Chernobyl RBMK positive void coefficient runaway reaction

Boiling water could accelerate Chernobyl’s reactor

In Chernobyl’s RBMK reactor, coolant turning into steam created voids that increased reactivity. The stronger chain reaction caused more coolant to boil, producing a runaway feedback loop.

More than a third of global crop calories go to feeding animals

A widely cited analysis of global crop production found that about 55% of crop calories were used directly as human food, while 36% went to animal feed and 9% to biofuels or other industrial uses. Feeding crops to livestock does not return all those calories as meat, milk or eggs. How harvests are used therefore matters as much as how much food is grown.

A thin clay layer held unusual iridium

Up To 160× Background

A thin layer of clay in Italy contained up to 160 times the usual amount of iridium. Because iridium is rare on Earth but common in asteroids, researchers proposed that a vaporized impactor spread it around the planet before they identified the crater.

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Chernobyl RBMK positive void coefficient runaway reaction

Boiling water could accelerate Chernobyl’s reactor

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