“An energy start-up backed by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates is in discussions with Toshiba Corp. on developing a small-scale nuclear reactor that would represent a long-term bet to make nuclear power safer and cheaper,” Robert A. Guth and Daisuke Wakabayashi report for The Wall Street Journal.
“Toshiba said it is in preliminary discussions with TerraPower, a unit of Intellectual Ventures, a patent-holding concern partially funded by Mr. Gates,” Guth and Wakabayashi report. “Intellectual Ventures, based in Bellevue, Wash., is run by a former Microsoft executive, Nathan Myhrvold.”
Guth and Wakabayashi report, “The discussions come as President Barack Obama is trying to spur new investment in nuclear power in the U.S. with over $8 billion in government loan guarantees announced in February.”
“In interviews, Mr. Gates has described the device as being able to run buried deep in the ground without human intervention,” Guth and Wakabayashi report. “The reactor would likely take years to develop and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission doesn’t have a certification process for such reactors.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The guy responsible for the most unstable computer operating system in world history wants to build nuclear reactors? Microsoft Windows Chernobyl 2015®. Use Mac OS X to control the thing, Bill. This isn’t the accounting department down the hall; uptime sounds really important in this case. Swallow your misplaced pride now or we’re all doomed!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Eric H.” for the heads up.]
… and all this time I thought that his bunker on Lake Washington was already nuclear powered. The windowless hole he lives in has enough concrete on top of it to contain any nuclear leak.
@Tt, That’s some very bad research you did, nuclear fuel rods CAN be recycled, which reduces both waste and need for more uranium. Besides, there are very few cases of accidents involving nuclear reactors (AKA chernobyl, but that’s because it was based on REALLY F*CKING OLD technology).
Nopes, nuclear is alright. What we (the world) really need is to increase investments on FUSION… now THAT would be huge!
@edward
Americans did commit some serious mistakes since, mmmm, they elected Bush and all, but you sir is the freaking narrow-minded here. Have you forgotten that Iran’s president is an extremist insane dictator that has threatened Israel numerous times with yet-to-be-built nukes?
I can’t find the episode listed anywhere, but many years ago there was a PBS Frontline episode about two college kids who went to every US nuclear power plant. They snuck in and planted an alarm clock in a shoebox next the reactors. The lesson was that this country is so free and open, it would be impossible to ever secure nuclear plants from attacks. Extrapolating on that, a terrorist would see a nuclear plant next to major cities in every US state as cheap and easy Cherynobal bombs.
I can’t find the episode listed anywhere, but many years ago there was a PBS Frontline episode about two college kids who went to every US nuclear power plant. They snuck in and planted an alarm clock in a shoebox next the reactors. The lesson was that this country is so free and open, it would be impossible to ever secure nuclear plants from attacks. Extrapolating on that, a terrorist would see a nuclear plant next to major cities in every US state as cheap and easy Cherynobal bombs.
I can’t find the episode listed anywhere, but many years ago there was a PBS Frontline episode about two college kids who went to every US nuclear power plant. They snuck in and planted an alarm clock in a shoebox next the reactors. The lesson was that this country is so free and open, it would be impossible to ever secure nuclear plants from attacks. Extrapolating on that, a terrorist would see a nuclear plant next to major cities in every US state as cheap and easy Cherynobal bombs.
I can’t find the episode listed anywhere, but many years ago there was a PBS Frontline episode about two college kids who went to every US nuclear power plant. They snuck in and planted an alarm clock in a shoebox next the reactors. The lesson was that this country is so free and open, it would be impossible to ever secure nuclear plants from attacks. Extrapolating on that, a terrorist would see a nuclear plant next to major cities in every US state as cheap and easy Cherynobal bombs.
I can’t find the episode listed anywhere, but many years ago there was a PBS Frontline episode about two college kids who went to every US nuclear power plant. They snuck in and planted an alarm clock in a shoebox next the reactors. The lesson was that this country is so free and open, it would be impossible to ever secure nuclear plants from attacks. Extrapolating on that, a terrorist would see a nuclear plant next to major cities in every US state as cheap and easy Cherynobal bombs.
I can’t find the episode listed anywhere, but many years ago there was a PBS Frontline episode about two college kids who went to every US nuclear power plant. They snuck in and planted an alarm clock in a shoebox next the reactors. The lesson was that this country is so free and open, it would be impossible to ever secure nuclear plants from attacks. Extrapolating on that, a terrorist would see a nuclear plant next to major cities in every US state as cheap and easy Cherynobal bombs.
General Jack D. Ripper: Your Commie has no regard for human life, not even of his own. For this reason men, I want to impress upon you the need for extreme watchfulness. The enemy may come individually, or in strength. He may even appear in the form of our own troops. But however we must stop him. We must not allow him to gain entrance to this base. Now, I’m going to give you THREE SIMPLE rules: First, trust NO one, whatever his uniform or rank, unless he is known to you personally; Second, anyone or anything that approaches within 200 yards of the perimeter is to be FIRED UPON; Third, if in doubt, shoot first then ask questions later. I would sooner accept a few casualties through accidents rather losing the entire base and its personnel through carelessness. Any variation of these rules must come from me personally. Any variation on these rules must come from me personally. Now, men, in conclusion, I would like to say that, in the two years it has been my privilege to be your commanding officer, I have always expected the best from you, and you have never given me anything less than that. Today, the nation is counting on us. We’re not going to let them down. Good luck to you all.
Damn it, I work at a nuclear power plant and am obviously pro-nuclear (seriously people, it is very safe and nothing like the Simpsons). I am also very much a Mac guy, and dislike Gates as much as the rest of you. If they are talking about the kind of reactors I have heard of, they are actually a great design, because they run for a VERY long time with no real human/maintenance component to them. They are very simple in design. However, they only generate about 60MWe as supposed to most new designs which generate 1500MWe per reactor. Please people, don’t hate new nukes because Gates is somehow maybe somewhat involved.
I will end my message with shameless effort to support nukes. I know most of you will immediately think of the two worst events in our history, TMI and Chernobyl. First I will take TMI, industry and design have come a long way since then, people do not run plants like they used to back then, plus the designs have come a LONG way in 50+ years. I personally think these plants were designed before people truly knew everything they needed to for commercial nuclear power. Also, TMI was the worst thing that could possibly happen to a US nuke plant, a melted core, and guess what, no release to the public, just as designed. Chernobyl did not have a plant designed like US plants. I will not get into it but basically it was a horribly designed plant that was run by people who thought it was OK to experiment with a commercial reactor. Again, I think people put nuclear plants out there before they truly understood the technology, or at least had sufficient technology to manage it.
Green House gasses or not, would you rather have a coal plant that spewed a trainload of coal into the atmosphere every day? Our would you want a nuke plant, whose waste (used fuel) would take need to be gathered up for 40 years before filling the same train? Do you want harmful toxins spewed into nature in a manor where they can not be controlled? Or would you want a small, compact, and manageable waste?
Don’t bother to bring up wind, everyone knows that will not provide the baseline power this country needs.
What a bunch of idiotic responses. I am amazed how ppl are still blind!
@ Andreeccm (and others) – It’s called a sense of humor. Try it sometime, it’s a much more relaxing way to go through life.
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What a ridiculous set of comments! With the exception of ken1w, no one has any idea about what Gates is talking about. Just because you know how to type, it doesn’t mean you should.
You morons making this about Obama, Biden, and Health care are killing this site. Seriously. Watch what happens if you keep it up! We won’t need Bill Gates, Google, or any nuclear reactors to witness obliteration. Jerks. (Put a big “F” in front of that!)
Finally, after reading a bunch of mindless crap about MSFT, Bill Gates and Obamacare, we get a thoughtful, INTELLIGENT response on what Gates is involved in.
Thank you kenfw.
Oh great, Windows is now such an energy hog you’ll need a nuclear reactor to power your laptop.
Fail on this reporting!
The type of reactor proposed uses waste products from conventional reactors.
In other words it cleans up the existing nuclear mess. There is enough depleted uranium already in storage to provide the US’ energy needs for more than 1000 years.
This is a good idea, and Gates should be lauded in general for his support of low-carbon energy. (His activities also support solar, etc.)
This really gives a new meaning to “fatal error”…
Thorium.
I think it’s a good idea.
C’mon be serious! Mixing Windows and this issue makes no sense at all!
A Mac & iPhone user.
Lauren is shopping for a nuclear reactor. We offered her 2 billion to pick one out. After visiting the Apple reactor store she said, ” oh my, 3 billion for a reactor, no thanks”. She then heads to the Microsuck net-reactor store where she finds a chopped down reactor for 850 million. ” Boy, I saved a lot of cash, and my reactor runs Flash !!”.
The scariest news I’ve ever heard; I nearly had a heart attack just reading the headline!
MW: dark. Our darkest days are yet ahead of us.
Sorry, I wouldn’t even trust MacOS to run it… OpenVMS gets my vote!