Looking for the Comments Review for this episode? Find it here: kzitem.info/news/bejne/mG-s25mlcYmEiKA I decided to upload this video with quieter music to my Patreon (don't worry, this quieter music version is free for all to enjoy). KZitem doesn't let you go back and change these things (for good reasons, but small things like these aren't possible). So, head on over and check it out www.patreon.com/posts/85880166 This was my first or second go at adding some background music and it was definitely a bit too loud! Hope you enjoy this.
@caroline4323
Жыл бұрын
Thank you. Your commentary was very interesting. When I watched it the first time I was very curious about how accurate the description of what really happened was. I am glad to hear that the scientific/technical reality is not far off (the detail about the graphite rod tips is... well, simplified but it does not kill the "what happened" explanation.) I found the first and last episodes the most terrifying. The first one with the gaping inferno well, the last- the court explanations. One faulty decision after another, piling up to the point where tragedy is inevitable. I am an Eastern Bloc child. I still remember that one of my favourite children´s books was a book that was explaining how a nuclear power plant works. :))). Russians were so proud of their science and achievements...
@serpent6827
Жыл бұрын
I realize that this video is older but I just discovered your channel because I wanted an expert's opinion on this masterful show and the Chernobyl incident itself and I found it to be very informative and fascinating. Disasters, such as the Titanic, 9/11, and Chernobyl have always piqued a morbid curiosity in me and I watched your entire analysis on the show and your reaction to the scene in the first episode where the two workers stare into basically the hellish gaping maw of the core pretty much sums up how truly horrifying and dire the situation really was and the music that accompanies that sequence really adds to it as well. It kind of reminded me of a portal to the upsidown in Stranger Things and I was half expecting the mindflayer's tendrils to come out of it. Imo, it's easily the most horrifying, ominous, yet mesmerizing couple of seconds in the entire 5 part series. In all seriousness though, It just baffles me that the higher ups could not take responsibility, acknowledge how serious the situation really was, and admit that they fucked up. Too much concern with self image and not the people smh. Also loved the background music that you inserted in while explaining things in this vid and in fact I'm listening to it right now as I am typing this comment lol. Anyways, thank you for your interesting analysis. Subscribed.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
Жыл бұрын
@@serpent6827 well, thank you! yes, lots of horrifying imagery in the series, lots of horrible humans. glad you liked the music! it's a bit loud in hindsight but ya live and ya learn. glad to have you here!
@serpent6827
Жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM 👍🙂
@peteruelimaa4973
3 ай бұрын
Yeah, the music was really weird. No fade, very loud. Thanks for the reupload!
@ckhound1
2 жыл бұрын
I think him saying its a "nuclear bomb" that wasn't taken to mean literally. Maybe thats how the show writers meant it, but I took it as an obvious reference to the explosion being imminent. I never thought of it as being a "literal" bomb.
@hiltibrant1976
2 жыл бұрын
True, looking at the rest of the episode, he's mainly using analogy the laymen (and judges) would understand, even if it is technically incorrect.
@HoJSimpson
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed. That's how it came along to me too.
@moose2577
2 жыл бұрын
The modem definition would be more like a dirty bomb.
@pauladams8573
2 жыл бұрын
Totally agreed
@webx135
2 жыл бұрын
Regardless, that's how it would have come across to most viewers. People educated in nuclear power are already relatively okay with nuclear power and don't need convincing. But this specifically misleads the people who are already on edge or simply not educated on the matter, and that's where public perception matters. And from THAT perspective, the show is very decidedly a cosmic horror about the dangers of nuclear power.
@thermobollocks
9 ай бұрын
"It's not a bomb, it's a supercritical nuclear chain reaction." Oh, so not great, not terrible.
@Some_Guy6
Жыл бұрын
He simply used words that the judges and normal people in the court room could understand.
@greaser3069
Жыл бұрын
and the common viewer too
@Phoenix258
10 ай бұрын
yeah but that wouldnt allow an annoying neckbeard to post crap yt videos about it
@squamish4244
10 ай бұрын
@@Phoenix258 Guy's a specialist, but jesus, he needs to chill out.
@SeruraRenge11
9 ай бұрын
Something that needs to be said is that like 80% of the Soviet Politburo were people with engineering degrees. So the extent to which he kinda had to "dumb it down" for them says a lot about how much those degrees were worth in terms of the education quality provided.
@slovakiaballif24
8 ай бұрын
@@Phoenix258 No need to get your panties in a knot over it
@jw870206
2 жыл бұрын
Chernobyl Reactor #4 became more of a "dirty bomb," a bomb whose objective is to spread nuclear radiation, whereas a nuclear weapon is designed for a high yield explosion, where the radiation is a byproduct of the nuclear reaction that causes the nuclear explosion.
@DJKuroh
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, in this case (and most media cases) I assume "nuclear bomb" to mean "an explosion involving spread of radiation" and not a description of exactly how an atom bomb works. I don't think the general public makes that distinction either. Radiation exposed+boom = nuclear bomb to the layperson.
@amaryllis.2259
2 жыл бұрын
its more like a hydrogen bomb
@Thxtnt
2 жыл бұрын
@@amaryllis.2259 A hydrogen bomb is a type of atomic bomb using fusion......
@aaroncosier735
Жыл бұрын
@@amaryllis.2259 In the sense of hydrogen gas mixed with oxygen and ignited.
@maotseovich1347
2 жыл бұрын
Not a nuclear bomb as we call it, but effectively a 0.2 kiloton bomb powered by a nuclear reaction. I think the only reason we can't call it a nuclear bomb is because we only otherwise use that term to refer to the very special highly enriched much more powerful weapons we call nuclear bombs - which we don't really have a good alternative word.
@raimarulightning
2 жыл бұрын
Exactly. It's a bomb. It's nuclear powered. But it's not precisely a nuclear bomb because that usually means something very specific.
@MostlyPennyCat
2 жыл бұрын
Well, we do have published science on how this did actually come to be as close to a real nuclear bombs as it's possible to get with a power plant. Analysing the nuclear product collected up around Norway (I think) showed products that require that is a tell tale pointing to uncontrolled prompt criticality.
@AdhamOhm
2 жыл бұрын
@@raimarulightning A dirty radiological bomb, perhaps. I wouldn't call it a "nuclear bomb" technically because the explosion itself wasn't a runaway supercritical reaction. It was more akin to a very large "BLEVE" type explosion (with steam, hydrogen and red-hot graphite as the catalysts), it just happened to be in a nuclear reactor.
@Draven84
Жыл бұрын
@@raimarulightning I think semantics become very important here. A nuclear bomb, emphasis on the Bomb part, is an accurate description. It never approached a nuclear Weapon, though.
@everydaycompress4259
Жыл бұрын
if it go boom like bomb and has Nuculer atoms its a Nuculer bomb ..in russia bomb detonates you :D
@eaglevision993
2 жыл бұрын
Legasov´s analog Powerpoint presentation was a very nice touch in the series.
@chriz9959
4 ай бұрын
legends has it , the makers of MS Powerpoint were inspired by the original presentation by Legasov
@N19htcat
3 ай бұрын
@@chriz9959 I want to believe
@anirudhhhh
22 күн бұрын
Its just Soviet version of Powerpoint. Cheap and very informative.
@Pamudder
2 жыл бұрын
The xenon pit was discovered within a few hours after the first Hanford reactor went critical. Fortunately for the program, the engineers had insisted in installing in the reactor about 50% more channels for fuel rods than the nuclear physicists said was necessary, so they were able to add additional fuel rods and overcome the xenon poisoning.
@cremebrulee4759
4 ай бұрын
Thank you, engineers!
@Alex-kd5xc
2 жыл бұрын
A full series explaining the Chernobyl disaster would be great. The entire reason I watch this series is because I like to hear the opinions of someone more informed than I, so I’d love to watch a whole series of that. Of course, it all depends on what you’d prefer to do (a full analysis series seems like it’d be a heck of a lot more work than a simple Q&A)
@bruja_cat
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed! I’d love to hear an actual nuclear engineer explain it in simple terms
@Bigweave74
2 жыл бұрын
There is nothing to explain comrade, RBMK reactors don't explode. You go to gulag now.
@davidhigham1570
2 жыл бұрын
Charlie, you've gotten to a point where your subscribers/viewers are asking very technical questions and you're providing very technical answers. Congratulations, you've become a university professor and your class size is 50-odd thousand!
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
oh, thank you! I can't call myself a professor, just trying to translate some nuclear stuff for interested people. But I whole heartedly appreciate the kind words.
@Ghyus01
2 жыл бұрын
I think your conclusion summerises the show perfectly. The show isn't meant to be a documentary, it's ok to have some flaws in it for dramatic effect. It's supposed to shed light on the disaster and show the impact it had to the people there. With how many things the writer's got right, I think it's ok for some things to be dramatized for effect.
@AlanCanon2222
2 жыл бұрын
Some of the wrong things in the show were believed by those involved at the time. So when they say they're worried about a patient contaminating another person, that's something that was actually said in the book of interviews by Svetlana Alexeivitch. The series doesn't point out the difference in the moment, but it can be seen as added detail, documenting commonly held misconceptions of the day.
@SynchronizorVideos
2 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately, people treat it as a factual documentary, not a fictionalized drama based on true events. I've been studying the Chernobyl disaster since the '90s, and when discussing it with people, it's super clear when someone has only ever watched the HBO show.
@ScottMStolz
Жыл бұрын
My impression is that the show was meant to display what people knew and thought at the time, and not necessarily what we learned later. To basically give us the experience that the people involved had. In that sense, it does an excellent job. It was not meant to be an after-the-fact technical analysis. If you want a technical analysis, other documentaries are more appropriate.
@valdito_2123
10 ай бұрын
@@ScottMStolzexactly,people judging with today’s vision is dumb,back then they didn’t have the knowledge,that came with time and bc the accident,same when USA got his accident they learned from it,same when Valery do comparisons with military field,is just trying to explain a bunch of generals how nuclear works,you can’t use scientific words bc they won’t understand shit
@elric5371
Ай бұрын
It got everything about the explosion wrong whilst actively spreading soviet propaganda.
@mattbrown817
Жыл бұрын
"A lot of power in a short time is called an explosion," I love this man.
@mplewp
2 жыл бұрын
I fear arrogance /stupidity way more than nuclear reactors .
@ArcaneAzmadi
Жыл бұрын
Wise man.
@natashasullivan4559
Жыл бұрын
Unfortunately there is a lot of fear mongering around Nuclear power. Even these days.. people reportedly were checking in after this to see where the nearest power station was. Because this scared them.. which, in a way is understandable.. but it gives the wrong kind of message about nuclear power as a whole. Just like that ridiculous 3 mile island "documentary" that came out on Netflix. Where it was basically just interviews of scared people.. rather than what actually happened. There's a KZitem channel who did a really good report on what actually happened at 3 mile island. The name is.. Kyle Hill He also went to Chernobyl, before the most recent war started..
@RangerMcFriendly
Жыл бұрын
And that idiocy within governments. It’s abundant. As a former Fed let me tell you that incompetence, stupidity and evil are abundant…
@kiddfunknyc
Жыл бұрын
so so right
@darbyohara
8 ай бұрын
Machines, tools, computers, reactors, etc are only as reliable as their operators. They simply behave as instructed by the folks using them
@Wonkabar007
2 жыл бұрын
Charlie is the perfect guide on a nuclear excursion 👍
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
thanks so much for that! very nice of you to say. hopefully I don't have to guide anyone through an actual nuclear excursion haha
@Nicky_Pin_It
2 жыл бұрын
100% agree. Nice work Charlie!
@lionhead123
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM no? you should do tours at Chenobyl. get paid, be out in the open air, grow a sixth toe. it would be great.
@jazzitall
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM Well at least it would be nice to have you around 🤣 My thesis concerns nuclear data analysis. All things nuclear attract me naturally but hey you clearly enjoy movies and you're a gamer as well. Simply the best🏆
@abramrexjoaquin7513
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM 13:01 There are now Voice, Video and Action log recordings immediately archived away from the Nuclear Power Plants under the IAEA advisement. Recording software, human input/output facilities, voice annunciations etc. As sort of a blackbox for a nuclear reactor powerplant.
@MostlyPennyCat
2 жыл бұрын
When they hit SCRAM, the graphite 'tips' displaced the water that kept the neutron flux low at the bottom of the reactor. Normal design operation kept the flux high in the centre and low at the edges (top and bottom edges) You want this because it's where the reactor core is weakest, where you've punched holes in the reactor walls to feed through control rods and company tubes and fuel and graphite stuff and so on. It's a compromise, you need holes in the reactor core floor, but it weakens the core, remember this design is something that can be built and welded by farmers and plumbers and such. So, to prevent this becoming a serious problem you have water instead of graphite at the edges, keep the heat and pressure lower there by reducing the neutron flux Problem is, when they insert the control rods you first have to push the graphite through to where the water was before the boron arrives. Which is fine. Except if you've run your core up to prompt criticality, now you've got the weakest part of the core and you displaced the water with graphite. Now you have _maximum_ flux at the _weakest_ point which cracks the fuel and those plumber's welds, _jamming_ the graphite where it does the most damage. At this point all that's left is the water acting as an absorber and all that was instantly lost in the first bang. Then it was just fuel and graphite and an even bigger bang. The reaction stopped when all the fuel and graphite was expelled by the 2nd explosion.
@MostlyPennyCat
2 жыл бұрын
After many years of reading about what happened, that's my best explanation of what happened inside the core of No.4.
@viperthedragonsamurai.001
2 ай бұрын
For those who don’t know, the SCRAM is also known as AZ-5.
@Lordofthegeeks108
2 жыл бұрын
Outstanding series (Both the HBO episodes and your breakdown of the key moments have been brilliant) The scene where the two technicians look into the burning fuel stack never fails to make my skin tingle with sheer dread and those poor firefighters being told to move up into the shell of reactor 4 in a futile attempt to douse it with water by people completely unaware of the dna shredding hell they were being sent into will always stay with me.
@raven4k998
2 жыл бұрын
Chernobyl reactor 4 is now a nuclear bomb uuhhhh NO!
@shvak20mmcannon82
2 жыл бұрын
What's BofA
@ButtcheekOnaStick
2 жыл бұрын
I think when they made the show they should have said "dirty bomb" instead of nuclear bomb. It was effectively a dirty bomb. For those who don't know, a dirty bomb is an explosive that spreads nuclear waste and radiation, and results in what happened at chernobyls exclusion zone. There was an explosion, even if only a "tame" one or multiple explosions. This explosion spread radioactive material or "dirty" material, and caused the effects that a successful dirty bomb would cause.
@ScottMStolz
Жыл бұрын
The only downside is that the term "dirty bomb" seems to be a relatively new term, and may not be consistent with the terminology they used at the time. I wonder what terminology they actually used in the reports.
@FEDEXLuchs
Жыл бұрын
no casual viewer would know what a dirty bomb is nuclear bomb has a impact that a viewer understands
@kvgiris
Жыл бұрын
@@FEDEXLuchsyeah it's a reactor that exploded, spreaded fallout and radiation, it's practically a mini-nuclear bomb
@valdito_2123
10 ай бұрын
That’s a modern time term,back them it was nuclear or atomic bomb
@ButtcheekOnaStick
10 ай бұрын
@valdito_2123 it may be, but there was still a distinction or the concept didn't exist. There has always been a distinction between nuclear reactions causing explosions and explosions causing radioactive contamination.
@Drdoa_lot
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for taking us through these, I think you hit a perfect balance of breaking down where the writers chose to simplify or dramatise without attacking their choices.
@GioBardZero
8 ай бұрын
I like how the production value of these videos has increased with each episode. Great info too, of course!
@TheAtomicAgeCM
8 ай бұрын
thank you! i got a lot better across the five episodes :)
@jeffcoleman2263
2 жыл бұрын
Great analysis of the show - the Chernobyl series is one of my favourites and I've both watched it repeatedly and recommended it highly. I think the actors were great - the Brits do a great job with "reality" sometimes and I think they nailed it here. As did you, sir - well done.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Very nice of you to say. I enjoyed the show a lot but it's one of those shows where I have to prepare myself if I'm going to watch it again.
@gutspraygore
2 жыл бұрын
In 1986 there was a movie called The Manhattan Project about a high school student that builds a nuclear bomb for a science fair. I have a feeling you would enjoy this one if you haven't seen it already. It's quite well done.
@juliecrowder1432
Жыл бұрын
That was a good movie
@ab5olut3zero95
Жыл бұрын
I showed that to my wife while she was getting her Masters in Nuclear Engineering. She cackled at how inaccurate it was. I still enjoyed it tho.
@xavrag2225
2 ай бұрын
Pretty sure there was a flash game based somewhat on that
@hokkikokki
3 ай бұрын
As a half-Estonian, visiting Soviet Estonia since 1980's the life and details are 100% like the Soviet life was then. This series brings back so many memories from my childhood.
@AlanCanon2222
2 жыл бұрын
I'm both a science and a literary / theater type. I appreciate you standing up for the dramatic license. It's safe to say that millions know more about the accident because of this dramatic presentation, who would not have given the event much thought otherwise.
@drbadzer
2 жыл бұрын
To answer your question, a video series explaining your analysis would be greatly helpful.
@raven4k998
2 жыл бұрын
there is no rule!
@WaywardVet
11 ай бұрын
"It's not technically correct" Agreed, but he's explaining it well in the show. I knew as much as Boris first time I set foot on a nuclear site. So I like that he breaks it down "Barney Style" as we'd say in the military. But like Boris, I don't want to remain ignorant so that's why I'm here enjoying your explanation.
@darrenjaundrill2010
2 жыл бұрын
Great series of analysis - thank you! I don't think the show was anti-nuclear or even anti-RBMK. I think it was about the final monologue -of the importance to seek truth, openness and transparency or pay the price later. Can we also do a shout out to the soundtrack. It really intensified the series especially this track (kzitem.info/news/bejne/woOVrpyLmHWHZ2k) where the composer actually went out and sampled the sounds of an actual RBMK. It is truly haunting.
@giacomopasini_content
2 жыл бұрын
I would definitely prefer a full series explaining in depth the Chernobyl accident with a technical point of view.
@mickeyhage
2 жыл бұрын
I think Scott Manley made a video like that.
@Agc2749
2 жыл бұрын
There's a video here on YT called: Chernobyl-how it happened. I believe its an MIT lecture that goes into the technical aspects it is very interesting, a little longer than an hour. Give it a look.
@christienashgrove3636
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@valdito_2123
10 ай бұрын
You have 3 books lol tv will never be accurate
@JonatanGronoset
2 жыл бұрын
I'd watch a series on Chernobyl. And dark synthwave realy fits the nuclear "aestetic". Awesome.
@raven4k998
2 жыл бұрын
Chernobyl nuclear reactor unit 4 is now a nuclear bomb... uuuhhhh... NO!
@richjohnax
2 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed this series about Chernobyl and would look forward to a more in depth series. Thank you for your work on these.
@raven4k998
2 жыл бұрын
reactor unit 4 is now a nuclear bomb um no!
@nickhowe9986
2 жыл бұрын
Fantastic and interesting series. As someone who loved the show and knew nothing about nuclear engineering this was a phenomenal watch. Thanks a lot Charlie!
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
you're welcome! and thank you, nick!
@erichall090909
2 жыл бұрын
A full series explaining would be better than a QA I think. Would love that
@MoyAmaro
Жыл бұрын
I'm new to the channel. I saw Chernobyl then came to KZitem to learn more about what happened and ran into this series. Very cool to see a professional kinda guide us through the show. Definitely looking for to watching more of your videos.
@gregcampwriter
2 жыл бұрын
What the miniseries did for me was to ask me to imagine what the incident and aftermath were like for the people of the region. I was thirteen at the time and only got to see American news reports. It turns out that we knew so little.
@bv1989ro
2 жыл бұрын
I love this series but this reaction/analysis is such a welcomed companion series. Thank you for the time and energy you put in those videos. You are the proof that KZitem can be a wonderful place for meaningful self-expression.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for such a lovely statement. I'm very glad you've enjoyed these videos so much.
@RenegadeShepTheSpacer
2 жыл бұрын
Just found your channel and subscribed two days ago. I loved the reactions and explanations for episodes 1-4 and have been very excited for this one too. Cheers!
@JimmyKip
2 жыл бұрын
Me too, great timing to get episode 5 after just finishing 4 yesterday.
@OR56
5 ай бұрын
Similar to the bullet analogy, in the court scene, he was using small words that the politicians and civilians would understand.
@alexsohn2474
2 жыл бұрын
Love to see another video! Been really enjoying this series. Can't wait to see more content.
@emmitttraynor8939
Жыл бұрын
Mate I just listened to your entire 5 episode breakdown whilst playing golf and shot 86. Absolute joy to listen to look forward to watching more content on your channel. Loved Chernobyl. The best HBO release I've ever seen.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
Жыл бұрын
thank you! Chernobyl is great indeed, but Band of Brothers will always be my favorite
@frazerguest2864
Жыл бұрын
I’ve watched all five of your episodes reviewing HBOs Chernobyl over the last four nights. It’s a 10/10 from me, and I don’t give those out very often. I’ll also say that I sleep better at night knowing there are people like you in charge of our nuclear safety.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
Жыл бұрын
Well, thank you! That's very nice of you to say, I appreciate it.
@thedrunkenbunny9351
2 жыл бұрын
Why not go into nuclear plant disasters through their history? As the science evolved, what we learned, how we improved, the implications of said disasters for us and future generations :D
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Yes! I want to go into not only reactor accidents but also accidents more directly related to my field - criticality accidents.
@rocketdog2116
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM Maybe a video on the Demon Core?
@thedrunkenbunny9351
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM Love it!
@bigfootape
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM Hmm... would the criticality accidents at Tokai and Mayak be interesting?
@GGigabiteM
2 жыл бұрын
A series on the full nuclear supply chain of accidents would be better. Many of the worst nuclear accidents are largely unknown because they're forgotten or covered up. Church Rock, NM being one of the worst that released over 93 million gallons of acidic radioactive tailings and 1000 tons of solid uranium waste into the Puerco river back in 1979. United Nuclear barely even attempted to clean the mess up before resuming operations for several more years and ultimately abandoning the hot mess in 1988 and leaving it to the US taxpayers to clean it up, which to this date still hasn't been dealt with. But that wasn't the only disaster they caused, and wasn't the only company to cause a disaster. The whole industry is mired in gross negligence, incompetence and takes zero accountability for their actions. If something bad happens, they just go crying to the NRC for help and force taxpayers to hold the bag, while they declare bankruptcy, change their name or sell out and wash their hands of the matter. There are spicy nuclear hot spots all over the midwest and western US from nuclear testing, accidents and mining.
@HT-jj5sx
2 жыл бұрын
Great video man, I was super impressed on how well the series did to explain really complicated topics to the layman very effectively, you've just really doubled-down on that and gone into so much more depth. Thanks man, what a cool 30 min!
@Whatever_works
2 жыл бұрын
I think a full overview of the timeline of the disaster would be great!! Thanks so much for all of the wonderful details you contribute on this series! 🌞
@christianromero6604
3 ай бұрын
Hey man, i just found ur channel on a short ...man im glad i took the time to listen/ and pay attention to how u laid it out.Job well done my friend, u just earned a sub) Keep on t
@TheAtomicAgeCM
3 ай бұрын
that's awesome! thank you so much, really appreciate it. (i gotta make more shorts hehe)
@midian879
2 жыл бұрын
The ending monologue, goosebumps. Fantastic series.
@KindredKeepsake
Жыл бұрын
I love this series, and I love how you broke everything down in it. This was a very fun last couple of days watching it!
@TheAtomicAgeCM
Жыл бұрын
thank you!
@KindredKeepsake
Жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM Hello! You're welcome!
@elbryan9
2 жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed this series, especially this episode as I thought the way Legasov explained the concept of reactivity was pretty good. I haven't had anything to do with the nuclear community since 2005 and it's amazing just how much you forget so I really enjoyed your take on this series. I remember near the end of Power School we got a brief presentation of the Chernobyl disaster. That was back in 1999 so my memory of it is pretty fuzzy but I do remember they taught us the plant didn't just go supercritical but prompt critical and that it was engineered with a positive temperature coefficient of reactivity which, knowing how heat works, never really made any sense to me. How would somebody engineer something like that? Looking up the incident now as a civilian, I realize they must have mistaken positive _temperature_ coefficient of reactivity with positive _void_ coefficient of reactivity. They sound kind of similar so I guess it's understandable? I don't know. I know how S8G reactors work but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the physics of a positive void coefficient so I would definitely be interested in a video or a series explaining in depth what happened at Chernobyl.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I can't imagine how much I would forget leaving my job for a few years haha. Yes, Legasov's presentation is quite good. The red and blue cards are simple but effective. A positive temperature coefficient sounds weird, indeed. I'd be curious to see an example of that. For the positive void coefficient, I kind of gloss over it in the video, but the RBMK was designed to be very close to optimally moderated purely from a fuel/graphite standpoint. So, the water in the fuel channels had enough neutron capture to make it act like over moderated and gave way to the positive void coefficient.
@saksham1252
2 жыл бұрын
5:18 nuclear fuel becomes less reactive when it becomes hotter! Can someone tell why?
@elbryan9
2 жыл бұрын
@@saksham1252Reactor power is dependant on how many neutrons there are that are available to cause additional fission reactions. Anything that changes the population of neutrons in the core effects what is called reactivity. Too many neutrons (positive reactivity), reactor power goes up. Too few neutrons (negative reactivity), reactor power goes down. And of course, there can be just enough neutrons in the core to sustain criticality. When uranium-238 gets hotter, it absorbes more neutrons making it behave like a poison (nuclear poison are materials that absorb neutrons such as the control rods). Fewer neutrons means negative reactivity or, put another way, less reactive fuel.
@saksham1252
2 жыл бұрын
@@elbryan9 first of all thank you for replying! So by my understanding as heat raises and reactivity increasing causing number of neutrons in fuel or core to decrease and thus eventually slowing the reactivity. And what does it mean by u238 absorbing more neutron. doesnt absorbing more neutron cause more atom to split
@elbryan9
2 жыл бұрын
@@saksham1252 Yeah no worries. This stuff is interesting. That really depends on if the material is fissile or not. Fissile just means it'll fission (or split), if it absorbs a neutron. Uranium-238 isn't a fissile material. If it absorbs a neutron it'll become the isotope uranium-239 (another non-fissile material) and that'll be that. Uranium-235, on the other hand, is fissile so when it absorbs a neutron, it'll fission into two different elements which releases additional neutrons in the process. This is why enriched uranium is so important because uranium ore is almost entirely comprised of the isotope uranium-238 (more than 99% in fact), whereas uranium-235 is a little under 1%.
@daniellassander
Жыл бұрын
A better way to think of the graphite "tipped" control rods is this. RBMK is a huge reactor so it will have hot and cold pockets in terms of reactivity, if we add to that that it has a positive void coefficient the reactor has a tendency to run hotter at the top and being cold at the bottom, so by having those graphite tips they can increase reactivity at the bottom and decrease it at the top. For the control of the reactor it solves a lot of problems, but in hindsight it was a bad decision with no easy work around.
@whistletom
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome series of videos. A perfect companion guide to the dramatisation. I think some people in the comments forget that the purpose of drama is to hone in on the emotionally resonant aspects. Chernobyl is very much a story about people. The details have a lot of technical aspects but the story of is one of subterfuge, arrogance, personal loss, horror, heroism and sacrifice. Thanks again for the this fantastic series of videos.
@MichaelVLang
2 жыл бұрын
A series taking a deep technical dive would be interesting especially into the mechanics and controls.
@teboots1
2 жыл бұрын
I would LOVE a deep dive into the actual event. Also, exploring the designing/construction/placement of the sarcophagus would be awesome, too.
@heliotropezzz333
6 ай бұрын
I think when he said the reactor had become a nuclear bomb he was using a metaphor rather than meaning it literally. He wanted a non technical audience to understand the gravity of what was about to happen.
@dirtbagdeacon
3 ай бұрын
I just want to say that I REALLY appreciate your ability to say 'this is a dramatic piece, not an accident report.' I feel like our culture has gotten so literal that we don't even understand the purpose of art anymore, and are too busy picking apart single threads to appreciate the whole tapestry. Your commentary on this series has been very interesting for me, a person without a nuclear background. Thank you for being a thoughtful engineer!
@TheAtomicAgeCM
3 ай бұрын
thank you! couldn't agree more. glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the thoughtful comment
@canda83
2 жыл бұрын
Also I would just like to thank you for all your reactions! I have found them very informative and appreciate that you see that some things are done for dramatic impact and respectfully discribe how this actually works in real life!! Keep up the great work
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
You're welcome! and thank you!
@TheAmazingSnarf
2 жыл бұрын
love ya, Charlie. thanks for being our Nuclear Safety Engineer. The world's a far better place with you, your knowledge, and your sharing of your knowledge.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Very nice of you to say.
@mynameisix
Жыл бұрын
Got this series recommended to me by KZitem. It was a great watch, I enjoyed learning some more technicalities about how nuclear plants and power works. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights!
@dunning-kruger551
2 жыл бұрын
It’s my favourite show, I’ve seen it so many times. I’ve watched many videos on the subject, your version was the best. Look forward to more content.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! That means a lot to me
@chris2klee
2 жыл бұрын
Started watching this series on Monday, and it's Friday, was a good wind down to my weekdays. UNLIKE CHERNOBYL! AM I RIGHT! I'll see myself out.
@user-bz2jl8jg5e
6 ай бұрын
If there was one thing to say about your reaction, you took a topic that I can only imagine a very very VERY small percentage of people could break down and understand, and delivered it in a way that most could easily understand. That was awesome 🤙
@Hustlexz
2 жыл бұрын
Hey Charlie, I had your episode 1 video randomly pop up on my KZitem algo one day and I’m glad it dude. I binged your episode 1-5 and subbed, thanks for doing this series it’s fantastic and feeds my obsession/curiosity with Chernobyl.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
hi, hustle. Thank you so much, and you're welcome! Glad I was able to add something to your understanding.
@FerretJohn
9 ай бұрын
No, he wasn't being literal when he said Chernobyl was now a Nuclear Bomb, he was trying to explain what had happened in a way that a group of laymen could understand. As someone who's sat on juries I can tell you that getting too deep in the technical can kill the point you're trying to make.
@joshuaanderson9587
2 жыл бұрын
A video series on the Chernobyl incident itself would be awesome! I vote yes
@shitenshi
2 жыл бұрын
yes please to all of the above new vids, your talks are not only enjoyable, but also informative, and easy to listen to.
@thrasius8856
2 жыл бұрын
Heck yeah! great way to start a Friday afternoon. Thanks!
@alicewilliams1597
2 жыл бұрын
They knew four years before Chernobyl.Another nuclear reactor had incident not as bad as Chernobyl, Lack of communication of this problem kept other operators in the dark.
@paulrasmussen8953
Жыл бұрын
Because image was mlre inportant then safety. By sheer irony the soviet union made the same mistakes of thw imperial russia. Wrong people in charge
@SammiCPC79
2 жыл бұрын
@The Atomic Age, Hi Charlie! I really appreciate your videos, thank you. It's a real privilege to get the take from an actual nuclear engineer/physicist. This series really gripped me, I was 7 years old at the time it happened and I remember vividly the news reports from the time, and my father trying to explain to me about a sort of fire that was for some reason nearly impossible to put out. We measured the fallout in the hills in Wales where I grew up. I gotta tell you, the news was crazy back then. I remember seeing videos of the helos dropping sand, doors sliding open on the Mi-8 and bare hands shoving sandbags out before slamming the doors shut again. The next year Challenger blew up, that I was watching live. I remember seeing people somewhere in the middle east being decked by rubber bullets earlier that decade, all on BBC. Crazy times. Now that you've done Chernobyl by HBO I wondered if you ever saw the BBC production docudrama Surviving Disaster: Chernobyl ? kzitem.info/news/bejne/t6yZnadvcXmVq6w It's a lot shorter and less detailed, and a lot older - but it captures the horror really well. Takes a few artistic liberties here and there, is a bit more sympathetic to Dyatlov and so on. Would be interested to hear your take on it. Was supposedly based on Legasovs tapes at least in part. Before HBOs excellent series this was pretty much the only good dramatisation of the events. And I'd love to hear your intuition on the exact events and processes of the Chernobyl explosion. Thanks again, looking forward to any videos you put out :) Sam.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Hi MadSammi! Sorry for the late reply, I'm scrolling through comments for a corrections/follow-up video and somehow missed yours. I have seen the Surviving Disaster docudrama before, I enjoyed it a lot. It could definitely be something to do in the future.
@bluesrocker91
2 жыл бұрын
Would definitely like to see a full series on the Chernobyl disaster (and other nuclear accidents for that matter). There are some good videos out there explaining the physics and engineering behind it, but they tend to condense it all into a single 15 minute video, whereas a series on the matter could really take a deep dive.
@enoughothis
2 жыл бұрын
The long awaited much anticipated conclusion!
@ReaverLordTonus
Жыл бұрын
When the "judge" or whoever presiding over the hearing asks "why?" and he's told "it's cheaper" I love the look he gives those guys. Like "wtf, if there's one place we shouldn't be cutting corners, it's this $hit!" It really says a lot about the Soviet Union, they were so determined to catch up with the rest of the world while also maintaining this delusion of superiority, that they allowed so many reckless and potentially fatal decisions.
@markwatkins6882
Жыл бұрын
Great job on explaining everything,really fascinating stuff !!! The series was really well done and chilled me to the bone...
@TheAtomicAgeCM
Жыл бұрын
Well thank you! Yes, it was quite terrifying
@nickweston6472
2 жыл бұрын
Plainly difficult has done some really good videos explaining the accident as well.
@FSUFAN-gr2vp
Жыл бұрын
I would love to see a stand-alone Chernoby video or video series on this accident. I've always had a weird interest in this accident. So seeing a video explaining the incident would be interesting.
@joshtherahrah
9 ай бұрын
I think the writers meant nuclear bomb as in a bomb happens to have nuclear material contain within, not a fission bomb. There is U-235 present, and when it go boom it will distribute it around, equals nuclear bomb.
@snrrub
2 ай бұрын
Ph.D. in reactor physics here. I appreciate the video. On the subject of the "nuclear bomb" description by Lagasov, I actually think it's fairly acceptable. The core wasn't just supercritical, it briefly was prompt-supercritical, so it effectively shares the same neutron kinetics behavior as a nuclear bomb for a short time. It's somewhat apt to describe it as a poorly formed, accidental bomb at that point. I also just want to mention for those interested that CANDUs-style power reactors, of which there are currently around ~29 operating in the world today, also have a positive void coefficient but have an excellent operational safety record. IMO positive void is an overblown source of controversy in the reactor safety analysis field.
@shevek5934
2 жыл бұрын
This is your first video I've seen. Subscribed in hopes for the detailed analysis!
@toolthoughts
2 жыл бұрын
nice work once again, cheers. would love more detailed videos of the event itself
@toolthoughts
2 жыл бұрын
it would also be interesting to hear any comments you might have on Dyatlov's interview from 1994, where he gives his account of what happened. it's on youtube with english subtitles
@Chrinik
Ай бұрын
Another fix after this accident was mechanically blocking the controlrods from withdrawing the final 1.25m, meaning the displacers no longer have the ability to move into a void that may have formed underneath them.
@christophersims7060
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for the clear explanations of the event.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
4 ай бұрын
you're quite welcome!
@dagallgray
2 жыл бұрын
Fascinating commentary - Thank you. Yes to both video ideas. I had family with nuclear industry background, but not myself. Still, learning more and more about this reactor design, the concerns and complexities has been riveting. Thanks for clarifying important points like how this isn't technically like nuclear bomb design, but at the same time recognizing environment impact. I'm involved with local EMA groups in a region where we have several nuclear power plants. They've operated for decades with overall few incidents, so safety culture is a key point I'm glad you mentioned.
@1995rwt
2 жыл бұрын
A Chernobyl explainer from someone with your expertise would be awesome to see
@arnie24070127
9 ай бұрын
I come back to this again and again for friends
@TheAtomicAgeCM
9 ай бұрын
that's awesome!
@drbadzer
2 жыл бұрын
Finally! Was waiting for this since forever!
@mcdermic
2 жыл бұрын
A separate video with your own analysis would be amazing!
@terrydavis8451
2 жыл бұрын
I would LOVE a video series about what actually happened at Chernobyl. Had to edit my comment because you brought up the paper about the nuclear explosion.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
That is the paper I referenced in my video talking about the nuclear cannon. Seems plausible given it's hard to imagine another way for material to have gotten that high in the atmosphere. Also, here is the first footnote from that paper talking about nuclear explosions: "This nuclear explosion concept must not be confused with a nuclear bomb as the two differ considerably in their principles of operation, neutronics, released energy, and temperatures involved."
@terrydavis8451
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM I guess they differ as one is thermal neutrons and the other are fast?
@kristianasdf
4 ай бұрын
This was very interesting!
@x0Xenon0x
2 ай бұрын
This was an explosion of heat and gas, not an atomic bomb. Moreover, what really caused damage was not the explosion and the shock wave it emitted, but the radiation emitted by the reactor to the environment and atmosphere....
@gmcguy
2 жыл бұрын
I agree, I liked your approach towards enjoying this dramatic piece instead of looking for ways to tear it apart
@thehollownet9403
2 жыл бұрын
Oh!! Been Looking forward to this one! Thanks Sir!
@Dutchy_Polack
2 жыл бұрын
Great series, very much enjoyed the technical insight you offered. As an aviation professional, I can empathize with your thoughts on "dramatic pieces" as there are countless aviation features that are thoroughly entertaining but contain many inaccuracies. They are nonetheless entertaining and in many cases, reasonably representative of the events they are intended to depict.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. Don't let facts get in the way of a good story, huh? haha
@Dutchy_Polack
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheAtomicAgeCM isint that the truth!
@brianarthurbowman1
2 жыл бұрын
I love the simple “No” after he said Chernobyl is now a nuclear bomb 😂
@JRJigsawyer
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this series. It has been a very enjoyable and informative watch.
@spidrespidre
Жыл бұрын
Great series of vids. Very informative. Would love to see more on your opinions regarding Chernobyl or Fukushima
@URSoDead2Me
Жыл бұрын
Love the channel my guy. I got into watching the episodes on t.v. then rewatching snippets of them thru You Tube here lately. That's when I stumbled across your channel. Because of that show and your channel, I've become hungry for knowledge on how this stuff works. It got you a sub and a like. Thanks for the great content.
@TheAtomicAgeCM
Жыл бұрын
Thank you, and you're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it so much and great to hear your curiosity has been piqued.
@nomad_lyfe
2 жыл бұрын
Anatoly Dyatlov enters the control room Employees: Why do I hear boss music
@TWFydGlu
2 жыл бұрын
Regarding the lava explosion it's also important to realize that it is irrelevant if it was possible or not. What matters is if they at the time thought it was possible. It may fail on that metric too, but that's what you are measuring against.
@mckenzie.latham91
Жыл бұрын
It was beleived at the time because the plant was used as part of the Soviet H-Bomb project That the tanks of water underneath were filled with irradiated water which they thought could have allowed for a thermal explosion of that magnitude when the lava hit it...
@credit__devin
2 жыл бұрын
Been waiting so long for this thank you
@jamesallen9523
Жыл бұрын
You spoke about nuclear fuel being a potential source of explosions, which brings to memory the Kyshtym disaster of 1957, which occurred at a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. Would be interested for you to talk about this one in a video, as this seems to be more in line with your work. If you haven't heard about it, I'd recommend you research that incident.
@Matt-vv7fl
2 жыл бұрын
This was a brilliant disetion of the final episode. I really learned a lot. Thank you for this.
@daytoncharitychicken
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this series! Looking forward to more content.
@herrbrahms
Жыл бұрын
Dyatlov's dereliction of responsibility with the gravest stakes always makes me laugh. Here he is working the night shift with a bunch of f$%^ing greenhorns and he hasn't even had his coffee. I think of Dante from Clerks: "I'm not even supposed to BE here today!"
@LegitTapeSplicer
2 жыл бұрын
IMO, the show main theme was exposed at the end when Prof. Legasov asks, "What is the cost of lies." The show came out in 2019, and we all know what happened a year later.
Пікірлер: 888