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Worldbuilding

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  • $\begingroup$ Hmm, so do you think the society should make enriched uranium completely illegal? Or perhaps only allow partially enriched uranium, or allow it but only for certain applications? $\endgroup$
    – Christopher King
    Commented Jul 4 at 15:05
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    $\begingroup$ @JonCuster it is much harder to make an atomic bomb from plutonium. $\endgroup$
    – Christopher King
    Commented Jul 4 at 18:57
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    $\begingroup$ +1, this is the only realistic solution. The nuclear reactors in this setting must use fuel which is safe to handle. Otherwise, despite it being nigh impossible for anything other than big state actors to build nuclear bombs, anyone would be able to build dirty bombs by having conventional bombs scatter the unsafe nuclear fuel. $\endgroup$
    – vsz
    Commented Jul 5 at 4:09
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    $\begingroup$ This answer fails one one key problem: small nuclear reactors, like those in a nuclear submarine absolutely rely on enriched uranium. All the U-238 in un-enriched Uranium increases the volume and lowers the power production. The assumed reactors are even smaller than those in submarines. $\endgroup$
    – MSalters
    Commented Jul 5 at 8:41
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    $\begingroup$ @vsz enriched uranium isn't that much more radioactive. Spent fuel, however, is highly radioactive, even when using natural uranium, so that's going to be a concern regardless. $\endgroup$
    – Aetol
    Commented Jul 5 at 9:05