Ancient Atomic Mystery: The 2-Billion-Year-Old Nuclear Reactors That Baffle Modern Science
In 1972, French scientists working in a uranium mine in Oklo, Gabon, stumbled upon something that should not have existed: the remnants of several natural nuclear reactors, aged over 2 billion years.
A Discovery That Defies Time
In the heart of Africa, buried beneath layers of earth and ancient history, lies a scientific mystery that continues to baffle researchers and ignite the imagination of historians, scientists, and curious minds alike. In 1972, French scientists working in a uranium mine in Oklo, Gabon, stumbled upon something that should not have existed: the remnants of several natural nuclear reactors, aged over 2 billion years.
Yes, nuclear reactors. The kind of humanity was only learned to build in the 20th century.
These weren’t man-made installations left behind by a forgotten civilization, at least not officially. They were considered “natural” reactors, where uranium underwent self-sustained nuclear fission reactions long before humans ever walked the Earth, or so the story goes. But the implications of such a discovery are profound, and the mystery is far from settled.
The Discovery at Oklo: A Scientific Shockwave
The story began innocently enough. In 1972, French scientists at the Pierrelatte uranium enrichment plant were processing uranium from the Oklo mine in Gabon. They noticed something strange: the uranium ore contained a lower concentration of uranium-235 than expected.
Typically, uranium ore contains about 0.720% of uranium-235, the isotope that fuels nuclear fission. But the uranium from Oklo contained only about 0.717%. This tiny discrepancy raised alarm bells.
