Bill Gates: nuclear reactor plans with China

GlobalPost

Going nuclear isn't exactly the mode of the day.

In fact, after the tragedy in Fukushima, one could say the exact opposite.

But if there was a man to turn that frown upside down, it's Bill Gates.

The Microsoft co-founder confirmed Wednesday that he has plans with China to develop a new and safer kind of nuclear reactor.

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Gates is a major investor and advisor at TerraPower, a Washington state-based company that is working on the reactor, which will be able to run for decades on depleted uranium, while producing very little waste.

Gates, who spoke at China's Ministry of Science and Technology in Beijing, said as much as a billion dollars will be put into research and development over the next five years.

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“All these new designs are going to be incredibly safe,” Gates reportedly told the audience. “They require no human action to remain safe at all times.”

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