The Truth Is Radioactive

In my previous post Reversed Opinion I made the following point:

This is like an intel project. You have to try to get the correct information out of a mass of conflicting data.

I assume the data is being fudged. Or totally fabricated. Or "corrected" if the truth gets out by accident.

Well that was just my opinion. Now the New York Times chimes in with this report.

The document also suggests that fragments or particles of nuclear fuel from spent fuel pools above the reactors were blown “up to one mile from the units,” and that pieces of highly radioactive material fell between two units and had to be “bulldozed over,” presumably to protect workers at the site. The ejection of nuclear material, which may have occurred during one of the earlier hydrogen explosions, may indicate more extensive damage to the extremely radioactive pools than previously disclosed.

“I thought they were, not out of the woods, but at least at the edge of the woods,” said Mr. Lochbaum, who was not involved in preparing the document. “This paints a very different picture, and suggests that things are a lot worse. They could still have more damage in a big way if some of these things don’t work out for them.”

There is a lot more information at the Times report. Worth a read. In any case things are worse than previous reports suggest.

So where is the urgency? Perhaps some cultural sleuthing is in order. Japan is a consensus society (for the most part). When everyone (or nearly every one) is in agreement action is taken. It is a pretty good system for slow moving events. But when things are moving fast by the time consensus is reached events will have changed the situation such that the consensus is no longer applicable.

And what does American culture have to say about moving quickly?

I would rather have a good plan today than a perfect plan two weeks from now. - General George S. Patton

Under the current circumstance the American cultural bias is the better one. But you do not change thousands of years of culture in a day and a half. Or more to the point in this case - in ten minutes or less.