The Atomic Show #048 – J. Marvin Herndon of understandearth.com

ByRod Adams

Interview with Dr. J Marvin Herndon, best known for his development of the georeactor theory, an idea that the Earth’s core heat is provided by a natural fission reactor.

Last night I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Dr. J. Marvin Herndon, a fascinating and independently minded geophysicist and chemist who is best known for a theory known as the georeactor. He has extended and built upon this work and now has published a web site titled understandingearth.com.

Shane and I have discussed the georeactor theory before – way back on Atomic Show #010. For me the idea works and answers a lot of questions. In addition, it directly contradicts the notion that nuclear fission is somehow unnatural. The theory is not well liked by other geophysicists – they do not seem to spend much time disputing it as they do ignoring it. The popular science press, however, has made a different evaluation – Dr. Herndon and his georeactor theory landed on the front cover of the August 2002 issue of Discover magazine.

If our very planet has a fission heat source at its core, and that fission heat source is responsible for such characteristics as geothermal power, then it seems quite natural and logical to capture that kind of power for human consumption. How many times have you heard a fusion supporter describe it in warm, fuzzy terms like “the same power source as the Sun.” I think it is great that fission reactors use “the same power source as the Earth.”

Anyway, listen to Dr. Herndon – he explains his ideas far better than I can. Go and visit his web site at www.understandearth.com and read the papers that he has posted there. It does not take a specialist to understand his thoughts and explanations and to see how logical and well constructed his arguments are.

You might also be interested in visiting Dr. Herndon’s other site at http://www.nuclearplanet.com.

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Rod Adams
Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

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