Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

1. Robert's early introduction to nuclear energy and thorium reactors   2. Robert's recent Wall Street Journal op-ed and the linear no-threshold hypothesis   3. A look at Thorcon's concept of building a small modular reactor (SMR) using shipbuilding techniques 4. Thorcon's plans to deploy an SMR in Indonesia

1) Adrian Bull's journey through the nuclear industry, from modeling and research to communications  2) How Adrian worked with Japanese leadership to rethink communication strategies – direct & indirect - after Fukushima  3) The process of building & maintaining a nuclear cultural heritage in the UK's communities  4) Ways to maximize the supply chain in the UK to support the rollout of new nuclear

1) Laura Leay breaks down how inactive versions of high-level nuclear waste are used to study & improve processes  2) Ways that knowledge exchange programs can be used to build up a facility's resume to support long-term projects  3) Technological, generational, and behavioral changes inside the nuclear industry   4) How familiarity impacts perception and how to bring familiarity to nuclear energy

1) Mark Nelson looks at the breakdowns in the nuclear industry today & how attracting top talent can change the course 2) The danger and potential consequences of over-optimization in nuclear power plant design  3) Mark shares how he made his viral graph comparing CO2 emissions of France and Germany  4) Why fully operational, paid-for, carbon-free nuclear plants are getting shut down around the wo...

1) Austin Lo walks through the process of thermionic energy conversion and why General Motors got involved in nuclear reactor research in the 1960s  2) Benefits & challenges of thermionics for space nuclear power applications  3) A comparison of how nuclear R&D has evolved over time and alongside regulatory changes  4) Expanding nuclear innovation to cultural growth, discovery, and new inventions

1) How the UK nuclear market has shifted from decommissioning to new builds and the current state of the industry  2) Why fully-functioning nuclear reactors require design changes when crossing international borders into new regulatory requirements  3) Allan Carson's path to the World Nuclear Association to pursue international cooperation in reactor design 4) Plans for a future with regulatory co...

1) Jay Wileman explains how the GE and Hitachi partnership started and how it's evolved over the years  2) A breakdown of the five different value streams GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy brings to its customers  3) Advantages of the up-and-coming BWRX-300 reactor in the global nuclear space  4) Why keeping and maintaining existing nuclear plants is key to achieving climate goals

1) Why bringing manufacturing back to the UK is critical for controlling emissions 2) Paul Nevitt walks through how his early chemistry linked to nuclear through UK's defense sector study of actinides 3) Role of the National Nuclear Laboratory in driving collaboration towards achieving climate goals 4) A spotlight on some feature projects at the Nuclear Innovation Research Office

1) The story of how Jeremy Gordon stumbled into editing Nuclear Engineering International Magazine with zero background in nuclear  2) Jeremy's transition to the World Nuclear Association and how he built World Nuclear News  3) Fukushima as a case study for how to communicate about a developing emergency situation at a nuclear power plant  4) Why creating alliances and collaboration with outside s...

1) How Callum Thomas identified the human resources need in the nuclear industry, leading to the startup of his organization, Thomas Thor  2) Challenges and opportunities in finding and recruiting skilled personnel into the global nuclear workforce  3) Ways Thomas Thor is advocating for the nuclear industry and encouraging people to do independent research and come to their own conclusions about t...

1. How Fiona Reilly's nuclear career started as a commercial lawyer visiting a nuclear power plant during a refueling outage  2. The key to building future nuclear projects through a combination of risk sharing and profit sharing  3. How technology parks, medical isotopes, and fusion can play an important role in UK's leveling up economic agenda  4. Considerations for financing energy projects and...

1) What led Jason Crawford to make the jump from Silicon Valley to a focus on the history of technology and philosophy of progress  2) How Jason got into writing and connected with some of his favorite economic historians through a viral post on the invention of the bicycle  3) The critical events that strangled nuclear energy progress in its early years and a look at the bottlenecks it faces toda...

1) Lindsay Morton reflects on how she discovered the field of epidemiology and how it satisfied her love for math, biology, and research  2) How the National Cancer Institute contributes to global cancer research and a look at the projects they pursue internally  3) Why studying the impacts of radiation on the human body is so complex and some of the testing methodologies and biometrics used  4) A...

1. Dr. Chanock's early career in medicine, dedicating his work to cancer research  2. The National Cancer Institute's role within the National Institute of Health and why they decided to pursue studies on Chernobyl 3. A deep dive into the NCI's two most recent studies on Chernobyl, the largest of their kind  4. A look at the results of those studies and their larger applications for public health

1. Andrzej's early career leading the startup of Poland's Maria research reactor 2. His work at the IAEA and experiences traveling to plants around the world  3. Lessons learned about the safety of nuclear power plants from the Fukushima accident 4. Andrzej's belief's around changing the approach to the effects of small doses of radiation  

1. Michel's early work as an economist with the CEA 2. Michel's shift into the policy space at the OECD-NEA 3. The economics of nuclear energy and how it differs from other energy sectors 4. Learning from past experiences in the development of new nuclear projects

1) Ben Levitt reflects on the path that led him through the world of physics into fusion technology development at Zap Energy  2) How observations from the 18 th century contributed to the understanding of the Z-pinch concept  3) The process of achieving scientific and commercial break-even in deuterium-tritium fusion 4) Why fusion is key to the success and sustainability of humanity now and in th...

1) Arun Khuttan gives a brief history of COP and how the nuclear community has been involved in the past  2) Neil Calder introduces how the Net Zero Needs Nuclear campaign is asking international leaders to reassess their energy policies  3) Sophie Zienkiewicz explains the outreach strategy, both within and outside the nuclear sector, for starting more conversations around nuclear  4) Why the youn...

1) George Verberg's early exposure to energy working in the Government of the Netherlands 2) His work in natural gas at Gasunie and as President of the International Gas Union  3) George's work as a nuclear advocate in the Netherlands  4) Future opportunities for nuclear development in the Netherlands 

1. Richard Meserve's accidental introduction to nuclear working in the White House Science Advisor's office during Three Mile Island 2. Richard's appointment to the NRC and his role as Chairman   3. Takeaways from the Fukushima accident its impact on perceptions of nuclear  4. Opportunities for the development of advanced reactors and their role in tackling climate change 

1) Esam Hussein's journey from Egypt to Canada in the pursuit of a career in nuclear engineering  2) An in-depth look at the intricacies of the CANDU reactors and how they've evolved  3) A comparative analysis of different SMR designs in terms of technology and modularity 4) How to optimize capital cost and operating cost in nuclear power plants

1) Isabelle Boemeke's journey through her modeling career, leading her to entrepreneurship and eventually, environmentalism  2) How Isodope, Isabelle's social media character, is making nuclear energy relatable and relevant for the masses 3) Strategies for educating and engaging the public in climate change conversation  4) A look at the electricity & emissions impacts California will see if Diabl...

1) How Chris Gadomski's childhood memories of the 1970s oil embargo shaped his view on energy forever  2) The links between oil, renewables, and nuclear through the STEEP plus W analysis  3) A comparison of the nuclear industries in China, Russia, and the United States through the decades 4) Why operating nuclear reactors are getting shut down in the US and the impact on net-zero goals if the tren...

1) How the global fashion industry led Rickey Ruff to go door-to-door to factories in Hong Kong  2) The role of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in Rickey's journey to pursue clean energy  3) Why the international fashion supply chain is the perfect industry for microreactor deployment  4) This year's newest feature at the New York Fashion Week: nuclear energy

1) Anicet Touré gives a brief history of Belgium's nuclear industry and the role of Tractebel  2) The opposing influences of Germany and France on Europe's stance on nuclear  3) Four questions to ask when determining the business case of small modular reactors in your country  4) How SMRs can open new market opportunities for multiple industries, including the steel and petrochemical sectors