The tornadoes that blew through the Midwest yesterday damaged homes and buildings including a research nuclear reactor facility at Kansas State University. The reactor, a TRIGA Mark II model, has been operating since 1962, making it one of the oldest operating models of its design in America. One might think a hazardous explosion or a reactor core meltdown would occur if a tornado slammed into a 46 year old nuclear reactor, right? Wrong. Shutting down a nuclear reaction is a relatively simple process, and K-State’s research reactor was deactivated before …
