Nuclear choices: A citizen's guide to nuclear technology (New liberal arts series)

The benefits of nuclear technology are real. So are the dangers. In "Nuclear Choices, physicist Richard Wolfson provides citizens with the background they need to make informed choices about the nuclear technologies that provide a substantial portion of our electrical energy, help airlines detect terrorists' bombs, and enhance the diagnosis and treatment of disease, but tha have also produced the devastation of Hiroshima and the accidents at Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl.Wolfson introduces the concepts needed to evaluate the claims of proponents and opponents of the various nuclear technologies. He clearly and concisely explains the basics of nuclear energy and radiation, nuclear power (electricity, reactors, nuclear waste, and alternatives to nuclear fission), and nuclear weapons (their history, technology, effects, delivery systems, strategy, and control), and he invites readers to make their own judgments on controversial nuclear issues.By covering essentially all nuclear technologies in one book, Wolfson stresses the connections among them - especially the multifaceted relationship between nuclear power and nuclear weapons. To aid those seeking a deeper understanding of individual nuclear technologies and the associated issues, each chapter includes a brief summary of the main ideas, a glossary, and a list of further readings.Richard Wolfson is Professor of Physics at Middlebury College.