What Happened In Japan? An Overview

In the wake of a recent earthquake and tsunami, there has been enormous interest in the problems facing Japanese nuclear power plants. These events have people asking a large number of questions. What happened? How dangerous is this? How do nuclear power plants work, anyway?

On March 23, a panel of nuclear engineering experts held a symposium at NC State to address a range of issues, including: a thorough overview of how nuclear power works; what has happened in Japan; what Japanese plant workers have been exposed to; concerns regarding food and water contamination; long-term health risks; and implications for the future of nuclear energy policy in the United States. The panel was made up of NC State nuclear engineering faculty, Drs. Michael Doster, John Gilligan, Paul Turinsky and Man-Sung Yim.

A video of the entire symposium, including slides, is available for viewing online. If you want to bring yourself up to speed on what is happening in Japan, this is your chance.