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> but natural uranium can't trigger itself, can it?

Right now? Not that we know of.

Historically? Yes.

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/meet-oklo-the-earths-tw...



2B years ago, the U235/U238 ratios were different. Isn't that (part of) the explanation?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_nuclear_fission_reacto... says:

> A key factor that made the reaction possible was that [back then] the fissile isotope ²³⁵U made up about 3.1% of the natural uranium, which is comparable to the amount used in some of today's reactors.




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