You know that in classical Nuclear plant (like the one in the Simpsons) they use Uranium bars put very close together inside water, in this way the neutrons from one bar hit the other generating more neutrons and so on.
What you need to do for stop the chain reaction is to stop the neutrons hitting the other uranium bars, this is done by inserting the uranium bars inside carbon cases, the carbon absorbs the neutrons and don't let them hit the other uranium bars.
The same can be achieved by simply setting the uranium bars further apart from each other.
New reactors like the French and Japanese fast reactors, work in a different way, but the principle remain the same, controlling the amount of neutrons flying free in the process, allow you to control the amount of energy and heat you get.
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