OrtonToOlsen
Footballguy
50000 people used to live here, now it's a ghost town. Our so called leaders prostituted us to the West, destroyed our culture, our economies, our honor...
50000 people used to live here, now it's a ghost town. Our so called leaders prostituted us to the West, destroyed our culture, our economies, our honor...
I believe you're right with the not knowing. While the nuclear physicists had an idea, before Chernobyl, most of the world's population just knew that if something happened at a nuclear power plant, it would be "bad." We just didn't have a lot of examples of what happens if people are subjected to radiation that high. Still don't. Not saying anyone in here is doing this, but this is incident is a great example of how you can watch it and say, "Why did they do this?", or "Why didn't they do this?" The truth is that no one had ever had this experience before. This was the first (and thankfully only) time (so far) that we've had an accident like this.I don't think they even knew what they were dealing with originally. Then, you've got the fact that the victims' veins and arteries collapse due to cellular damage, so they can't even administer a painkiller since there was no way for it to traverse the circulatory system. I imagine a cyanide capsule would have been equally ineffective. A bullet to the head may have been the only way.
The scientists knew. No reason to keep some of them alive as long as they showed.I don't think they even knew what they were dealing with originally. Then, you've got the fact that the victims' veins and arteries collapse due to cellular damage, so they can't even administer a painkiller since there was no way for it to traverse the circulatory system. I imagine a cyanide capsule would have been equally ineffective. A bullet to the head may have been the only way.
I would assume a mercy killing is just as difficult as a normal killing.The scientists knew. No reason to keep some of them alive as long as they showed.
Sure. I was just pointing out that Boris asked the physicist what would happen when they "went for a walk" and he knew exactly. They knew.I would assume a mercy killing is just as difficult as a normal killing.
Oh yeah. Completely agree. But I think that was more about "Do we sacrifice 1000 to save millions?" Not saying that's any easier. Just a tough situation all around.Sure. I was just pointing out that Boris asked the physicist what would happen when they "went for a walk" and he knew exactly. They knew.
ETA: They knew and they had to keep sending people to that death.
Exactly. In hindsight, it's easy to go all Spock and say the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but in the moment, does that make it any easier to send people to an almost-certain death? Especially when there's a "50/50" chance that the fire would melt through the concrete pad? Probably not. Is it easy to order someone who risked (and ultimately lost) his life to save others to be shot in the head to spare him suffering? Probably not. That's what makes it all so GD awful.Oh yeah. Completely agree. But I think that was more about "Do we sacrifice 1000 to save millions?" Not saying that's any easier. Just a tough situation all around.
I've got to assume there were a lot asking for and some receiving of assisted suicides going on. Whether it was ever reported or not and/or made it on the for tv version.Exactly. In hindsight, it's easy to go all Spock and say the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but in the moment, does that make it any easier to send people to an almost-certain death? Especially when there's a "50/50" chance that the fire would melt through the concrete pad? Probably not. Is it easy to order someone who risked (and ultimately lost) his life to save others to be shot in the head to spare him suffering? Probably not. That's what makes it all so GD awful.
Fukushima is the the only incident before or since even close (well, other than Japan's experiences in WWII of course). And Fukushima released only about 10-20% of the radiation as Chernobyl and supposedly only lead to one direct death (although I think Japan has covered up and liked about the true extent).I believe you're right with the not knowing. While the nuclear physicists had an idea, before Chernobyl, most of the world's population just knew that if something happened at a nuclear power plant, it would be "bad." We just didn't have a lot of examples of what happens if people are subjected to radiation that high. Still don't. Not saying anyone in here is doing this, but this is incident is a great example of how you can watch it and say, "Why did they do this?", or "Why didn't they do this?" The truth is that no one had ever had this experience before. This was the first (and thankfully only) time (so far) that we've had an accident like this.
Slava Malamud @SlavaMalamud May 24
As an aside, I am particularly happy about the decision to have the characters speak normal British English, not mangled Russian or English with a corny "Russian" accent. Poor Matthew Rhys and Kerry Russel... Their tortured attempts to speak Russian almost ruined The Americans...
7 replies 35 retweets 726 likes
I just said to my wife that I like my show/movies dark but this is too much even for me.This is the most heartbreaking story I think I've ever read/watched.
Unfortunately, the information about these and other accidents was accessible only for high authorities. The Soviet government forced the construction of nuclear power plants because this energy source was considered in the USSR as a sign of the technological development. This practice did not allow the Soviet specialists to improve the safety of nuclear powers. Such situation inspired them with an idea that nuclear power plants do not differ significantly from the conventional power plants. Detailed study of the accidents at nuclear power reactors in the USSR could have significantly increased the safety culture and prevent the Chernobyl accident. Already at the end of 1975 specialists could understand that the partial destruction of the core at the Unit 1 of the Leningrad NPP in October 1975 was caused by the positive reactivity surge [23]. The Chief Scientific Supervisor suggested a solution of this problem: operation of RBMKs with permanent presence of a quite high number of additional neutron absorbers in the lower part of the core and use of fuel with higher enrichment. This recommendation was implemented only after the Chernobyl accident. The reasons of the accident that happened in October 1975 at the Leningrad NPP or at other Soviet NPPs was never discussed at scientific workshops and meetings. The similar power excursion because of positive steam-void coefficient occurred also at the Unit 1 of the Chernobyl NPP in September 1982 [23]. There were still similar situations at other RBMKs when the central fuel channel was destroyed [23]. However, practically nothing was made in order to eliminate even known shortages of the RBMK reactor.
Came here to ask if I had heard that correctly: they went through over 3000 people to clear the roofs. Holy Jesus.The animal scenes were the toughest thing I've watched in a long time. It's going to be hard to watch that again with my wife when she gets around to watching this. The puppies made me cry and sob like a baby. Not sure why the killing of pets seems to tear at my heart more than people.
The roof scene was amazing. Love that they did it in real time. Again, no complaints at all. So glad that was in there as it was my favorite part to learn about. One thing to keep in mind about those scenes, almost 99% of that gear they are wearing as they run on the roof for 90 seconds is useless. It was like rain gear. And while I have no way of knowing how many of the 3000+ men were "coerced" into helping clear the roof, I do know that a bunch did it because they wanted to keep others safe. Those guys were some of the biggest heroes this planet has ever seen.
And in an episode with such sadness, a couple funny things happen. Probably my favorite line of the whole series is when they are clearing the roof with the lunar rovers and Boris says, "I can't believe we sent that thing to the moon." And Legasov pauses and then looks at Boris and says, "Not that one." To which Boris shoots him daggers and says, "I know not that one."
Yeah, but keep in mind, going on that roof wasn't necessarily a death sentence. It definitely could have been. Or it could have given you cancer later in life. But there were plenty of men who survived and lived good lives. It was more like Russian Roulette than a death sentence. Only you didn't know if you got the bullet, sometimes, until 20 years later.Came here to ask if I had heard that correctly: they went through over 3000 people to clear the roofs. Holy Jesus.
And the longer they stayed out there closer to 90 seconds, the weaker their muscles got. So they might run out and pick up a big chunk to start, but by the last 45 seconds, they might not be able to lift their shovel, let alone anything on it.In the video upthread, it show the workers running full speed, on the roof. Utterly chilling.
guy I grew up with was a hired hollywood gun... made a living as a writer, sold a bunch of scripts or participated in the writing of others, none of which got made except for a couple absolute stinkers. made a living, but never got to see his vision made. decided to self produce/direct one of his scripts- picked what he thought would be the most idiotic, so would likely be successful. did ok, but not enough to push him into more, and generated a small cult following... but looks like he's done nothing really since. tough business.33K reviews on IMDB has it at a 9.5/10 user rating. If it finishes strongly and gets to 100K reviews with the same rating, it will top their list of the highest-rated TV shows in history. This from a guy whose highest rated film as a feature screenwriter on RT was Scary Movie 4 at 36%.
Just goes to show you what's possible when you're permitted to do something for which you have a genuine passion instead of just collecting a paycheck.
Chernobyl 3828Yeah, but keep in mind, going on that roof wasn't necessarily a death sentence. It definitely could have been. Or it could have given you cancer later in life. But there were plenty of men who survived and lived good lives. It was more like Russian Roulette than a death sentence. Only you didn't know if you got the bullet, sometimes, until 20 years later.
It's weird for me to listen to even though I enjoy it. I'm used to podcasters being these disembodied voices that I was completely unfamiliar with when I started listening. Some of them, I have no idea what the speaker even looks like so to me, their whole existence is the voice coming through my car speakers. This one, I'm listening to Craig talk and I hear the same inflection points that I heard when he was 16 and I was 15 and we were laying out the school newspaper in his dining room. We wrote the most ridiculous #### you could imagine and I was always the guy saying : "They'll never let us print this" while Craig was always the one saying : "Just let me talk to Ms. Pettengill. We'll get it printed." The dude had Jedi mind-trick powers, it was mesmerizing to watch. I don't think we ever got anything rejected.The Chernobyl podcast is fantastic
It really is. I'd tell people my friend was a screenwriter and they'd ask me what he wrote. I'd rattle off : Hangover 2, Hangover 3, two of the Scary Movies, Snow White & The Huntsman.... and they'd invariably say : "All those movies suck !" I couldn't/can't even disagree, but just through him, I had some insight into how tough it can be to succeed in that business and how incredibly hard it is to get the funding to create and auteur your own vision without interference. I'm hoping the success of this show will buy him some more opportunities to do similar projects (in fact, I know it already has, but I don't know to what extent...)I'm up through ep 3... absolutely fantastic stuff on all levels, from art-direction, acting, editing, lighting, sound, direction, writing... just stunning. EG's friend and all those involved should feel pretty damned good about themselves for creating this.
guy I grew up with was a hired hollywood gun... made a living as a writer, sold a bunch of scripts or participated in the writing of others, none of which got made except for a couple absolute stinkers. made a living, but never got to see his vision made. decided to self produce/direct one of his scripts- picked what he thought would be the most idiotic, so would likely be successful. did ok, but not enough to push him into more, and generated a small cult following... but looks like he's done nothing really since. tough business.
Dude, really?Yeah, but keep in mind, going on that roof wasn't necessarily a death sentence. It definitely could have been. Or it could have given you cancer later in life. But there were plenty of men who survived and lived good lives. It was more like Russian Roulette than a death sentence. Only you didn't know if you got the bullet, sometimes, until 20 years later.
Ah so that explains why the guy they were following started having a tough time lifting anything let alone trying to get off the roof after 90 seconds.And the longer they stayed out there closer to 90 seconds, the weaker their muscles got. So they might run out and pick up a big chunk to start, but by the last 45 seconds, they might not be able to lift their shovel, let alone anything on it.
Yes, five episodes.Having not seen this yet, this is a miniseries, right? Like it’s not season 1 of more to come?
I know you're joking and I only edited out the bottom of your post for space issues. And I'll say again it's not bothering me, but at times I do have to laugh. And Ep. 4 had another great accent part at the very beginning. The Red Army pulls up to the old babushka who looked so perfect as an elderly Russian serf. And then she spoke and it was like Monty Python. I was waiting for her to go "Man. I'm a man, not a woman. And I'm 37. I'm not old."Hey so I watched the first 3 episodes... Has anyone mentioned how the actors are all speaking English? I thought this happened over in Russia right?
I gotta be honest it's completely distracting. I can't be the only one right??