By analyzing uranium from Gabon, scientists notice an unusual isotopic composition. The investigation leads to a staggering phenomenon: in Oklo, nuclear chain reactions occurred naturally, about two billion years ago.
Special conditions were needed. At that time, the proportion of fissile uranium was higher than it is today. The presence of water and the configuration of the ore allowed the process to develop in certain areas.
There was no building, no control panel, no engineer. The word “reactor” here describes a physical phenomenon, not an abandoned power plant. The ore anomaly revealed that nature had assembled, long before us, the ingredients of a reaction that we associate with modern technology.
What we know
A natural reactor is an area where a chain reaction has been maintained; it is not a human construction.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 20, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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