causes a crash with both mods installed

What? Something more than "it bork" would be great to figure out what is going on.

44.037 Loading mod Enhanced_Map_Colors 1.4.6 (data-updates.lua)
44.667 Loading mod FARL 2.1.2 (data-updates.lua)
45.289 Loading mod FusionTrain 0.16.2 (data-updates.lua)
45.905 Loading mod gore 0.0.12 (data-updates.lua)
46.528 Loading mod KS_Power 0.2.5 (data-updates.lua)
47.153 Loading mod Nanobots 2.0.7 (data-updates.lua)
47.785 Loading mod Natural_Evolution_Enemies 9.0.9 (data-updates.lua)
48.407 Loading mod RampantArsenal 0.16.9 (data-updates.lua)
49.023 Loading mod RealisticReactors-utilities 0.16.4 (data-updates.lua)
49.728 Error ModManager.cpp:1024: Failed to load mod "RealisticReactors-utilities": RealisticReactors-utilities/data-updates.lua:2: RealisticReactors-utilities/radsuit/updates.lua:573: attempt to get length of field 'pictures' (a nil value)
49.731 Loading mod core 0.0.0 (data.lua)
49.981 Checksum for core: 2304860305
50.004 Error ModManager.cpp:1024: Error in assignID, recipe-category with name 'crafting' does not exist.

Source: enemy-base (noise-layer).
50.138 Loaded shader file D:/Steam Client/Steam/steamapps/common/Factorio/data/core/graphics/shaders/game.cso
50.138 Loaded shader file D:/Steam Client/Steam/steamapps/common/Factorio/data/core/graphics/shaders/zoom-to-world.cso
50.138 Loaded shader file D:/Steam Client/Steam/steamapps/common/Factorio/data/core/graphics/shaders/alpha-mask.cso
50.170 Initial atlas bitmap size is 16384
50.171 Created atlas bitmap 192x5 [none]
50.171 Created atlas bitmap 132x24 [no-crop, trilinear-filtering, icon, light]
50.353 Sprites loaded
50.353 Convert atlas 132x24 to: trilinear-filtering
50.363 Custom inputs active: 0
50.370 Factorio initialised
50.372 Mods to disable:Failed to load mods: RealisticReactors-utilities/data-updates.lua:2: RealisticReactors-utilities/radsuit/updates.lua:573: attempt to get length of field 'pictures' (a nil value)

Mods to be disabled:
• RealisticReactors-utilities
56.111 DSound: Stopping voice
56.111 DSound: Joining thread
56.115 DSound: Exit _dsound_update; tid=35028
56.115 DSound: Waiting for voice to stop ... signaled
56.115 DSound: Joined thread
56.115 DSound: Destroying thread
56.115 DSound: Thread destroyed
56.115 DSound: Releasing buffer
56.115 DSound: Voice stopped
56.115 DSound: Deallocating voice
56.115 DSound: Deallocated voice
56.149 Steam API shutdown.
56.212 Razer Chroma Controller un-initialized
56.212 Goodbye

Picker extended doesn't even get loaded by the looks of it.

That's an error internal to the realistic reactors mod as it's trying to index a pictures property on a prototype somewhere.

ok thanks. i sent something to that author as well. it was just occurring when picker extended was installed

It's likely something that's included in the mod is structured different and he's trying to iterate over things. Needs to be a little more stringent in how it checks for properties. Shouldn't be too difficult to fix I imagine.