As Japan scrambles to cope with a nuclear reactor damaged in the quake, Josh Dzieza talks to a nuclear expert at MIT about how the plants work, worst-case scenarios, and more.
Igor Kostin / AP Photo,IGOR KOSTIN
CHERNOBYL
Igor Kostin / AP Photo
THREE MILE ISLAND ACCIDENT
AP Photo
WINDSCALE FIRE
Hulton-Deutsch Collection / Corbis
TOKAIMURA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT
Katsumi Kasahara / AP PHoto
BOHUNICE NUCLEAR PLANT DISASTER
Stefan Puskas / AP Photo
GOIANIA ACCIDENT
Sebastiao Nogueira / AP Photo
K-19 ACCIDENT
Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
YUCCA FLAT BANEBERRY TEST
Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office