Summary

Chapter 12, “Nuclear Power,” discusses the pros and cons of using nuclear reactions as fuel sources, as well as discussing a couple of famous disasters. Nuclear reactors are a highly contentious issue, and Muller attempts to explain both sides, after giving a detailed explanation of how a nuclear reactor actually works.

“Can a Nuclear Reactor Explode Like an Atomic Bomb?” The answer is no, and yet many people believe that it is yes. Muller blames pop culture for this phenomenon, and explains that in a nuclear reactor, nuclei break apart just a few at a time, rather than all at once like in a bomb.

“Manufacturing Plutonium,” explains how the process of releasing neutrons from uranium atoms causes other uranium atoms to absorb the extra neutrons, which creates radioactive neptunium, which then radioactively decays into the kind of plutonium that can be used...