# How do you restart a nuclear reactor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778 "2011-03-15T13:51:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778/21 "2011-03-16T01:53:54Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I’m a former Engineer-qualified nuclear submarine officer. I have started up a nuclear reactor (two different designs) dozens of times. Even today, I could conduct a fast recovery startup of the S6G reactor I qualified on with my eyes closed. My hat is off to you, Sir. Myself – I’m pretty good with a paddle on a canoe. 🙂 But my question wasn’t about the ocean or nuclear power, but your observation on how questions get answered. I’m sure your experience qualifies you as an expert on how message board threads work, especially this one. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778/22 "2011-03-16T02:11:24Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > My hat is off to you, Sir. Myself – I’m pretty good with a paddle on a canoe. 🙂 > > But my question wasn’t about the ocean or nuclear power, but your observation on how questions get answered. I’m sure your experience qualifies you as an expert on how message board threads work, especially this one. :rolleyes: I guess your comment about the cost of entry is appropriate, but the banner at the top of the page still does mention fighting ignorance. There are times when I wish it were more obvious which posts have accurate insight into a topic and which ones are merely stuff that folks heard third hand or pulled out of their butts. As it is, we simply have to just _know_ that **Qadgop the Mercotan** is a prison doctor and **WordMan** knows his stuff about vintage guitars—and that **robby** is a former sub officer—and treat their contributions appropriately in threads on those respective topics. The signal to noise ratio does get annoying some times, and even though the price is right that doesn’t invalidate **robby’s** point. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778/23 "2011-03-16T02:23:21Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > My hat is off to you, Sir. Myself – I’m pretty good with a paddle on a canoe. 🙂 > > But my question wasn’t about the ocean or nuclear power, but your observation on how questions get answered. I’m sure your experience qualifies you as an expert on how message board threads work, especially this one. :rolleyes: Perhaps not–though I’ve now been a member of the SDMB for nearly as long as I was in the Navy. 😉 No, it just seemed to me that in the recent nuclear power threads people weren’t taking the time to read what had already been posted, or they wouldn’t post something that was completely incorrect right after the correct info had already been posted. …Or keep asking the same questions over and over again. Granted, it’s not helped by the fact that there’s some five related nuclear power threads going on simultaneously here in GQ, at least one in GD, and a derailed one in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![snds2good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snds2good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snds2good)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778/24 "2011-03-17T23:17:04Z")
Well my question is similar, I understand the workings of a bomb versus a reactor. But I’m still curious how pellets can be safely assembled , or bomb cores can be assembled without them going into critical mass… I guess critical mass for a bomb is focussed & all at once , but for a reactor , it’s gotta be really tricky… i mean getting a chain reaction going just enough to keep going but not run away must be a really narrow margin to A) get the % of isotopes just right in the fuel & B) have available the right amount of control & moderator material at hand to throttle the reaction… so how do reactor pellets get assembled & shipped before they can be brought to function properly… are bomb cores warm & Radio active, as there is some decay going on all the time… how about pellets ? ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778/25 "2011-03-18T08:25:52Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Control-Alt-Delete? First, you find some really long jumper cables and another nuclear reactor . . . Er, I mean, thanks everyone for the interesting thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-restart-a-nuclear-reactor/574778.md?page=1)