A guide: Uranium and the nuclear fuel cycle

A guide: Uranium and the nuclear fuel cycle Yellowcake (Image: Dean Calma/IAEA)The nuclear fuel cycle is the series of industrial processes that turns uranium into electricity. Claire Maden takes a look at the steps that make up the cycle, the major players and the potential pinch-points.The nuclear fuel cycle starts with the mining of uranium ore and ends with the disposal of nuclear waste. (Ore is simply the naturally occurring material from which a mineral or minerals of economic value can be extracted).We talk about the front end of the fuel cycle - that is, the processes needed to mine the ore, extract uranium from it, refine it, and turn it into a fuel assembly that can be loaded into a nuclear reactor - and the back end of the fuel cycle - what happens to the fuel after it's been used. If the used fuel is treated as waste, and disposed of, this is known as an "open" fuel cycle. It can also be reprocessed to recover uranium and other fissile materials which can be reused in what is known as a "closed" fuel cycle.The World Nuclear Association's Information Library has a detailed overview of the fuel cycle here. But in a nutshell, the front end of the fuel cycle is made up of mining and milling, conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication. Fuel then spends typically about three years inside a reactor, after which it may go into...

Read More........→April 20, 2025

Using tranquillisers on racehorses is ethically questionable and puts horses and riders at risk

hedgehog94/Shutterstock Paul McGreevy, University of Sydney and Cathrynne Henshall, Charles Sturt UniversityAustralia’s horse racing industry is in the spotlight after recent allegations of tranquilliser use on horses so they can be “worked” (exercised) between race days. A recent ABC report stated workers in the Australian racing industry allegge horses are being routinely medicated for track work at the peril of rider and horse safety. Using tranquillisers on horses during training and management may not be illegal but this could breach nationwide racing rules. The prevalence of the practice is not clear but many industry insiders report it as common. Racing Australia had “recently become aware” of the use of acepromazine for track work and had begun collecting data about the practice, but had not been made aware of any complaints or concerns. What medications are horses given? Horses may be given a low dose of a tranquilliser, most commonly acepromazine. This makes their behaviour easier to control in certain situations, such as when they’re being examined by a veterinarian. This drug must be prescribed by an attending veterinarian, and it can calm unfriendly and apprehensive animals. This could assist with making excited, hyperactive horses easier to control and less likely to buck, rear or put people at risk...

Read More........→April 12, 2025

Scientists Discover Mechanisms That Prevent Autoimmune Diseases and Win $600,000 Crafoord Prize

Autoimmune researcher Professor Goodnow Christopher – Photo by Garvan Institute of Medical ResearchTwo researchers in the US and Australia have discovered important mechanisms that prevent B cells from attacking the body’s own tissues in autoimmune diseases like arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis—and in the process have won a prestigious prize.Normally, the body’s immune system protects us from viruses, bacteria, and foreign substances. However, in autoimmune diseases, the immune system starts attacking tissues in the body instead.Researchers had long tried to discover the cause of autoimmune diseases. But, Christopher Goodnow and David Nemazee, independently of each other, adopted a new approach.They asked why we do not all develop these diseases. Their focus was on B cells which, together with white blood cells and T cells, are the building blocks of our complex immune system.“They have given us a new and detailed understanding of the mechanisms that normally prevent faulty B cells from attacking tissues in the body, explaining why most of us are not affected by autoimmune diseases,” says Olle Kämpe, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and chair of the Crafoord Prize committee that awarded the pair 6 million Swedish kronor ($600,000).Neutralize B cellsIn recent years, physicians have started to experiment by...

Read More........→April 07, 2025

Early-onset Alzheimer’s: new drug shows promise in slowing the disease

The drug also caused a notable decrease in amyloid plaque buildup, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. ART-ur/ Shutterstock Rahul Sidhu, University of SheffieldAlzheimer’s disease is usually associated with old age. But around 5%-10% of all Alzheimer’s cases occur in people under the age of 65. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease progresses more rapidly and often strikes people in the prime of their lives. Treatment options remain limited. But new data from a recent clinical trial suggests that a previously discontinued experimental drug, called gantenerumab, could help. The study found that gantenerumab reduced the buildup of amyloid plaques – one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease – in the brain. This may help slow cognitive decline in people with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Early-onset Alzheimer’s is often linked to genetic mutations in three specific genes. These mutations cause the brain to produce excessive amounts of amyloid beta, a protein that clumps together to form plaques. These plaques disrupt brain function, leading to memory loss. Early-onset Alzheimer’s advances quickly – and the rapid decline is devastating. That’s why researchers are racing to find treatments that can slow the disease. The recent clinical trial was a randomised, placebo-controlled study to evaluate gantenerumab’s effects on people...

Read More........→April 04, 2025

2025 will see huge advances in quantum computing. So what is a quantum chip and how does it work?

Motion Loop/Shutterstock Muhammad Usman, CSIROIn recent years, the field of quantum computing has been experiencing fast growth, with technological advances and large-scale investments regularly making the news. The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The stakes are high – having quantum computers would mean access to tremendous data processing power compared to what we have today. They won’t replace your normal computer, but having this kind of awesome computing power will provide advances in medicine, chemistry, materials science and other fields. So it’s no surprise that quantum computing is rapidly becoming a global race, and private industry and governments around the world are rushing to build the world’s first full-scale quantum computer. To achieve this, first we need to have stable and scalable quantum processors, or chips. What is a quantum chip? Everyday computers – like your laptop – are classical computers. They store and process information in the form of binary numbers or bits. A single bit can represent either 0 or 1. By contrast, the basic unit of a quantum chip is a qubit. A quantum chip is made up of many qubits. These are typically subatomic particles such as electrons or photons, controlled and manipulated by specially designed electric and...

Read More........→March 11, 2025

DNA detectives in Antarctica: probing 6,000 years of penguin poo for clues to the past

Jamie Wood Jamie Wood, University of Adelaide and Theresa Cole, University of AdelaideStudies of ancient DNA have tended to focus on frozen land in the northern hemisphere, where woolly mammoths and bison roamed. Meanwhile, Antarctica has received relatively little attention. We set out to change that. The most suitable sediments are exposed near the coast of the icy continent, where penguins like to breed. Their poo is a rich source of DNA, providing information about the health of the population as well as what penguins have been eating. Our new research opens a window on the past of Adélie penguins in Antarctica, going back 6,000 years. It also offers a surprise glimpse into the shrinking world of southern elephant seals over the past 1,000 years. Understanding how these species coped with climate change in the past can help us prepare for the future. Wildlife in Antarctica faces multiple emerging threats and will likely need support to cope with the many challenges ahead. A unique marine ecosystem Adélie penguins are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment. This makes them what we call a “sentinel species”, providing an early warning of imbalance or dysfunction in the coastal ecosystem. Their poo also provides a record of how they responded to changes in the past. In our new research, we excavated...

Read More........→March 11, 2025

Woolly mice are cute and impressive – but they won’t bring back mammoths or save endangered species

Colossal Biosciences Emily Roycroft, Monash UniversityUS company Colossal Biosciences has announced the creation of a “woolly mouse” — a laboratory mouse with a series of genetic modifications that lead to a woolly coat. The company claims this is the first step toward “de-extincting” the woolly mammoth. The successful genetic modification of a laboratory mouse is a testament to the progress science has made in understanding gene function, developmental biology and genome editing. But does a woolly mouse really teach us anything about the woolly mammoth? What has been genetically modified? Woolly mammoths were cold-adapted members of the elephant family, which disappeared from mainland Siberia at the end of the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago. The last surviving population, on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean, went extinct about 4,000 years ago. The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a far more familiar creature, which most of us know as a kitchen pest. It is also one of the most studied organisms in biology and medical research. We know more about this laboratory mouse than perhaps any other mammal besides humans. Colossal details its new research in a pre-print paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed. According to the paper, the researchers disrupted the normal function of seven different genes in laboratory mice...

Read More........→March 10, 2025

Countries Are Breathing the Cleanest Air in Centuries and Offer Lessons to the Rest of Us

An article at Our World in Data recently explored trends in air quality across a selection of high and middle-income countries, and found that not only is the West breathing better air than at perhaps any point since urbanization, but that developing nations likely won’t need 100 years or more to arrive at similar outcomes.Published by Hannah Ritchie, the article focuses on two kinds of gases emitted from industrial activity: sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Both enter the air we breathe from the burning of fossil fuels—coal in particular—while the latter is emitted mostly from internal combustion engines.Bad air quality is responsible for millions of lost life years worldwide from respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues, and neurological disease—all of which can develop and become exasperated under prolonged exposure to air pollutants.UK sulphur dioxide emissions – credit Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) 2024, CC BY license.As seen in this chart, emissions of SO2 have just dipped under levels seen at the earliest periods of British industrialization. Before this, city and town air quality would have been badly tainted through emissions of wood smoke, so it’s safe to assume that 2022 marked the best British air in many centuries, not just the last two.SO2 enters the ambient air primarily in urban environments...

Read More........→March 06, 2025

Scientists Discover Oldest Bird Fossils, Rewrite History of Avian Evolution

A photograph and interpretive line drawing show the Baminornis zhenghensis fossil – credit: Min WangAccording to a truly field-altering fossilized bird found in China, birds already existed in the Late Jurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago.The new discovery suggests that rather than a linear evolutionary path from dinosaur to bird, these two orders evolved somewhat simultaneously.An artistic representation of the newly discovered species, Baminornis zhenghensis, with the preserved bones highlighted – credit: Zhao Chuang.Baminornis zhenghensis is the world’s oldest species of avid. A holotype fossil was recently found in East China’s Fujian Province and described in the journal Nature. The pelvis, trunk, forelimbs, and part of the hindlimb are all intact.“Baminornis is a landmark discovery and ranks among the most important bird fossils unearthed since the discovery of Archaeopteryx in the early 1860s,” Stephen Brusatte, a paleontologist from the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the study but wrote a commentary accompanying it, tells Xinhua.“This is a groundbreaking discovery. It overturns the previous situation that Archaeopteryx was the only bird found in the Jurassic Period,” Zhonghe Zhou, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-author of the study, tells the Chinese news agency...

Read More........→March 05, 2025

Indian American engineers discuss advancements in hot technologies

Debu Chatterjee, CEO Konfer and Mihir Shukla, CEO Automation Anywhere discussing responsible AI and engaging the audience. ALL PHOTOS: ASEIThe American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEIUSA.org), a non-profit founded in 1983, convened an AI Summit February 17, 2025, in Santa Clara, California, attended by a number of academics, researchers, authors, speakers and industry innovators.Held at the UCSC Silicon Valley campus, the event also marked the 10-year anniversary of ASEI’s Silicon Valley chapter.The Conference covered a wide variety of subjects in Artificial Intelligence.India’s Consul General in San Francisco Dr Srikar Reddy addressing the ASEI audience at AI meeting, Feb. 15, 2025. PHOTO: ASEIAfter a warm welcome by co-hosts UCSC Dean P.K. Agarwal,and ASEI Silicon Valley President Piyush Malik, setting the stage for the event, the Consul General (CG) of India in San Francisco Dr. Srikar Reddy, shared his perspectives on India’s digital economy, the strength of Silicon Valley Indian community and how the Indian government is investing in and leveraging AI for improving lives and livelihoods of citizens. Reddy alluded to Prime Minister Modi’s recent speeches at AI Action Summit in Paris and recent visit to the US.Opening the program with a classical Indian music performance by a young high school STEM student Sohum Gupta,...

Read More........→February 26, 2025

India’s e-waste offers $6 billion economic opportunity: Report

Bengaluru, (IANS): There is an estimated economic potential of $6 billion from recoverable materials through metal extraction as India’s e-waste holds a great economic opportunity, a report said on Friday.India is now the world’s third-largest e-waste producer, after China and the US. The country’s e-waste has doubled from 2 million metric tonnes (MMT) in FY14 to 3.8 MMT in FY24, fuelled by urbanisation and rising incomes, said the report by Redseer Strategy Consultants.Predominantly generated by households and businesses, the consumer segment contributes nearly 70 per cent of total e-waste in FY24.A significant trend in e-waste generation is the shift in material intensity. While appliances are becoming more compact and lightweight, the sheer volume of discarded items is increasing, necessitating efficient recycling strategies.“The volume of e-waste is expected to rise in the coming years. The rising value of metals in e-waste presents a major opportunity for India to enhance recovery efficiency and establish itself as a leader in sustainable metal extraction,” said Jasbir S. Juneja, Partner at Redseer Strategy Consultants.Currently, only 16 per cent of consumer e-waste in India is processed by formal recyclers. Despite projections of a 17 per cent CAGR growth in the formal recycling sector by FY35, it is expected to handle just...

Read More........→February 20, 2025

It’s official: Australia’s ocean surface was the hottest on record in 2024

Moninya Roughan, UNSW SydneyAustralia’s sea surface temperatures were the warmest on record last year, according to a snapshot of the nation’s climate which underscores the perilous state of the world’s oceans. The Bureau of Meteorology on Thursday released its annual climate statement for 2024 – the official record of temperature, rainfall, water resources, oceans, atmosphere and notable weather. Among its many alarming findings were that sea surface temperatures were hotter than ever around the continent last year: a whopping 0.89°C above average. Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface, and their warming is gravely concerning. It causes sea levels to rise, coral to bleach and Earth’s ice sheets to melt faster. Hotter oceans also makes weather on land more extreme and damages the marine life which underpins vital ocean ecosystems. What the snapshot showed Australia’s climate varies from year to year. That’s due to natural phenomena such as the El Niño and La Niña climate drivers, as well as human-induced climate change. The bureau confirmed 2024 was Australia’s second-warmest year since national records began in 1910. The national annual average temperature was 1.46°C warmer than the long-term average (1961–90). Heatwaves struck large parts of Australia early in the year, and...

Read More........→February 13, 2025