Nuclear Energy

2007-07-10T03:37:20Z

SineWave: /* Power */

Nuclear refers to a reaction caused by the power of an [[atom]]. The main uses of nuclear technology is in nuclear reactors, which use the energy in an atom to create power, or nuclear weapons, which use the energy in warfare. There are two types of reactions, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

==Theory==
The energy released from a nuclear fission device is given by the equation <math>E= MC</math><sup>2</sup>. Spelled out, mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. This equation is the formula for the energy contained in an atom. This energy is released in a nuclear weapon when a speeding [[neutron]] collides with the atom, blasting it apart, and releasing the binding energy of the atom. In a nuclear weapon, the atom blasted apart then releases other neutrons which collide with other atoms. This keeps occuring until there are no atoms left to destroy. This is known as a nuclear chain reaction. In a nuclear fission power plant, however, the nuclear core is designed so that a runaway chain reaction cannot occur, because there are not enough atoms for it.

Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, is based on putting atoms together, as opposed to breaking them apart in fission, heavier atoms often require less bonding energy than the combined original binding energies of the fusing lighter atoms.

==Weapon==
[[Image:Hiroshima Nuke.gif|thumb|left|Nuclear "mushroom cloud" at Hiroshima, Japan]]
A nuclear weapon is a weapon designed with a nuclear warhead. Nuclear weapons not only produce mass devastation in the blast radius, but also create a nuclear fallout for many years to come. Recently, there has been much fear of a terrorist state or organization getting hold of either a [[Soviet]] weapon or creating one of their own.

Nuclear fission based weapons occur by the nuclear chain reaction system, while thermonuclear weapons create nuclear fusion in their reaction.

==Power==
[[Image:Nuclear Power Plant.jpg|thumb|right|Nuclear power plant]]
Nuclear fission has existed for power over fifty years, starting with the [[Manhattan Project]]. It currently supplies electricity to many of the nations of the world. The nuclear industry was booming in the 1960's and 1970's, but political opposition stopped nuclear construction in the USA. There is talk of renewing construction because it is the cleanest and cheapest source of large quantities of power, it doesn't depend on Mideast oil, and it doesn't emit greenhouse gases.

Nuclear fusion has been sought vigorously as a clean energy source, but the end result in every try has been less energy resulting in the reaction than was put into it. Nevertheless, several countries still invest heavily in nuclear fusion energy programs in the hope that someday they may become viable.

==Culture==
Nuclear weapons are often colloquially called "nukes."

A nuclear fusion reactor was a central part of the 2004 film [[Spiderman 2]].

[[category:science]]

X-Files

2007-07-10T03:05:29Z

SineWave:

The '''X-Files''' was a [[television]] program on [[Fox]] about two FBI detectives who investigated the [[occult]]. In Seasons One through Seven, they were Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The former was played by David Duchovny, the latter by Gillian Anderson. In Seasons Eight and Nine, Mulder was replaced by John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick.
[[category:broadcasting]]

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Nuclear Energy

X-Files