We're very pleased that Paddy Regan, professor of physics at the University of Surrey in Guildford, is our webchat guest this evening between 8pm and 9pm.
In the wake of the Fukushima crisis in Japan, you asked on this thread if we could get a nuclear physicist on. So thanks to Prof Regan for agreeing to come on to MN.
He's a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and holds visiting researcher and teaching positions at Yale University and the University of Notre Dame.
He's interested in measurements of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in the environment using gamma-ray spectroscopic techniques.
In his 'spare' time, he says he plays a poor game of squash, even worse golf and tries to do the occasional sponsored run for the Mental Health Charity MIND. He is married to Susie, a nurse, and they have four children.
WEBCHAT GUIDELINES: 1. One question per member plus one follow-up. 2. Keep your question brief. 3. Don't moan if your question doesn't get answered. 4. Do be civil/polite. 5. If one topic or question threatens to overwhelm the webchat, MNHQ will usually ask for people to stop repeating the same question or point.
MNHQ have commented on this thread
Mumsnet webchats
Live webchat with Professor Paddy Regan, nuclear physicist, tonight, 21 Mar, 8-9pm
GeraldineMumsnet · 21/03/2011 10:05
One last question.
Who would win in a fight between you and Professor Brian Cox 
Only kidding...
@jonicomelately
One last question.
Who would win in a fight between you and Professor Brian Cox
Only kidding...
I'm in the (super) heavyweight division and he's nice and slim...we are the same age actually, but my decay half-life sadly seems to be much faster than Brian's!!
We'd both be able to take Jim Al-Khalili though I reckon....
@ChickensHaveNoEyebrows
Welcome to the nest, Professor Regan
What do you think is happening at Fukushima, and how dangerous is it? finally...sorry working my way up.
i think that the power is now back on to allow the pumps to work at the reactor...these should allow continual pumping of cooling water across the fuel rods and should 'fix the problem'. the issue from here is that we can't see how badly the engineering infrastructure has been damaged by the gas explosions...but as long as the rods are cooled...problem over i think.
@DamnYouAutocorrect
Hello Professor. Do you think nuclear power generation is basically safe? I mean, compared wityh other forms of power generation, and in context of the need to reduce carbon emissions? Or is that an impossible question to answer
What do we mean by safe? i think the designs and safety protocols with modern, Gen III+ reactors are very good. The issue of energy needs is not going away, neither is the need to reduce carbon emissions...together these (to me at least) point to a need to have at least some nuclear power in the grid/mix (again this is just a personal view, i am not a spokesperson for the nuclear industry...just a uni academic).
Talking about PR people for nuclear power, Terry Pratchett used to be responsible for publicity at three nuclear power stations - tis true 
Thank you Prof Regan, has been really interesting and will be taking a look at the links you've posted. Cheers!
Thank you professor. Very interesting. Hope you get a 
with your pint.
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
@prettybird
Bummer, I'm out on Monday nights :(
Have to say, I have been impressed by the level headedness of both Paddy Regan and Malcolm Grimston on the media in the past week - although I am starting to detect a "..... and breeeeeaaaaathe " hesitation before answering for the nth time a loaded question where the questioner quite obviously hasn't wanted to listen to listen to what they have just explained
thanks...this is sometimes how it feels. One nice thing about the whole thing has been to meet some of the other 'experts' for the first time (including Malcolm and Prof. Gerry Thomas from Imperial who I had not met before...she's very nice indeed...and bloody clever.)
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Oh dear, not much comfort for me. 
Don't fancy having a particle of plutonium in my veg patch for the next 20,000 years.
I'm the only one here in Japan and he didn't answer any of my questions 
Especially, "would you stay in Japan if you were me"
The non-answers tell me all I need to know really
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