and by "unshielded" you mean with several meter of water in between you and the core :P
@selea
No, only thing between me and it are a few miles of atmosphere ;)
@selea
Indeed
@valleyforge
@valleyforge
Neither directly glow blue. The blue is from cherenekov radiation and is caused by high energy alpha and beta radiation (but not gamma or neutron) slowing down as they pass through the water.
@selea
@freemo @selea also my understanding is that the stuff that glows blue at the bottom of pools at reactors is stored fuel and not the actual reactor itself