HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

⬐ IgorPartola

I was born in Kharkiv just over a month before the Chernobyl accident. Never been to Pripyat, but have seen lots of photos and since I grew up in Ukraine I can place it in context. The real tragedy of Chernobyl was not even the accident itself (which was a result of stupidity and zeal IMO), but the multiple attempts at ass covering by those in charge. You see, those in charge did not want to start a panic or look bad. They sent in firefighters without telling them what they were going into. They did not evacuate affected areas quickly enough. They did not alert neighboring regions of the fallout that was coming their way. Innocent people died because they were unable to admit their wrongdoing. This is definitely the USSR way of doing things and the reason it could never survive: it kept sacrificing people for ideals (well that and the fact that Communism is a terrible idea to begin with).

⬐ alandarev

If communism was such a terrible idea, China should have not succeeded for so long...

Other than that, I fully agree with you.

⬐ tim333

China has succeeded by dropping most of its communism.

⬐ kawsper

I've been in Pripyat, and I have seen Chernobyl. I can recommend it to anyone that gets the chance, sadly the recent events in Ukraine have kept me away from the country, even though Kiev is supposed to be safe.

The tour costs around $100 and includes "medical insurance" from the government.

⬐ ExpiredLink

> includes "medical insurance" from the government.

Encompass everything except cancer ;)

⬐ kawsper

I wouldn't rely on it for anything, but "medical insurance" sounds a lot better than "government fee" :-)

⬐ simondelacourt

I have done the same tour, but did not get medical insurance from the government, no I got a waiver that after entering the 30 km exclusion zone if something goes wrong only I am to blame.

The tour is quite worth it, but it still is very much disaster tourism, and the educational value is very much 'oh ah wow', and has little to do with really understanding anything of the situation. The only thing it really taught me, and I find that a valuable lesson is that actually trying to comprehend what has happened and why is not easily done. For example, the official death toll is something like 30 for the Chernobyl disaster itself, but it is impossible to actually calculate all the deaths that are a result of the disaster on the long term.

The same thing goes for what is happening with the metal that has been scrapped from the sight (shitloads of cars/vehicles have been removed in the past years that have been used to 'clean' the sight). The tour guide said that the cars are sent to china to become recycled metal.

Not sure if its true, but it made me understand that for a lot of things when it comes to Chernobyl there is not one definite answer.

⬐ choult

I visited Chernobyl and Pripyat a few years ago; if you're interested in more photos, here are my two galleries:

https://plus.google.com/photos/115800995007308025308/albums/...

https://plus.google.com/photos/115800995007308025308/albums/...

⬐ junto

One of his other videos describes the people who are most exposed to radiation. The answer shocked me: https://youtu.be/TRL7o2kPqw0?t=9m

⬐ eblume

That's a horribly misleading little segment there... the time scales were completely incompatible. A CT scan is an instantaneous event, a stay on the ISS lasts 6 months, and the smoker's lungs statistic is over an entire lifetime.

⬐ junto

I guess as an ex-smoker, that piece of the video shocked me.

Apologies to all for the way I linked to the video. I've just learn what buzzfeed is, thanks to gjm11!

⬐ gjm11

OK, I listened to this so that others don't have to (junto, good Buzzfeed impression, but please don't do it again). Allegedly (note: I haven't checked any of these figures, but I have tried to be a bit clearer about units):

Typical natural background radiation: 2mSv/year.

CT scan (one-off): 7mSv.

Total extra radiation (over a lifetime) for people around Fukushima: 10mSv.

US radiation workers' limit: 50mSv/year.

Astronauts on ISS: 160mSv/year.

Average smoker: 160mSv/year.

⬐ ghshephard

Obligatory: https://xkcd.com/radiation/

⬐ shiggerino

>The answer shocked me

You could make a good living as a journalist these days!

⬐ ablation

You won't believe how much these people have been exposed to radiation!

⬐ firas_b

This man walks barefoot in Chernobyl. What he discovers next is unbelievable!

⬐ ablation

Government FURIOUS at this one weird trick used by a steam explosion to shed 2000 tons of concrete and steel plating.

⬐ shoo

If you have not heard the story of the Chernobyl divers, here it is:

http://www.foccwestlothian.com/chernobyl.html

⬐ Muromec

Chernobyl exclusion zone right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtxqkhojFiU

⬐ avodonosov

Yes. And few weeks ago there was another large fire.

⬐ random_passerby

Wildfires in the exclusion zones of Chernobyl or Fukushima are bound to release radioactive clouds over neighbouring regions and countries. Not necessary a lot, it depends of the size of the fire.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26933-rise-in-wildfire...

⬐ vegancap

Brilliant. I've got such a morbid fascination with Chernobyl and Pripyat.

⬐ agumonkey

I find this incredibly peaceful even to watch. Like going back to an old countryside cabin, high grass everywhere, dust, silence. The best part in humans is when they leave it seems.

There was a documentary (from ~2008) about the red forest. Vets, biologist, oncologist investigating the state of life there. Plants and animals came back. They (and I) expected crippled mutated species but so far they were fine. The claim was after a few years, radiation resistant (to the nowadays amount) species survived, X-men - Bambi edition, leaving me wondering how much we could learn from that about nature and life-forms resilience. In the case these claims are correct and solid.

⬐ radoslawc

There is imho very good exploration movie "Alone in the Zone"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2889518/

trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti8uwMDgBLU

creator's site:

http://www.podniesinski.pl/portal/?lg=en

⬐ None

None

⬐ col_rad

I've been to Chernobyl in 2013 and while I've read a lot about the disaster in advance, I couldn't grasp the whole dimension. Shot some pictures with an old mamiya 645 https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNThxVDtsEv9O_FuPty6Opr...

⬐ partisan

The link is broken. "Album not found."

⬐ BuildTheRobots

404 error :(

⬐ Yadi

I learned all about Chernobyl from the video game Call Of Duty: Modern Warefare. It's tragic and sad!

There are some villages in North Iraq where it's similar to this, due to the chemical bombing. It's gives tou shivers just knowing that a town use to be a normal day to day living place and now just a ghost town.

"50,000 people used to live here, now its a ghost town" -MW2

⬐ avodonosov

Aren't you afraid of Strontium when visit the zone?

Because it has chemical properties of calcium, so can participate in your metabolism and remain in your body (bones), constantly irradiating you.

⬐ alena1108

Witnessing Chernobyl effect on my homeland Belarus, I can never understand people fascination with this place. But bringing awereness is a good thing

⬐ dasbsd

i really don't understand why people keep taking the risk. only one damaged gnome in one single cel will be enough to give you cancer in 10 years. I personally dont't even take dental x-ray.

⬐ gnur

Did you also stop eating banana's?

⬐ artmageddon

No pun intended, but I'll bite - what connection do bananas have to this?

⬐ theophrastus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose

⬐ JSno

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose banana contains radiations.

⬐ JoeAltmaier

Potassium, which has a natural fraction of radioactive Potassium, is in every banana. We eat them without complaint. Fearmongers try to scare us with sources that radiate less than your breakfast banana.

⬐ artmageddon

But that can also happen due to simply being out in the sun too, right?

⬐ xrange

You might be interested in investigating "radiation hormesis".

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2477708/

⬐ asinno

this needs to be edited/dubbed with a soundtrack that spills out annihilation, will give an eerie backdrop to this desolate scene, maybe have the narration in subtitles, any suggestions?

⬐ n1c

Maybe some "The Album Leaf" - http://www.rdio.com/artist/The_Album_Leaf/album/A_Chorus_Of_...

⬐ shoo

Brian Eno's "Alternative 3" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9AldyuIh5A

⬐ spacefight

DIY :)

http://www.twoyoutubevideosandamotherfuckingcrossfader.com/

⬐ jerf

If people would stop doing that sort of stupid stuff, maybe we could finally raise a generation of people who actually process these issues rationally.

But by all means, add in the WOO WOOO.

⬐ wgx

If you like this kind of thing, check out bionerd23 - she does some really cool exploration videos of the wider Chernobyl/Pripyat site(s):

https://www.youtube.com/user/bionerd23

⬐ augustl

My favorite is when they find an actual fragment of the reactor fuel in nature, and the way she handles it with her bare hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejZyDvtX85Y

And the recent video where she walks around inside the actual plant. Especially at 13:00 - that red door has an eerie feel to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRHnApxVFQU

⬐ ghshephard

I'll admit when she started digging in (with her bare hands) getting excited about 3 milliseverts/hour I had to jump over to http://xkcd.com/radiation/ to find out how worrisome it was.

I was also a little concerned that she had a runny nose, and kept rubbing her nose with that hand...

But apparently, 2 milliseverts (her exposure in an hour) is about what you would get from a CT scan. US Radiation Workers are allowed up to 50 milliseverts.

Though, at the end, when she has it fully uncovered, and is measuring 17 milliseverts/hour, and expositing on how beautiful it is...