Live chat: An expert discusses the realities of nuclear power
Los Angeles Times staff writer Ron Lin will lead the discussion. We'll start at 11 a.m. PDT but you can start asking questions now. We'll get to as many as possible.
Lewis, author of two textbooks on nuclear power, will take questions about the nuclear industry as Japan struggles to contain reactors damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Lewis' research has focused on the broad problems of dealing with the physics, safety and reliability of nuclear systems.
"The combination of an earthquake of unprecedented intensity followed immediately by a tsunami of historical proportions in Japan has resulted in the most serious nuclear reactor accidents in decades," Lewis said. "Understandably, the uncertainty associated with the further progression of the partial melting of the reactor cores has engendered a great deal of psychological trauma as well as media attention.
"However, it appears that loss of life to the public -- if any -- caused by the radiation releases from these accidents will be minuscule when compared to the thousands of deaths caused by the earthquake and tsunami."
