[BrianG]

Unfortunately, some radioactive materials have a half-life in the thousands of years. And that's just where it gets half as radioactive.

No matter what they do, they have to be able to control the nuclear reaction or the fuel will continue to heat more and more until it burns through pretty much anything that is containing it, and then it goes into the ground where it contaminates the water table.

With all the reactors around the world and the dangers they could possibly create in disasters such as this, it's too bad they couldn't put the reactors in space (far enough away from earth so any explosions won't throw debris back into the atmosphere) and "transmit" the power back to earth.

On that note, I wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper in the long run (especially taking into account cleanup costs after this type of disaster) to somehow focus sunlight over a large area into a relatively small area to provide the heat. We all know what a magnifying glass in the sun can do...