Giving our nuclear reactor some flash
McMaster's Nuclear Reactor turns 50 in 2009. In honour of that milestone, and in the true spirit of innovation for which McMaster is known, a campus competition is being held to create the best multi-media presentation page for the MNR's web site.
The competition is open to students, staff and faculty members. The winning design will receive $500.
“We obviously want to celebrate the many achievements of the Reactor,” says Chris Heysel, director of MNR. “But we also want to show the renewed interest in nuclear energy. The University is going to be part of the nuclear renaissance, and ideally we hope to get this reflected in the winning entry.” The page should include, but is not limited to, music, flash, photos, video and anything else you can envision.
When it was opened by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker on April 4, 1959, the McMaster Nuclear Reactor was the first research reactor at a university in the British Commonwealth. Today, McMaster is one of six universities in Canada with a research reactor, but MNR is by far the largest and most versatile. It is also the only reactor with a pool-type design (which allows you to see the cool blue glow when the reactor is operating).
In its 50 years, the five-megawatt wonder has been instrumental in a number of research fields: physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, Earth sciences, archeology, and medicine. Radio isotopes, the therapy used in treating various cancers, are produced at the reactor. Mining exploration firms use the reactor to determine the mineral content of their core samples.
“McMaster's reactor has always played a critical role in enabling research here at the University,” says Heysel. “With a global resurgence of nuclear power and the critical role medical isotopes play in today's health care industry, MNR is perfectly positioned to continue to impact an array of researcher themes now and well into the future.
So crack open your laptop, launch your fancy software, and get working on a page that captures the spirit of McMaster's reactor. Deadline for submissions is January 15, 2009. Please send your entry to the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, c/o Susan Jack at jacks@mcmaster.ca.
