Ep 162: Nuclear alchemy
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Nuclear alchemy
The medieval alchemists wanted to change lead into gold. It was, by the methods they were attempting to use, impossible, but modern physics might be able to turn gold into lead. it is possible to change one chemical element into another. In nuclear reactors, with all those neutrons flying about, materials that absorb the neutrons are changed.
Here’s an article on heavy water and heavy water reactors.
Here’s an article on plutonium.