Accidentally rupturing a tank of mercury doesn’t usually kill a worker and injure a dozen. A tank of very nasty mercury compound might.
Actually, to steer back to topic which is (laudably tolerated here) dislike of rationalists, this argument can make good tiny pet example of ‘rationalist’ vs ‘experts’ debates.
Rationalists believe by special powers of rationality they are unusually less prone to for example nuclear = scary bias, and say that uranium wrapped in paper safe as lead etc etc. (By the way, also false, uranium is a serious fire hazard). There’s a lot of such ‘rationalists’ around, not just here but everywhere, that’s where people get misconceptions like yours from.
Experts actually know the matters to conclude something. (Not that I am a nuclear expert, of course, I only know overall overview of the process, and would defer to experts)
Frankly, rupturing any tank of just about any hexafluoride compound would be expected to be pretty dangerous.
I’m by no means a nuclear expert, I was just a nuke plant mechanic. The reason I am unafraid of radiation isn’t because the fearmongering is baseless, it’s because I’m enough of a lay expert to know the magnitude of the actual risks.
How is elemental uranium a fire hazard? Does flame spread across it faster that it spreads across wood paneling? I never considered that kind of hazard to be important, because uranium-as-she-is-used is safe enough from fire.
Actually, to steer back to topic which is (laudably tolerated here) dislike of rationalists, this argument can make good tiny pet example of ‘rationalist’ vs ‘experts’ debates.
You can tell your pet “‘rationalist’ vs ‘expert’” example has issues when it can replaced with “‘rationalist’ vs ‘anyone with a net connection and 30 spare seconds’” and it applies just as well.
Experts actually know the matters to conclude something. (Not that I am a nuclear expert, of course, I only know overall overview of the process, and would defer to experts)
You realise, of course, that this places you squarely on the ‘rationalist’ side of that artificial dichotomy?
(By the way, also false, uranium is a serious fire hazard).
Not to mention it’ll do much more damage to your toe if you drop it on yourself—so much heavier!
You realise, of course, that this places you squarely on the ‘rationalist’ side of that artificial dichotomy?
I would defer to experts, I said. This community has a well respected founder apparently leading it by example NOT to defer to experts, but instead go on how experts are wrong, on basis on something terribly shaky. (quantum sequence).
Accidentally rupturing a tank of mercury doesn’t usually kill a worker and injure a dozen. A tank of very nasty mercury compound might.
Actually, to steer back to topic which is (laudably tolerated here) dislike of rationalists, this argument can make good tiny pet example of ‘rationalist’ vs ‘experts’ debates.
Rationalists believe by special powers of rationality they are unusually less prone to for example nuclear = scary bias, and say that uranium wrapped in paper safe as lead etc etc. (By the way, also false, uranium is a serious fire hazard). There’s a lot of such ‘rationalists’ around, not just here but everywhere, that’s where people get misconceptions like yours from.
Experts actually know the matters to conclude something. (Not that I am a nuclear expert, of course, I only know overall overview of the process, and would defer to experts)
Frankly, rupturing any tank of just about any hexafluoride compound would be expected to be pretty dangerous.
I’m by no means a nuclear expert, I was just a nuke plant mechanic. The reason I am unafraid of radiation isn’t because the fearmongering is baseless, it’s because I’m enough of a lay expert to know the magnitude of the actual risks.
How is elemental uranium a fire hazard? Does flame spread across it faster that it spreads across wood paneling? I never considered that kind of hazard to be important, because uranium-as-she-is-used is safe enough from fire.
You can tell your pet “‘rationalist’ vs ‘expert’” example has issues when it can replaced with “‘rationalist’ vs ‘anyone with a net connection and 30 spare seconds’” and it applies just as well.
You realise, of course, that this places you squarely on the ‘rationalist’ side of that artificial dichotomy?
Not to mention it’ll do much more damage to your toe if you drop it on yourself—so much heavier!
I would defer to experts, I said. This community has a well respected founder apparently leading it by example NOT to defer to experts, but instead go on how experts are wrong, on basis on something terribly shaky. (quantum sequence).
… and his position is held by a fair fraction of the experts.