Chernobyl.

[oralaccents]

Great thread. What other TV shows are you watching, sean?

 

[RocketLauncher]

I didn't watch the new HBO version yet but I will. About ten years ago there was a documentary on Chernobyl. Very vivid and sad event to watch. The people understood it was a death warrant to fight those fires, contractors pouring concrete were doomed from the onset and the absolute devastation to the surrounding population and environment, and the government lies and deceit to hide an embarrassment from its own people and the west. Tragic.

Saw that documentary. Incredible how self sacrificing some people are for the better good.
My list of accidents in the States was to highlight the aging infrastructures. There are cleaner, cheaper energy sources that don't involve radioactivity or development. What happens to these plants during natural disasters? Fukushima of course. The US is inundated with nuclear power plants. I'll see if I can find that graphic. I was shocked at how many there are, esp. on the east coast.

https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/maps/operating-nuclear-power-reactors

 

[InsightRiot]

Scott Adams Reviews HBO’s Chernobyl - Will It Make People Anti Nuclear?

Scott Adams, a leftist, predicted Trump's win back when everyone was like "There's NO WAY Trump can win".
He called Chernobyl anti-nuclear propaganda.
He is a trained spin-doctor, and hypnotist.

 

[Luk]

Scott Adams Reviews HBO’s Chernobyl - Will It Make People Anti Nuclear?

Scott Adams, a leftist, predicted Trump's win back when everyone was like "There's NO WAY Trump can win".
He called Chernobyl anti-nuclear propaganda.
He is a trained spin-doctor, and hypnotist.

InsightRiot, an informed douchecanoe, is wrong about Scott Adams.

In 2015, although Adams stated that he would not endorse a candidate for the 2016 elections, he repeatedly praised Donald Trump's persuasion skills, especially on his blog,[35][36] extensively detailing what he called Trump's "talent stack",[37] the then-candidate's unusual skill set combination.

Adams officially switched his endorsement from Clinton to Trump. Among his primary reasons for the switch were his respect for Trump's persuasion skills over Clinton's, Clinton's proposal to raise the inheritance tax to 65%, and his concerns over Clinton's health.[45] Adams states that writing about Donald Trump ended his speaking career and reduced his income by about 40%.[44]

 

[DeYaKen]

I'm referring to fusion reactors, not fission. Totally different animal. I agree that the economics of existing nukes is unfavorable, though there may possibly be good use cases for small modular fission reactors.

Fusion reactors are currently pie in the sky. The best estimate is that a viable reactor is at least thirty years away. In the mean time CANDU represents the safest option for power generation, but the main purpose of other stations is to subsidise military nuclear advancement.

 

[InsightRiot]

Incredible how self sacrificing some people are for the better good.

That's a great description of the rural proletarians.

 

[InsightRiot]

bunch of retarded blah blah blah

Endorsement is not the same thing as prediction.

 

[von_Bismarck]

Fusion reactors are currently pie in the sky. The best estimate is that a viable reactor is at least thirty years away. In the mean time CanDo represents the safest option for power generation, but the main purpose of other stations is to subsidise military nuclear advancement.

Fusion reactors being "pie in the sky" and at least thirty years away is a somewhat out of date assessment. Current targets are for the 2030 time frame, with some good reason for careful optimism.

 

[InsightRiot]

In episode 4, at the end, when we find out that the woman lost her baby because it absorbed all the radiation:

"We live in a country where babies die to save their mother's life."​

Current year in America:

"We live in a country where babies must die so the mother's future isn't altered."​

 

[Luk]

Endorsement is not the same thing as prediction.

No one expected you to own your fuckup, dipshit.

 

[von_Bismarck]

In episode 4, at the end, when we find out that the woman lost her baby because it absorbed all the radiation:

"We live in a country where babies die to save their mother's life."​

Current year in America:

"We live in a country where babies must die so the mother's future isn't altered."​

Thanks, Libsam.

 

[Luk]

Current year in America:

"We live in a country where babies must die so the mother's health isn't jeopardized."​

FYP

I suggest that you stop embarrassing yourself today.

 

[DeYaKen]

Fusion reactors being "pie in the sky" and at least thirty years away is a somewhat out of date assessment. Current targets are for the 2030 time frame, with some good reason for careful optimism.

I'll believe it when I see it. Fusion has been the great promise for most of my lifetime. Some say that was the mythical power source for Jules Verne's Nautilus. It's always been just around the corner but the corner keeps getting further away. Given the time it takes to build a power station, if the 2030 target is met for a viable reactor, actually generating power from fusion still looks a long way off. I will never see it.

 

[von_Bismarck]

I'll believe it when I see it. Fusion has been the great promise for most of my lifetime. Some say that was the mythical power source for Jules Verne's Nautilus. It's always been just around the corner but the corner keeps getting further away. Given the time it takes to build a power station, if the 2030 target is met for a viable reactor, actually generating power from fusion still looks a long way off. I will never see it.

I mean, 20-25 years ago there would have been great reason for skepticism. There would be great reason for skepticism today, if ITER was the only game in town. But TAE Technologies, for instance, is building a reactor for net energy gain in the first half of the 2020s, with plans to go commercial afterwards. And they're just one of many well funded start ups these days, all targeting ~2030 for commercialization. There's some corroborating evidence that 2030 is a good time frame. We can chart efficiency of fusion energy plants in time. It follows an exponential curve all the way to the first demonstrations of fusion energy. If the curve holds up, commercial viability is reached at around 2029.

 

[InsightRiot]

No one expected you to own your fuckup, dipshit.

From Scott Adam's personal blog in 2015:
How Trump Becomes President

In 2016:
Trump Prediction Update

As you know, Donald Trump has been sinking in the polls, thanks to the Clinton campaign adopting Trump-like persuasion tactics and framing the GOP nominee as an unstable, racist maniac. That approach is working, and time is running out for Trump to change things.

Should I update my prediction of a Trump landslide?

For background, I endorsed Hillary Clinton (for my personal safety) but I’ve been predicting since last year that Trump would win in a landslide because of his superior persuasion skills.​

 

[Luk]

From Scott Adam's personal blog in 2015:
How Trump Becomes President

In 2016:
Trump Prediction Update

As you know, Donald Trump has been sinking in the polls, thanks to the Clinton campaign adopting Trump-like persuasion tactics and framing the GOP nominee as an unstable, racist maniac. That approach is working, and time is running out for Trump to change things.

Should I update my prediction of a Trump landslide?

For background, I endorsed Hillary Clinton (for my personal safety) but I’ve been predicting since last year that Trump would win in a landslide because of his superior persuasion skills.​

Both of our links prove that I'm right, dumbass.

 

[Biggs_Darklighter]

I see people who are at least aware that miscarriages do occur, how a miscarriage of justice might occur, and how hard it is to get your case reconsidered.

Few years ago Animal Planet did a "documentary" on the existence of mermaids. And people believed it. Little bit later they did one on Megaladon and people believed it.
Perhaps you have more faith in people that I do. I think they're morons who believe what they are told no matter how stupid.

 

[dolf]

Few years ago Animal Planet did a "documentary" on the existence of mermaids. And people believed it. Little bit later they did one on Megaladon and people believed it.
Perhaps you have more faith in people that I do. I think they're morons who believe what they are told no matter how stupid.

You must be American!

 

[beew]

Gorbachev and Perestroika.

The incompetent handling of the Chernobyl disaster happened under Gorbachev.

Apparently the myth of a visionary, measured Gorbachev was just that.

He was neither a liberator nor a CIA or Ukrainian mole.
He was a Communist who tried to cosmeticise and preserve the Soviet system - during a time when the economy was plummeting, and the population was growing increasingly discontent.
A change of facade was inevitable for the USSR to still exist.
But then it all took a life of its own when Soviet satellite countries seized the moment to liberate themselves.

Gorbachev is much hated in Russia. But not because of soviet nostalgia (most Russians hated communism and felt oppressed too), but because of his hypocrisy and incompetent handling of the inevitable transition.

He was touting this hero liberator persona, while Russian dissidents were still being kept in concentration camps. His incompetent handling of the Chernobyl disaster. And his incompetent perestroika economic measures paved the way for even more incompetent and disastrous economic measures of Boris Yeltsin, which plunged Russians into even more poverty and corruption.

 

[beew]

Gorbachev was half Russian, half Ukrainian.

I don't think that influenced his policies, but it also raises an interesting question:
Should first generation immigrants (like Illan Omar) be elected into positions of political power?

I'd say No. (even if I'm an immigrant myself).
Their loyalties will always be split. If you want diversity, elect local minorities or at least 2nd-3rd third generation immigrants.

 

[dolf]

I imagine lots of people wished that only 3rd generation could hold office right now

 

[someoneyouknow]

https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/aj8wdZ8_460svvp9.webm

 

[icanhelp1]

Gorbachev was half Russian, half Ukrainian.

I don't think that influenced his policies, but it also raises an interesting question:
Should first generation immigrants (like Illan Omar) be elected into positions of political power?

I'd say No. (even if I'm an immigrant myself).
Their loyalties will always be split. If you want diversity, elect local minorities or at least 2nd-3rd third generation immigrants.

I so agree with you. I have no ill will towards legal migrants ( also come from a family of immigrants, couldn't speak english till I was 5 yrs/o ), they are a necessity and add greatly to the macrocosm of our nation. 2nd and 3rd generations are more assimilated and vested into our culture ( their new culture ). Though 2nd generations still have interest in their native culture and want what's best for their own but see things though an american prism. They tend to see America as their America and are more apt to make decisions or vote for what's best for their nation ( America ). Just my humble opinion. Off topic but what the hell.

 

[beew]

I so agree with you. I have no ill will towards legal migrants ( also come from a family of immigrants, couldn't speak english till I was 5 yrs/o ), they are a necessity and add greatly to the macrocosm of our nation. 2nd and 3rd generations are more assimilated and vested into our culture ( their new culture ). Though 2nd generations still have interest in their native culture and want what's best for their own but see things though an american prism. They tend to see America as their America and are more apt to make decisions or vote for what's best for their nation ( America ). Just my humble opinion. Off topic but what the hell.

Good observations.

I always thought that second generation immigrants had an advantage over both first generation immigs. and locals:

Familiarity with thus ability to see multiple perspectives,
but without the unsettling feeling of uprootedness that first gens have.

 

[nowisthetime]

This was one of the most eye-opening miniseries that I have seen in a long time. It was greatly disturbing how the Soviet Union was so concerned with "saving face", completely disregarding the safety of everyone to be at peace with their deceit.


I am angered that they allowed Nikolai to be damn near a nuclear powerplant, just ten years of hard labor? These men got off too easy.

Our hero, Legasov, so disheartening that he decided to kill himself, but I am glad his tapes got out there for the world to know the truth.

I am happy that the Suicide Squad lived on to have fulfilling lives, but I still weep for those firefighters who suffered from acute radiation poisoning.

An account of what Firefighter Vasily suffered: https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gta/2011/03/18/porter_the_sad_tale_of_chernobyl_victim_vasily_ignatenko.html

Note very graphic...

“Every day I met a brand-new person,” she told Ukrainian journalist Svetlana Alexievitch 10 years later. (Her story is captured in Alexievitch’s wounding book, Voices from Chernobyl.)

Lesions broke out on his precious lips and cheeks, and then peeled off in white film. His body turned blue, red, grey-brown. The skin cracked on his arms and legs. Boils swelled into place. His hair fell out in clumps.

“He was producing stool 25 to 30 times a day. With blood and mucus,” she recounted.

“The last two days in the hospital — pieces of his lungs, of his liver, were coming out of his mouth. He was choking on his internal organs. I’d wrap my hand in a bandage and put it in his mouth, take out all that stuff.”


Just horrifying.