The Atomic Age did not really start with a bang, and the scientists who discovered that neutrons were matter altering tools that enabled them to release vast quantities of heat energy were not really focused on building destructive weapons. Instead, atomic pioneers like Szilard, Fermi, Noddack, and Mitner were excited to be both unlocking stored…
Immediately after the November elections in the United States, Dr. Helen Caldicott, a well-known antinuclear activist from Australia, offered commentary for publication by the Huffington Post titled simply The Election. A part of her message was another round of fire in of what I believe will be a lengthy campaign leading to a loud crescendo…
Dr. A. David Rossin is a former President of the American Nuclear Society, an Engineering Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a career nuclear engineer. He has deep experience in private industry, with the national laboratories and in energy policy as a former Assistant Secretary of Energy. We spoke on…
On December 4, 2009, I spoke with Dr. Madeline Feltus, the Department of Energy technical program manager assigned the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of a team of scientists and engineers working on the refinement and testing of TRISO fuel particles for high temperature gas cooled reactors. During the interview, Dr. Feltus mentioned a few…
Robert Margolis and Rod Adams engage in a panel of two (August is a slow month for news and a tough month to find guests) discussion about the 150 year anniversary of the first oil well in America, nuclear energy development plans in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the responsibilities of a start up…
Jaco Kriek has been the CEO of PBMR Pty LTD of South Africa for five years. On July 7, 2009 he spoke with me for nearly an hour about a wide range of topics. The topics we discussed included the following: History of PBMR as a stand alone company Change in technical direction Customer focused…
Michael Kurzeja is the President of North American Young Generation in Nuclear – NA-YGN. He is a dynamic leader, an excellent emissary and an excited professional who loves what he does. He also respects and enjoys the people he works with and is developing some long term professional friendships during the long hours that he…
Jack Tuohy is the Executive Director of the American Nuclear Society. We talked about his goals for the organization, his experiences as a first responder at Three Mile Island and his desire to help nuclear professionals develop their expertise. Other topics discussed during our conversation include: TMI regulation changes as good for nuclear industry Engineers…
Tom Sanders took office as the President of the American Nuclear Society on June 18, 2009. Rod Adams spoke with him on the day before. Tom explained his goals for the year, the importance of nuclear technology to national security and the enthusiasm that he has for “right-sized” reactors. Podcast: Play in new window |…
I am in Atlanta, GA for the American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting. Though the use of Twitter, email and face to face communications, five active atomic geeks with web presences got together for lunch. We had a wide ranging conversation that only true geeks could love. People at the table included: John Wheeler – This…
Atomic America has a thought provoking subtitle – “How a Deadly Explosion and a Feared Admiral Changed the Course of Nuclear History”. The unifying story through the book is one that most nuclear trained people know a little about – the accident at the Army’s SL-1 that took place on January 3, 1961. In Atomic…
David Walters from Left Atomics and Daily Kos joins Rod Adams for a discussion about atomic energy from a far left point of view. It is well known that much of the opposition to nuclear power in the US, Europe, and Australia comes from people who are normally considered to be on the political left….