Fukushima Fuel Pool Endangers Northern Hemisphere

Over at MSNBC, Rachel Maddow says Reactor 2 is an example of a
technology which has no solution. Humans can't get near such high
radioactivity. Even robot electronics fail in such circumstances. The
Japanese require a technology that hasn't been invented yet.

Presumably the problem is that semiconductors are vulnerable. We really
need a substitute technology that can tolerate having its parts
irradiated. Perhaps we could try putting metal electrodes into a vacuum,
heating one up so that it emits electrons, and using another to control
the flow. That would make something like a transistor.

Oh wait, hasn't that been done before?

Sylvia.