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On moving fast and breaking things
Craig Piercycpiercy@ans.org
So much of what is happening in federal nuclear policy these days seems driven by a common approach popularized in the technology sector. Silicon Valley calls it “move fast and break things,” a phrase originally associated with Facebook’s early culture under Mark Zuckerberg. The idea emerged in the early 2000s as software companies discovered that rapid iteration, frequent experimentation, and a willingness to tolerate failure could dramatically accelerate innovation. This philosophy helped drive the growth of the social media, smartphones, cloud computing, and digital platforms that now underpin modern economic and social life.
Today, that mindset is also influencing federal nuclear policy. The Trump administration views accelerated nuclear deployment as part of a broader competition with China for technological and AI leadership. In that context, it seems willing to accept greater operational risk in pursuit of strategic advantage and long-term economic and security objectives.
Xuelong Fu, Jie Tao, Dunwen Zuo
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 194 | Number 1 | January 2020 | Pages 69-83
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1654328
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
B4C/CF/PI/AA6061 hybrid composite laminates (BCPAs) with different configurations were fabricated using a hot molding process and then were irradiated by a 60Co gamma ray with various doses (250, 500, 750, and 1000 kGy) under ambient conditions. The effects of gamma irradiation on the morphological, physical, and thermal properties of the BCPAs were evaluated correspondingly. It was shown that the specimens maintained good interfacial adhesion even after gamma irradiation up to 1000 kGy and that no obvious delamination, swelling, and surface irradiation damage could be observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the BCPAs after gamma irradiation indicated no obvious discrepancy when compared with that of nonirradiated specimens. The specimens still maintained good thermal stability with the experimental temperature up to 400°C. When the specimens were gamma irradiated with the dose of 750 kGy, the thermal stability of the BCPAs was optimal. Polyimide resin under gamma irradiation was inclined to form free radicals close to each other and underwent radiation decomposition, a chain scission and cross-linking reaction, and a secondary cross-linking reaction. By analyzing the C-C bond, C-O bond, and C = O bond in the C1s spectrum, the relative intensity of the C = O bond decreased with the irradiation dose; moreover, gamma irradiation caused the decomposition of a certain amount of the oxygen functional group C = O.
