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To advance nuclear plant simulator training, the industry must focus on a more detailed and theoretical approach to conduct of this training. The use of semiotics is one method of refining the existing training and examining ways to diversify and blend it with new theoretical methods. Semiotics is the study of signs and how humans interpret them. In instructor semiotic analysis, the two most critical areas to be examined are non-verbal feedback and verbal signs. Instructors must attempt to eliminate any non-verbal feedback, since at the moment of execution in the plant, that feedback will not be present. They must choose verbal signs carefully and characterize behavior based on facts with clear, concrete wording to elicit correct behavior. In student semiotic analysis, impact of visual and verbal signs on the student is explored. In instructional application to effectively take advantage of semiotics, one must alter one's thinking to push the bounds of one's own rationality. The goal as related to signs and processing is to produce a correct outcome based on the interpretations and understanding of these interactions. Consistency is required. Whether to train individually or in teams must be examined from the perspective of the end product. A constructivist learning environment provides consistency in operator performance during all operating conditions. (Contains 11 references) (YLB)

This text was to have been the script for the National Air and Space Museum's exhibition of the Enola Gay, focusing on the end of World War II and the decision of the United States to use of the atomic bomb. The Enola Gay was a B-29 aircraft that carried the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The atomic bomb brought a sudden end to World War II and ushered in the nuclear age. The event was one of the critical turning points of the 20th century. This exhibition describes the war between Japan and the United States and its allies, the building of the atomic bomb, the decision to use it, the military effort to carry out that mission, the effects of the bombing, and the surrender of Japan. Each entry in the exhibition program would accompany a display at the Smithsonian. [This material offers the educator material to stimulate discussion, analysis, and critical thinking in world history, modern history, or U.S. history courses.] (EH)

A 2-year study of the health care industry in the San Francisco Bay Area identified avenues for reducing health care labor shortages. Focus was on classifications where demand was expected to grow and where current demand exceeds supply: nursing, medical imaging, medical therapy, and medical records management. A modified job analysis technique collected data through intensive interviews with subject matter experts, focus group meetings for data collection on occupational clusters, and surveys of major health care providers. Information obtained for each occupational cluster included the following: changes in settings in which these jobs are practiced, occupational skills that have changed in importance, skills important for entry-level jobs, and skills significant for career advancement. The study identified issues related to the role of educational programs in meeting labor supply and skill requirements in these occupational clusters, changing skills requirements that cross occupational clusters, and skill deficiencies identified by health care employers. Two sets of educational policy recommendations were made: one addressing integration of vocational and academic programs to increase the supply of personnel and another centering on articulated educational programs and their value in increasing labor supply through improved employee retention. (Appendixes, amounting to approximately one-half of the report, include a 91-item bibliography; medical imaging, medical therapy, and medical records occupations tables; and instruments. The occupations tables list skills, knowledge, and abilities that are important for advancement or have recently increased in importance.) (YLB)

This study examines the status of and outlook for nuclear engineering (NE) in the United States. The study resulted from a concern about the downward trends in student enrollments in NE, in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Concerns have also been expressed about the declining number of U.S. university NE departments and programs, the aging of their facilities, and appropriateness of their curricula and research funding for industry and government needs, the availability of scholarships and research funding, and the increasing ratio of foreign to U.S. graduate students. A committee representing universities, laboratories, government agencies, and corporations studied the current status of NE education in the United States, estimated the supply and demand for undergraduate and graduate nuclear engineers in the United States over the near- to mid-term, addressed the spectrum of material that the nuclear engineering curriculum should cover and how it should relate to allied disciplines, and recommended appropriate actions to ensure that the nation's needs for competent nuclear engineers are satisfied over the near- and mid-term. Since the responsibility for a viable NE education system is shared by the Federal Government, private industry, and the academic community, recommendations were split into these sectors: (1) Federal Government should increase funding for traineeship and fellowship programs, provide additional research funds to support reactors, enhance programs to attract women and minorities into the field, assess supporting the access, for educational purposes, of NE departments to research reactors, etc.; (2) Industry such as electric utilities should increase their participation and support of training programs and continue working with the American Nuclear Society to support its advocacy of NE education; (3) Universities should continue to have broad based NE curricula, have more research programs with more research in reactor-oriented areas, develop and support research related to power reactor, nuclear waste management, and environmental remediation, and seek a means for partial or phased retirement of older faculty so junior faculty may be added. (30 references) (KR)

Nuclear power was considered vital to humanity's future until just a short time ago. Since the late seventies, economic viability has joined a list of such issues as waste disposal and radiation hazards which call into question the future of nuclear power. This document discusses (in separate sections): (1) the selling of nuclear power, including worldwide nuclear power commitments; (2) costs, including annual rate increases for nuclear construction; (3) explanations for the rising cost of nuclear power, examining such issues as mismanagement, nuclear power plant sizes, design flaws in early plants that required costly correction, and earthquake resistance; (4) decline of nuclear power programs in the United States; (5) international outlook on nuclear power development; and (6) other issues and problems. It is pointed out in the last section that the economic failings of nuclear power suggest the need for several major policy changes, including a more balanced approach in energy research and development which nuclear power has dominated in most industrial countries since the fifties. (JN)

On December 2, 1942, in a racquet court underneath the West Stands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, a team of scientists led by Enrico Fermi created the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. This updated and revised story of the first reactor (or "pile") is based on postwar interviews (as told to Corbin Allardice and Edward Trapnell in their essay entitled "The First Pile") with more than a dozen of the 43 scientists present at the Stagg Field experiment. Also included are the firsthand reminiscences of Enrico Fermi, the Nobel prize-winning project director, and his wife, Laura. Written in the 1950s, they provide valuable insights into the human and technical challenges of a secret enterprise conducted by American and European refugee scientists. (A list of individuals present at the Chicago pile experiment on December 2, 1942 and a list of suggested books, articles and a motion picture are provided.) (JN)

This booklet explains the basic technology of nuclear fission power reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, and the role of nuclear energy as one of the domestic energy resources being developed to meet the national energy demand. Major topic areas discussed include: the role of nuclear power; the role of electricity; generating electricity with the atom; nuclear power and radiation; types of nuclear reactors (boiling-water, pressurized-water, and high temperature gas-cooled reactors); breeder reactors; nuclear fuel--mining to reactor; nuclear fuel--reactor to waste disposal; transporting radioactive materials; the economics of nuclear power; and nuclear electricity in other countries. A list of selected books, reports and articles, and films is included. (JN)

An evaluation of the Nuclear Skill Related Training Program at Memphis State University was conducted to identify possible motivational and attitudinal variables that may contribute to the retention-attrition rates of Job Corps students (40 percent) admitted to the program compared to non-Job Corps students who are migrant workers (2 percent). The program consists of 26 weeks of intensive training on a daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. basis. A questionnaire was developed to determine personal and motivational attitudes of the 11 currently enrolled students related to the administration and content of the Nuclear Studies Program, and short personal interviews were also conducted with these students. Data gathered in the survey indicated that the students are somewhat pleased with the program, have a strong commitment to the program, and feel that academic problems would be their major reason for dropping out if they did so. Most changes suggested by students involved the instructional area, especially in relation to the professors/instructors, modules, and the practicality of course control. Another group of suggestions was about student personnel staff. In order to strengthen retention of students in the program, the study recommended that enlistment personnel in Job Corps centers be more specific about program content, difficulty, and the probability of jobs after graduation. It also recommended that the program offer more remedial services and that instructors be more available for consultations and be more practical in class. (KC)

This study examines the relationship between knowledge and attitudes with respect to nuclear issues, including the nuclear freeze proposal, MX missle, and Strategic Defense Initiative. Adults (N=750) drawn from a list of registered voters in Los Angeles County were sent a 53-item questionnaire. Of the respondents, 64 percent were male, 53 percent were married, 68 percent had some college education, 24 percent had graduated from high school only, 82 percent were Caucasian, 41 percent were Republicans, 40 percent were Democrats, and 54 percent had a family income between $20,000 and $50,000. Fourteen items on the questionnaire measured attitudes; 23 items measured knowledge. Knowledge questions included items such as the number of nations with nuclear weapons and if the United States nuclear warning systems have ever malfunctioned. Attitude questions included items such as agreement with a nuclear freeze and with spending money on "Star Wars" research. When controlled for education, income, and age, correlations between knowledge and attitudes revealed that voters with more knowledge were significantly more likely to support a nuclear freeze, oppose building more missiles, and oppose funding "Star Wars" research. Five tables and three pages of references are included. (Author/ABL)

A symposium was organized to reexamine the realities of vertical proliferation between the United States and the Soviet Union and to place into perspective the horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons throughout the world, including the possible role of commercial nuclear power in facilitating proliferation. The four invited symposium presentations are provided in this monograph. They include: "Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons: The Connection Is Tenuous" (Bernard I. Spinrad); "Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons: The Connection Is Dangerous" (John P. Holdren); "Horizontal Proliferation: The Spread of Nuclear Weapons to Other Countries" (Gene I. Rochlin); and "Vertical Proliferation: The Nuclear Arms Race of the Superpowers" (Herbert F. York). Among the areas/issues addressed in the first three papers are: weapons efficacy of materials from nuclear power reactors; nuclear power and world tension; nuclear policy alternatives; motivations and barriers (technical, economic, political) to acquiring nuclear weapons; history of power-related proliferation and prospects for further proliferation; Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); gradual erosion of the NPT regime; and future of NPT safeguards. The final paper reviews facts/data about the arms race, describes systematic relationships among the facts/data, and draws conclusions based on the relationships. (JN)

Three papers on nuclear weapons and nuclear war, based on talks given by distinguished physicists during an American Physical Society-sponsored symposium, are provided in this booklet. They include "Caught Between Asymptotes" (Philip Morrison), "We are not Inferior to the Soviets" (Hans A. Bethe), and "MAD vs. NUTS" (Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky). Areas addressed in the first paper (whose title is based on a metaphor offered by John von Neumann) include the threat of nuclear war, World War III versus World War II, and others. The major point of the second paper is that United States strategic nuclear forces are not inferior to those of the Soviets. Areas addressed include accuracy/vulnerability, new weapons, madness of nuclear war, SALT I and II, proposed nuclear weapons freeze, and possible U.S. initiatives. The final paper considers the public consciousness of nuclear war, mutually assured destruction (MAD), nuclear utilization target selection (NUTS)- a conceptual approach to nuclear war which pretends that specialized applications of nuclear weapons are possible, and others. In addition, selected discussion questions from the symposium are provided. Since courses on science and society are proliferating in many colleges/universities, it is suggested that this booklet may serve as reading material for such courses. (JN)

This report provides an assessment of safety issues at the Department of Energy (DOE) test and research reactors. Part A identifies six safety issues of the reactors. These issues include the safety design philosophy, the conduct of safety reviews, the performance of probabilistic risk assessments, the reliance on reactor operators, the fragmented character of the DOE management structure, and the safety implications of the current budgetary climate. Part B provides an assessment of technical issues to each of five reactors, such as: (1) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR); (2) Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBRII); (3) Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF); (4) High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR); and (5) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Each section includes the recent operating history and conclusions and recommendations on the technical issues. Over 400 documents are listed in the bibliography grouped by kind of reactor. Appendices include a "Statement of Task" by DOE and National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council and "Biographical Sketches of the Members." (YP)

This report provides an assessment of safety management, safety review, and safety methodology employed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and private contractors. Chapter 1, "The DOE Safety Framework," examines safety objectives for production reactors and processes to implement the objectives. Chapter 2, "Technical Issues," focuses on a variety of potential vulnerabilities to severe accidents including acute aging phenomena, evaluation of potential accidents, power operating limits, confinement systems, and the treatment of radioactively contaminated liquid effluents at the reactors. Chapter 3, "Strengthening the Technical Basis of Reactor Safety Management," identifies ways in which the DOE approach to management of the safety of the reactors can be improved. Each subsection consists of conclusions and recommendations. Over 500 documents are listed in the bibliography. Appendices include a task statement; a list of documents about power operating limits; technical discussions on confinements, aging, effluents, cermet fuel, hydrogen generation during accidents, and the DOE safety system; safety-related provisions; and an introduction of committee members. (YP)

The most important concern in the design, construction and operation of nuclear powerplants is safety. Nuclear power is one of the major contributors to the nation's supply of electricity; therefore, it is important to assure its safe use. Each different type of powerplant has special design features and systems to protect health and safety. One safety concern that is unique to producing electricity at nuclear powerplants is the potential for accidents involving radioactivity. The safety features of a nuclear powerplant are designed to provide maximum safety and to minimize the chance of accidental emission of radiation. This publication reports on the following: (1) safety by design which includes natural safeguards, physical containment barriers, and engineered safety systems; (2) safety through planning of siting, licensing, emergency response, and insurance; (3) Three Mile Island; and (4) safety first. (RT)

Radioisotopes are useful because of their three unique characteristics: (1) radiation emission; (2) predictable radioactive lives; and (3) the same chemical properties as the nonradioactive atoms of that element. Researchers are able to "order" a radioisotope with the right radiation, half-life, and chemical property to perform a given task with the knowledge of these three characteristics. This publication includes information on the uses of radioisotopes in medicine for providing doctors with diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for scanning organs and contributing to the healing process in the treatment of cancer. Radioisotopes can help to authenticate works of art and solve crimes. In industry radioisotopes are used to detect hidden flaws in hardware and improve product quality. Uses in agriculture include insect control and the preservation of foods. (RT)

Research has shown that nuclear radioisotope power generators can supply compact, reliable, and efficient sources of energy for a broad range of space missions. These missions range from televising views of planetary surfaces to communicating scientific data to Earth. This publication presents many applications of the advancing technology and commemorates three important milestones in space technology research: (1) the emplacement of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package on the Moon in November 1969; (2) the first demonstration of nuclear power for space in January 1959; and (3) The Atomic Energy Act of 1954: as amended, that encouraged applications for nuclear energy in a broad range of scientific endeavors, including exploration of space. Spacecraft propulsion had contributions originating from a number of countries. The log of space flights began in November 1957 with the first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1. Presently the total number of satellites has grown to more than 1,693 and a primary vehicle for launching a variety of spacecraft and satellites for research and communications purposes is being provided by the United States Space Shuttle Program. Topics of information include: space power systems and types; key events; space exploration milestones; future planetary missions and generating systems; isotope power systems; and aerospace safety. (RT)

Radiation is a natural energy force that has been a part of the environment since the Earth was formed. It takes various forms, none of which can be smelled, tasted, seen, heard, or felt. Nevertheless, scientists know what it is, where it comes from, how to measure and detect it, and how it affects people. Cosmic radiation from outer space and radioactive elements in rocks and soil contribute to the natural background radiation that has always been around us. There are also manmade sources of radiation, such as dental and medical x-rays, smoke detectors, and materials released from nuclear and coal-fired powerplants. Radiation comes from the activity of tiny particles (atoms) of matter. Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons, the arrangement of which distinguishes one atom from another. Atoms of different types are called elements. Some of the elements, such as radium, uranium, and thorium are unstable. As they change into more stable forms, they release invisible waves of energy or particles. This emitting of radiation is known as radioactivity. Additional information discussed includes: ionizing types; half-life; your exposure; units of measure; devices for measuring; health effects; limits; nuclear powerplants; and uses. (RT)

Powerplant systems and procedures that ensure the day-to-day health and safety of people in and around the plant is referred to as operational safety. This safety is the result of careful planning, good engineering and design, strict licensing and regulation, and environmental monitoring. Procedures that assure operational safety at nuclear powerplants are as follows: (1) training and updating of reactor operators in procedures of powerplant operation; (2) maintenance of strict security at the powerplant; (3) control of radiation releases; (4) storage of the spent (used) fuel in deep pools of water within the powerplant to allow cooling and handling of the spent fuel by remote control; (5) certification of powerplants by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in design, construction and safe operation; and (6) ongoing inspections and environmental monitoring programs to ensure that nuclear powerplants comply with all requirements for public health, safety, and environmental protection. Topics discussed include operational safety; personnel training programs; categories of reactor operators; security; control of radiation releases; handling spent fuel; role of NRC; and sources of radiation to the United States population. (RT)

This booklet explains the basic technology of nuclear fission power reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, and role of nuclear energy as one of the domestic energy resources being developed to meet the national energy demand. Major topic areas discussed include: (1) "The Role of Nuclear Power"; (2) "The Role of Electricity"; (3) Generating Electricity with the Atom"; (4) "Nuclear Power and Radiation"; (5) "Types of Nuclear Reactors (boiling-water, pressurized-water, and high temperature gas-cooled reactors)"; (6) "Breeder Reactors"; (7) "Nuclear Fuel-mining to Reactor"; (8) "Nuclear Fuel-reactor to Waste Disposal"; (9) "Transporting Radioactive Materials"; (10) "The Economics of Nuclear Power"; (11) "Nuclear Electricity in Other Countries"; and (12) a conclusion. Lists are included for selected books, reports, articles and pamphlets, films, and illustrations, and a glossary of related terms. (RT)

Electricity is an increasingly important part of our everyday lives. Its versatility allows one to heat, cool, and light homes; cook meals; watch television; listen to music; power computers; make medical diagnosis and treatment; explore the vastness of space; and study the tiniest molecules. Nuclear energy, second to coal, surpasses natural gas, oil, and hydroelectric power as an energy source for the production of electricity in the United States. With over 100 nuclear powerplants licensed for commercial operation, nuclear energy supplies over 16 percent of the electricity produced in the United States. Coal and nuclear energy are the two sources most capable of meeting increasing electrical needs of the United States in the foreseeable future. Provided in this pamphlet are answers to some frequently asked questions about nuclear energy to help in the understanding of this source of electricity. Sections included are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Nuclear Power Basics"; (3) "Radiation"; (4) "Safety"; (5) "Nuclear Waste"; and (6) "The Future." Some of the questions addressed include: "What is nuclear energy?"; "Where does radiation come from?"; "How safe are nuclear powerplants?"; "What does the term 'meltdown' mean?"; "What is nuclear waste?"; "How does the United States dispose of nuclear waste?"; and "What is the future of nuclear energy?" (RT)

There has been increased public interest in the potential effects of nuclear powerplant accidents since the Soviet reactor accident at Chernobyl. People have begun to look for more information about the amount of radioactivity that might be released into the environment as a result of such an accident. When this issue is discussed by people working in the field of nuclear energy, they often talk about the source term. This technical concept was used exclusively by scientists and members of the nuclear power industry. People have become interested in what it represents rather than the concept. The purpose of this pamphlet is to make this complex idea, the source term, meaningful in understanding nuclear powerplant safety. Topics include: (1) "Nuclear Power Plant Safety: Source Terms"; (2) "Why It's Called 'Source Term'"; (3) "Source Term Research"; (4) "Understanding Source Term Behavior"; (5) "Potential Hazards"; (6) "Design Characteristics"; (7) "Use of Source Terms"; (8) "Source Term Reassessment"; and (9) "Toward a Better Understanding." Also described are two factors indicating that in the event of an accident, less radioactivity would be released than had been estimated in previous licensing documents. (RT)

As required by Assembly Bill 3848, the California State Department of Education has produced this report to help the Legislature determine whether it should promote a program to make nuclear age education more widely available in the public schools and, if so, what type of program would achieve the most desirable results. In preparing the report, the department used data solicited from county offices of education and school districts, community organizations, other state departments of education, and students. It also reviewed current literature on nuclear age education. Recommendations were made in two broad areas. First, the Legislature should provide resources for the State Department of Education to: (1) develop in-service activities for teachers, administrators, and parents; (2) increase the coverage of nuclear age topics in teachers' and students' publications; and (3) work with community groups to ensure a balanced, unbiased approach to nuclear age education. Second, the Legislature should encourage school districts to: (1) provide release time and opportunities for in-service training; (2) incorporate nuclear age instruction in all appropriate subject areas; and (3) involve parent and community groups to ensure a balanced, unbiased approach. The appendixes include Assembly Bill Number 3848, survey materials, and a nine-page listing of books, studies, periodicals, and curriculum guides and other resources. (BZ)

Continues an article that began in the summer 1995 "Interdisciplinary Humanities." Examines ethical concerns about nuclear power, societal control, and prejudice articulated in science fiction literature. Authors studied include Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, and Damon Knight. The earlier article covered literature concerned with ecology and population control. (MJP)