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The Fukushima disaster reminded us all of the dangers of uranium-fueled nuclear reactors. The nuclear power plant, which was severely damaged by the earthquake on March 11 2011, is home to a total of six reactors, all of which went operational in the 1970s. The subsequent struggle to contain the fuel rods and keep them cool brought to light just how energetic uranium fission reactions are and how difficult it is to maintain control over them. Of course, that level of energy is precisely why we use nuclear energy - it is an incredibly efficient source of power, produces very few emissions, and has an excellent safety record to boot. On the other hand, when people talk about how nuclear power is beneficial, but uranium is risky, they frequently bring up an excellent point: what about thorium? A nuclear reactor powered by thorium rather than uranium would provide enough energy for thousands of years, but it's nowhere to be found today. The question then becomes, what went wrong, and given that scientists are
