The Atomic Show #018 (MP3 – 21MB – 61min)

Last week a technical glitch caused the loss of an entire show when GarageBand decided to hang just as we were finishing our chat. It caused some rather heated expletives but there was no recovery possible since I never bothered to hit “Save” during the course of the conversation. Lesson relearned. This week, Shane and…

The Atomic Show #017 (MP3 – 12.2MB – 36min)

Shane and I decided to try to stick our American noses into Australia’s growing conversation about whether or not to enter into the nuclear power business as more than just a supplier of 25% of the world’s yellowcake uranium, the raw material that is refined and manufactured into fuel elements for nuclear power plants. We…

The Atomic Show #016 (MP3 – 12.3MB – 36min)

Atomic Show 16 is a random chat about frustration with people that claim to be neutral yet place nuclear power at the bottom of their energy option list, chopping wood for fuel, driving large cars, and the importance of designing cars for the Autobahn without coffee cup holders. Hope you enjoy. Podcast: Play in new…

The Atomic Show #015 – Can more nuclear energy affect rising gas prices

During show number 15 of The Atomic Show, Shane and I discuss the effects of ever increasing gasoline prices on people that need to drive light trucks as part of the way that they earn their living. We then discuss how nuclear power, specifically smaller nuclear reactors designed to compete in markets currently dominated by…

The Atomic Show #014 (MP3 – 17.5MB – 51min)

Show number 14 is something special. It is the first time that Shane and I invite a guest for an interview. Though we have a little difficulty with sound quality, we believe that this is one of our best efforts so far. Our guest, Ted Rockwell is a true nuclear pioneer, having been a part…

The Atomic Show #013 (MP3 – 12.5MB – 37min)

At 0123 local Ukrainian time on 26 April 1986, an alarm sounded at the Chernobyl nuclear power station marking the beginning of an accident that has had a lasting effect on the world. Today is the 20th anniversary of that event. Shane and Rod review the accident, the aftermath, and the lessons learned about the…

The Atomic Show #012

Shane and Rod take a trip into atomic fission history as they discuss the events and people leading up to the initial discovery that uranium nuclei could be broken, releasing vast quantities of energy. In just a few short years, a small number of physicists and chemists, mostly European and working with tiny research budgets,…

The Atomic Show #011 (MP3 – 13.9MB – 40min)

Shane and Rod chat about nuclear power plant security, protection against terrorist threats, an editorial about the prospects for new nuclear power plants in Florida, and the possibility that smaller nuclear power plants could help Ireland meet its increasing energy needs. They also touch briefly on Iran’s recent announcement that it had successfully enriched uranium…

The Atomic Show #010 (MP3 – 16MB – 46min)

Shane and I talk about the amazing employment prospects for nuclear trained people and for those people willing to learn more about the technology. In general terms, we discuss some of the areas where the third generation nuclear plants that are likely to be constructed have been improved over existing nuclear power plants. We also…

The Atomic Show #009 (MP3 – 11.1MB – 32min)

Shane and Rod talk about a new nuclear research project that has been designated at HT3R – pronounced “heater”. It is a 10-25 MW thermal reactor with a closed cycle helium turbine. The project is a partnership between General Atomics, the University of Texas Permian Basin, and Thorium Power. The pre-conceptual design agreement was signed…

The Atomic Show #008 (MP3 – 7.6MB – 22min)

This is a special edition of The Atomic Show. In November, 2005, I attended the American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting in Washington, DC. While there, I recorded an interview with Kelly Taylor, an active member of a group called North American Young Generation in Nuclear. Kelly has been in the nuclear industry since she graduated…

The Atomic Show #007 (MP3 – 14.5MB – 42min)

Shane and Rod talk about some announcements related to new nuclear power plant construction in the US, South Korea, and Bulgaria. We also move off topic on occasion and touch on the following subjects: The Dupic process of recycling nuclear fuel from a pressurized water reactor into a CANDU reactor Recycling fruit waste into rabbit…