Part 8/11:
One of the most astonishing revelations involves natural nuclear reactors that formed spontaneously 2 billion years ago in Gabon, Africa. Deep within uranium-rich deposits, self-sustaining chain reactions occurred naturally, functioning like mini-atomic plants for hundreds of thousands of years.
Scientists discovered that these "natural reactors" operated in pulses, regulated by the flow of groundwater acting as a moderator. These naturally occurring processes provide invaluable insights into nuclear physics, waste containment, and the stability of radioactive materials over geological time. They serve as a natural experiment demonstrating that nuclear reactions can be self-regulating and stable under specific conditions.