Genii mining?

[wise one]

wouldnt the wraith detected the underground mining since it was so near the surface


must of been uranium cant think of any other power source that genii use

[jenks]

The Genii use uranium as a power source?

[artbrann]

well, they did develop(with help) some nukes, and they do have 'reactors'
it is a material that can be made into nukes/used in reactors
so odds are good they use it for something

[SG13-NightOps]

must of been uranium cant think of any other power source that genii use

Not for Power so much.

Nuclear Weapons. Weir negotiated for 2 in the Siege.

LABORATORY. Cowen has brought the team to a lab and Rodney is looking at a large tank.

McKAY: Well, you're on the right track. We're about sixty years ahead of you -- that is, if you survive. This shielding is woefully inadequate. Now, uranium ... (he turns and walk over to Cowen) ... how much do you have?

COWEN: Much more.

[YutheGreat]

My thoughts exactly!

I'm just saying where did they get it? The Uranium, I mean. They had a stockpile because they mined it out of there 20 years ago. If they got it from their own homeworld why did they take too long to build their bombs.

[gopher65]

If they got it from their own homeworld why did they take too long to build their bombs.

Because the Uranium in nukes is mostly U-235, and the stuff in the ground is mostly U-238 with only a tiny bit of U-235. They are very, very difficult to separate from each other. That's really the only tricky bit in building a primitive nuclear weapon. If you recall from the first Genii episode in season 1, Rodney actually talks about that for a bit.

According to Wikipedia, "Only around 0.72% of all natural uranium is uranium-235, the rest being mostly uranium-238. This concentration is insufficient for a self sustaining reaction in a light water reactor; enrichment, which just means separating out the uranium-238, must take place to get a usable concentration of uranium-235."

...

"The fissile uranium in nuclear weapons usually contains 85% or more of 235U known as weapon(s)-grade, though for a crude, inefficient weapon 20% is sufficient (called weapon(s)-usable); even less is sufficient, but then the critical mass required rapidly increases."

However, I agree that they were probably mining Uranium. It makes sense.

[jenks]

I'm not so sure, didn't it say the mining took place 20 years ago?

[gopher65]

I'm not so sure, didn't it say the mining took place 20 years ago?

Yes, and that is what has me confused. Not because they couldn't have had enough foresight to mine the Uranium and build enrichment facilities ahead of time (we did, though not 20 years ahead of time), but because the Genii were suppose to be a secret society until Atlantis ratted them out to everyone and the Wraith changed strategies.

So why were they engaged in an obvious mining operation? Surely the Wraith have basic atmospheric sensors that would have shown that a largescale mining operation was underway? Keller kept mentioning the contaminants in the atmosphere after all. It just seems to me that the Genii weren't exactly being secretive for a uber-secret society that was shown to kill anyone who discovers their level of advancement.

[artbrann]

it could have been mined for someone else first, and the Genii just muscled in after the other slubs were wiped from existance(like Sateda was) and the locals not living that long from radiation/air/accidents/wraith/quakes don't remember exactly who they were mining for then but with the Genii now they assumed it was the Genii then

[SG13-NightOps]

Yes, and that is what has me confused. Not because they couldn't have had enough foresight to mine the Uranium and build enrichment facilities ahead of time (we did, though not 20 years ahead of time), but because the Genii were suppose to be a secret society until Atlantis ratted them out to everyone and the Wraith changed strategies.

So why were they engaged in an obvious mining operation? Surely the Wraith have basic atmospheric sensors that would have shown that a largescale mining operation was underway? Keller kept mentioning the contaminants in the atmosphere after all. It just seems to me that the Genii weren't exactly being secretive for a uber-secret society that was shown to kill anyone who discovers their level of advancement.

On the wraith.. If we go aaaaaall the way back to Rising, we remember - they were hibernating. Shep woke them up.

Also if you think underground, Cowan mentioned wanting to test their first bomb in 5 years time. It was already a Slow process.

And as for their cover - they could have told anyone anything. Unless they too had the level of technology and expertise that the genii had, then for all they know, it could have been a simple metal deposit being dug up.

[Tupopoflungo]

I do not know if this has already been answered...but the symbol in the mining shaft is indeed the symbol of the Genii. This is evidenced by the appearence of the symbol during "The storm" while kolya is training/fighting with the three people