Half-Life

Time goes on and turns our attention, but radioactive isotopes take a long time to decay. On Greg Laden's Blog, Analiese Miller and Greg update us on the nuclear crisis in Japan. Although the dangers faced at the Fukushima power plant have diminished, the long term consequences have just begun. Greg writes "it has been a while since extensive fission has occurred in the leaking reactor" and "there is real progress in hooking up the plants to outside power sources." Meanwhile, Ana's extensive news feed documents irradiated produce, neglected and euthanized livestock, and a widened evacuation zone. On Casaubon's Book, Sharon Astyk enumerates her first (and only) top ten list, with ways to reduce our dependence on energy. She suggests we stop voting for industrial production with our dollars, buy things used, and cut back on everything from "lumber to underpants." Going green will take some ingenuity, but it will provide a safer, cleaner, and cooler world for future generations.

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"...but radioactive isotopes take a long time to decay."

Sorry. I have to point out that that is not true for all isotopes. Many have extremely short life times. Iodine 131 has a half-life of ~8 days for example. Some isotopes produced in reactors have half-lives measured in hours.

By NoAstronomer (not verified) on 26 May 2011 #permalink

avaat half life bence olmamalıy böyle bir denelrlere katılmask. sizin haberiniz yoktu sarınırım. bir gün oluÅmulradın torunlarıdan figen han istanbula kaçmıÅ. amacı ünlülerinden olmakiçin neçare karder aÄlarını örgümÅ böyle acınaklı bir durum oluÅmuÅ anlayacaÄınız.
figen han...