A nuclear reactor is just a system that can get heavy elements to break apart in an efficient manner. The reactor itself, the nuclear core, is not a complicated mechanical contraption. The core has no moving parts or complex mechanisms. It's just an arrangement of special materials, that permits nuclear reactions to occur. There are moving parts to transfer the heat and control the reactions, but it's basically a pile of bricks. The goal is to get the fuel to keep splitting apart continuously an...