In reply to Rick Fletcher.

Thanks for the information, Rick. I'm not spreading misinformation, just trying to figure things out with so many media outlets not doing good journalism. It doesn't seem that a meltdown will be followed by catastrophic leakage and there is little information about radiation levels at a distance. Where does the 17 mile radius that you note come from? Is it important? I agree there's more to nuclear physics than wikipedia and the MIT information site, which is why people with specialized knowledge should not only be sharing their knowledge but making it understandable. It's what I try to do in my own small way. My son spent last summer working at a nuclear facility and he's been helping me learn too :)

Do you have a blog where you explain this better? Can you recommend some good resources to understand this complex field? Help us learn here, Rick.