Gravitational forces cause the stars to converge and generate intense gravitational waves, along with the mass production, not only of Uranium, but of gold and platinum as well. The extreme density of this kind of star, a whopping 5 billion tonnes per teaspoon, causes it to react violently when it meets its twin in space. Research also indicates that Uranium could be formed as the result of a merger between neutron stars. This collapse causes the ejection of the star’s remnants into space, and Uranium is a major part of that explosive reaction. A supernova explosion occurs when a star has burned up all its available nuclear fuel and the core collapses catastrophically.” “An explosive brightening of a star in which the energy radiated by it increases by a factor of ten billion. This process is described by the Oxford Dictionary of Physics as: Uranium on earth is believed to have originally been produced in one or more supernovae stars some 6 billion years ago. Uranium has an atomic weight of 238.03 Atomic Mass Units, and has a half life of around 4 billion years. It is made up of 92 Electrons and Protons, and between 141 to 146 Neutrons, depending on the isotope variety, of which there are 5, with Uranium 238 being the most common. Uranium is as complex as it is paradoxical, a versatile element with dormant powers both inspiring and terrifying. On today’s episode of Commodity Culture, we’ll be talking about the good, the bad, and the radioactive, from incredible facts about Uranium’s inter-planetary origins, to power plant malfunctions and meltdowns, and to a conclusion about the role to come for Uranium in humanity’s energy economy. Environmentalists, corporations, and world governments are starting to roll out the red carpet for nuclear energy, seeing it as a cost-effective and environmentally sound path to steer away from polluting fuels like oil and coal. One that commends nuclear as perhaps the only way to save the planet from climate change. However, for the first time in years, a conflicting voice is rising up in unison. This fantastic element, born of the stars, can be both a blessing of energy production, or a curse of nuclear destruction, being extraordinarily effective in both cases.Īs the race begins to a carbon neutral planet and the reduction of fossil fuels, nuclear energy presents an attractive option to effectively lower harmful emissions while providing the power needed to keep our world moving forward.īut what about the dark stains on the reputation of this element? Nuclear disasters like Chernobyl and the destruction unleashed by the atomic bomb during the second World War are often cited as reasons we should disregard nuclear as an option and leave our planet’s veritable treasure trove of Uranium resources, in the ground for good. In the history of humanity, there have been few commodities as conflicted as Uranium.

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