Amid a full-blown humanitarian crisis from a massive earthquake
and tsunami, Japan is racing against time to avert a nuclear
catastrophe. Plant workers at Fukushima Daiichi are struggling
to cool the reactors and spent fuel held in pools also on site.
Because of explosions caused by the buildup of hydrogen, it is
believed that two of the containment structures that hold the
reactors have been breached, greatly increasing risk of a
release of a large amount or radioactive material. Although it's
still an unstable situation, it's clear the damage at the
Fukushima Daiichi plant is worse than the Three Mile Island
accident in 1979 and will be studied for years to come. Based on
comments from experts and published reports, this FAQ attempts
to shed some light on the current situation, with an emphasis on
understanding the health implications from radiation. What is
the latest on the attempts to cool the reactors? Plant workers
are using the improvised technique of pumping seawater with
added boron (which slows dow