Interview with Professor Rodney Ewing – Department of Geological Science and Nuclear Engineering at the University of Michigan On November 2, 2006, I chatted with Professor Rodney Ewing of the University of Michigan. Dr. Ewing has been studying methods for disposal of used nuclear materials for more than 25 years. He made a recent speech […]
Podcast
The Atomic Show #035 – Dr. Regis Matzie Interview
Interview with Dr. Regis Matzie – Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Westinghouse. On November 2, 2006, Rod Adams talked with Dr. Regis Matzie, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Westinghouse. Dr. Matzie has been a key participant in the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor and several other advanced nuclear power system development […]
The Atomic Show #034 – Aimless atomic chatting
Mixed bag of atomic (and a few non-atomic) topics – enjoy! Shane and I have had a few busy days in our day jobs, so this show is a zero prep show with a variety of topics including long term storage of used nuclear fuel, the design and operation of Fermi’s CP-1, Steorn’s claim of […]
The Atomic Show #033 – Pebble Power (pebble bed reactors)
Pebble bed reactor history and future At the request of several listeners and blog readers, Shane and I decided to focus this podcast on the graphite and heavy metal “pebbles” that form the basic fuel element for a number of currently proposed reactor types. We talk a bit about the inventor of the pebble bed […]
The Atomic Show #032 – Uranium mineral collector – Ruth Sponsler
Chat with a uranium mineral collector and nuclear power supporter Ruth Sponsler is an amateur mineral collector, a resident of the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and an active supporter of the use of nuclear energy. She blogs at We Support Lee. Shane and I invited her onto the show to talk about her unusual […]
The Atomic Show #031 – Uranium resources and mining techniques
Uranium resources and mining Uranium is a relatively common metal. The quantity that is readily available for human use is far larger than the quantity that would be required to fuel a vastly larger base of nuclear reactors than the one that is in operation today. The Uranium Information Center has published an excellent briefing […]
The Atomic Show #030 – Nuclear energy: Status and outlook
Impressions of talk by the Nuclear Energy Institute President. Shane and I start off the show by congratulating the voters in Sweden for their recent election of a new government. The leaders of the parties that seem likely to form the new coalition government have declared that they will not shut down any of Sweden’s […]
The Atomic Show #029 – Nuclear power in space
Space exploration applications of nuclear power Space exploration is critically dependent on energy sources that are long lasting and can operate in a vacuum. Nuclear power fits the bill, but there have always been objections that limited its applications. Objections notwithstanding there have also been a number of missions where the only real solution was […]
The Atomic Show #028 – Passive safety features
The new generation of nuclear power plants that are being considered are simpler machines with features that depend on physics rather than automation to provide safety. The new reactors designs that will be built in the US (and perhaps in countries like the UK, Japan, and China) are refined versions of the first and second […]
The Atomic Show #027 – Nuclear power for remote areas
Small nuclear power plants can deliver the benefits of electrical power to the 2 billion people that currently do not have access to electricity. Shane and I were inspired by an article titled “Nuclear to the rescue” by Paul Driessen who also wrote “Eco-Imperialism: Green Power Black Death.”. I had posted a comment about the […]
The Atomic Show #26 – Helium, MIT study, coal
Topics range from helium to coal and include high temperature gas reactors. Shane and I get our groove back and engage in a geeky discussion on topics ranging from helium to coal and somehow manage to include such topics as aviation safety, nuclear engineering career paths, computing the cost of common products like a liter […]
The Atomic Show #025 – Amarillo Power plans
The big news since Shane and I last talked is the announcement by a Texan named George Chapman of the formation of Amarillo Power and its plans to build two Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWR) near Amarillo Texas. Shane questions the location based on his frequent drives through the area. Water might be an issue, […]
