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Last week's conference on Chernobyl was a landmark in the development of nuclear technology, not least because of Soviet openness: was it a new beginning or the beginning of the end?
The pursuit of particle physics without the use of accelerating machines is always an intriguing challenge. But the simplicity of measurements may be offset by complications of interpretation.
The Soviet authorities displayed considerable candour in Vienna last week. “Gross human error” was blamed for the Chernobyl accident. Now the evidence presented at the meeting is being sifted for the lessons that will need to be well learned if the industry is to have a future.
