ONE half–life of radium ago, the Romans were evacuating Britain ; one half–life of uranium ago, the Earth’s crust had not yet cooled and solidified. One half–life of radon from now, I will be giving the second of four “Introduction to Atomic Energy” lectures at the Dallas Makerspace. Meanwhile, the fuel crisis is hitting hard, somewhere unexpected if you are not familiar with conditions in the USA ; someone has actually proven my point that the recent Harvard studies claiming that nuclear power plants cause cancer would give similar results for universities ; and even the odious Marine LePen can occasionally say something cogent.
Month: October 2026
ASFO 2026–10–10
MARGARET Hamilton has died, the NS Savannah is in danger of scrapping, and the President of the United States has been haranguing the General Assembly of the United Nations with threats of annihilation. Can we find something good to talk about? Well, there is some progress in getting nuclear power to the Canadian First Nations and remote northern regions. Also, the ugly history of the parking lots at the State Fair of Texas ; I question the existence of religious grounds for refusing vaccinations ; and I find another reason to mention the great Fred Hoyle and his book A Decade of Decision.
ASFO 2026–10–03
As a result of my parents’ ill–timed stargazing trip to the Big Bend country (where the skies are overcast), I am not coming to you from West Fork, Arkansas, site of the Shire Post Mint 25th anniversary celebration — although that might be rained out anyway. Instead I am left to talk about preparations for Nuclear Science Week activities at the Dallas Makerspace, a record album of nuclear–related audio programs I have purchased but not yet received, the decommissioning of an early French nuclear power plant that never functioned particularly well but looks amazing, and an attempt by some so–called news sources to create panic about difficulties encountered in the course of attempts to re–activate the shut–down Palisades nuclear power station in Michigan, which might be bad in a business sense but certainly cannot cause anybody any harm.