For any young person seeking to complete his or her thesis and graduate, and struggling to prepare for the job market, it still seems imperative not to "rock the boat" with a too-radical choice of thesis. The academic community usually will not tolerate such.

Considering your own needs, I would recommend that you choose a non-radical subject or theme, after discussion with your thesis advisor. Your first need from the educational system is to obtain the educational qualifications and certificates (and approval, let's face it!) that allow you to successfully compete in the conventional job market.

Sometimes one must pay the price of entry demanded by the system, and then after graduation and securing one's job future, one can pursue one's ancillary interests on one's own "off duty" time, with relative freedom.

So my recommendation is that you consider dropping the Chernobyl theme unless you convert it to, e.g., a study of the societal, human, and environmental effects and consequences of a nuclear power plant accident or mishap, to include a survey of known nuclear accidents and mishaps, a discussion of the unsolved nuclear wastes problem, a discussion of "What do you do with contaminated old power plants after their useful life is ended and they are retired?", the societal impact of the probable resumption of nuclear power plant building, the potential for furnishing weapons-grade material from the power plants to clandestine nuclear weapons programs or terrorist organizations, etc.  Even non-weapons grade material still makes terrorist "dirty bombs" achievable.

That would make a quite acceptable thesis in the view of the system. Including the very real terrorist threat would make it timely to what is involved in today's world headlines and actions, and that would "twing" it a bit in an acceptable fashion.

You could also include a look at the international terrorist threat to the nuclear power plants themselves and the additional hazards and impacts that could follow from this aspect. As an example, it isn't that difficult for most any nation to build an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) portable "shooter" that will fit in the back of an SUV or van for terrorist use. A couple adroit shots with such a shooter can have a good probability of damaging or knocking out the targeted plant's electronic controls, posing something similar to Chernobyl. It is of course already in the current news that Al Qaeda is again planning to try to use cargo planes and fly them into various targets such as the containment buildings of nuclear power plants. And so on.

An additional advantage of such a direction to the thesis is that the research can be conducted in a good library, using the contracted search capabilities, and on the internet using search engines. It's a matter of widening the search to gather the most relevant and current information and data, as well as the historical incidents and data, then congeal it into a thesis which the examiners will find is "timely and very adequately supported", and which they can and will approve.

If that idea or some part of it appeals to you, then I would suggest you take some time and real effort to compose and revise (usually several times) an outline of what your proposed thesis would cover, the major sources of the information, etc. Then get with a "marketing" friend and list some advantages and key points (as in a bulletized "fact sheet") that will be important in your intended results. With that, and the approval and support of your thesis advisor, you should be in good shape to do a good thesis, one that is acceptable and useful, and one that also does really add to human perception and knowledge and the tenor of the times.

That will get you to your main goal of successfully completing your degree requirements and thesis, and obtaining your job qualification certifications and diploma. What is important at this stage is for you to take positive actions to secure your future, rather than what could be regarded as negative actions that could damage it.

Best wishes,

Tom Bearden

Dear Dr. Bearden:     

I just heard two fellows talking about you on 7580 WWCR and  immediately looked up your site. Some of your work is a little over my  head, but I can understand basics. I have an extra class amateur radio  license, and am currently doing a MA in human geography on the Chernobyl  disaster here at king's College, London. I noticed that you have a  section on Chernobyl, and perharps we could help one another a little,  although, I'm sure my in put to you wouldn't amount to much.      I am doing IT courses at King's and the LSE (ECDL) and am prepared to  study an basic math course if necessary. But I am 56 and hold a BA in  Humanities, and an LLB, and did math only up to integral and differential  calculus. I believe with proper explanations any math can be mastered as  long as the book is clear and oral explanations are given. In calculus, I  had trouble on one point:understanding dy/dx and the term 'derivative'.  Also, I had to work, commute to college, and had 5 other courses to  take. The text book was not well written either-even the instructor  admitted that.           

The reason that I am telling you all this is  that the world is in serious trouble, and perhaps I could make some  little contribution by achieving my MA, doing a few IT course, and even  taking certain math courses where necessary. That would enhance my job  prospects, and then I could send people like you some money. But time is  running out, and I would like to complete my MA in September, and my  European Computer Drivers license in the next few months, and then obtain  employment, even part time, and then possibly continue on in another  course or PhD. But I only have one to two years to operate in before I  must have some income. I can't just take courses.      Please subscribe me to your regular bulletins, and I will try to  contact you soon about my thesis on Chernobyl and how to write it up. I  am afraid that they may fail me on my exams or thesis if I am too  political or radical. AND, I NEED TO KNOW WHICH BOOKS TO PURCHASE ON THIS  TOPIC SINCE THERE IS NO TEXT BOOK ON MY PARTICULAR THESIS AS YOU KNOW.  Also, I I have already seen that one of the main scientists working on  the Chernobyl disaster has been jailed for 8 years. What is going on?      Does your work, or attached field of interest have anything to do  with planet X? Professor McCanny at McCannyscience.com thinks a disaster  is coming and NASA is covering everything up. He advises me to get my MA  and then try to do something positive. Good advice, but I don't know what  to write on the Chernoybyl disaster. Something I say may set them off,  and they could fail me. You know how it is. On the other hand, I don't  want to waste precious time writing and researching about unimportant or  irrelevant information unless that is the only way to graduate!    Thank  you for your time, and I hope you can give me a very brief response. By  the way my brother in law graduated in Aeronautical Engineering from GIT.  It sounds like a top flight school

Yours Sincerely,

Ronald