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/fukushima-accident/
http://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-summary.pdf