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Data play

The Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (barc), Mumbai, used "wrong' data and "unacceptable' methods of analysis to arrive at erroneous results that were published in several journals and world conferences between 1989 and 1991. This has been stated in a paper published in the Indian scientific journal Current Science. The paper has been authored by six scientists of barc. The scientists point to the element protactinium with nuclear mass 231 (Pa-231) that occurs in fission waste. Based on incorrect data published without verification, barc had concluded that Pa-231 is a better fuel than Uranium-235. Further, barc propagated the idea that a football-sized Pa-231 would go "critical', a conclusion that has major implications for nuclear waste disposal. The paper counters that the conclusion is false as accurate analysis of data

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