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Spent nuclear fuel pools are designed to cool fuel rods after they come out of a nuclear reactor. While powering a nuclear reactor, these fuel rods become very, very hot (2,800 degrees Celsius / 5,092 degrees Fahrenheit). After they've spent 3 to 6 years inside of a nuclear reactor, fuel rods are no longer efficient. Problem is, they still emit plenty of harmful radiation, and they will for the next 10,000 years. Even though it’s trash, there’s not a garbage dump in the world that will accept it. So, why is water a good place to put these things and what would happen if you fall into one of those spent fuel pools? Transcript and sources: Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates Watch more what-if scenarios: Planet Earth: The Cosmos:
