Description (podcaster-provided):
On July 16, 1945, in a New Mexico desert, the Trinity Test ushered in the Nuclear Age. No other piece of technology has penetrated the American consciousness like the nuclear bomb and found a place in everything from culture to medicine. This podcast explores how nuclear science has impacted and changed our world in both beneficial and destructive ways. We explore the intersection of nuclear science and society using interviews with historians, policymakers, experts in their fields, and first-hand accounts to weave a picture of your nuclear life.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Nuclear science in society • Historical events and figures • Nuclear culture and media • Nuclear weapons and disarmament • Scientific advancements and applications • Interviews with experts and eyewitnessesThis podcast, titled "My Nuclear Life," delves into the multifaceted impact of nuclear science on society, exploring themes that range from nuclear weapons and energy to cultural and historical contexts. The show captures the dual nature of nuclear science—its potential for both beneficial applications and devastating consequences. Through a series of interviews with historians, policymakers, experts, and firsthand accounts, the podcast weaves narratives that highlight how nuclear technology has shaped modern existence.
Episodes frequently address historical events and figures, such as the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, the role of Jimmy Carter's nuclear expertise during his presidency, and renowned personalities like Oppenheimer and Edward Teller. The podcast explores both past and contemporary issues, such as nuclear risk reduction during the Cold War, the implications of modern-day nuclear proliferation, and the challenges posed by long-term nuclear waste management.
Listeners will find discussions on less obvious intersections of nuclear science with society, like its influence on cultural heritage and even its representation in media and literature. The podcast also considers ethical questions surrounding the development and use of nuclear technologies and presents stories of activism and policy change driven by scientific insights.
"Surviving the Nuclear Age," conspiracy theories, and nuclear-themed films are among other diverse topics discussed, offering a deep dive into how nuclear issues permeate various aspects of life and thought, both serious and light-hearted. The podcast highlights the historical context and the potential future of nuclear science, providing a comprehensive exploration of how it continues to impact the world.
Episodes: |
Nuclear Christmas List with Kelly Chipps 2025-Jan-07 48 minutes |
(rerelease) Jimmy Carter - with Jonathan Alter 2025-Jan-01 40 minutes |
Was the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion inevitable? with Adam Higginbotham 2024-Nov-26 30 minutes |
Ray Cats Nuke the Moon 2024-Nov-06 41 minutes |
The return of Matt Caplan - Twelve Thousand Bombs 2024-Oct-17 less than a minute |
61. Threads turns 40 with Bob Mielke 2024-Oct-03 39 minutes |
Announcement - Contest & Free Documentary Premiere 2024-Sep-03 2 minutes |
The Uranium Show with Lucy Santos 2024-Sep-03 50 minutes |
What should we do with all the ray cats? with Matt Caplan 2024-Aug-01 52 minutes |
The journey of a citizen scientist with Frank von Hippel 2024-May-28 51 minutes |
The Black Sea Experiment: Data taking and legacy 2024-Apr-30 42 minutes |
Prelude to the Black Sea Experiment: Soviet Scientists Reach Out 2024-Apr-30 38 minutes |
Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction - Georgia Pt 2 2024-Mar-27 52 minutes |
Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction - Georgia Pt 1 2024-Feb-27 58 minutes |
The new face of the nuclear nerd - Miss America (2023) Grace Stanke 2024-Jan-30 40 minutes |
Understanding Edward Teller with Istvan Hargittai 2023-Nov-28 58 minutes |
For the love of lasers with Donna Strickland 2023-Oct-31 42 minutes |
Are radiation limits based on a lie? with Ed Calabrese 2023-Sep-26 50 minutes |
How to identify Manhattan Project Plutonium with Cody Folden 2023-Aug-29 48 minutes |
Trying to stay alive at the Diefenbunker with Nathan Radke & Lee Kuhnle 2023-Jul-25 64 minutes |
J. Robert Oppenheimer with Kai Bird 2023-Jun-27 63 minutes |
The 3rd Nuclear Age with Ankit Panda 2023-May-30 50 minutes |
The Origin of the Elements with Artemis Spyrou 2023-Apr-25 40 minutes |
NIF fusion was a breakthrough, but what kind? with Bob Rosner 2023-Mar-28 43 minutes |
Witnessing the Starfish Prime nuclear test with Jim Burkhart 2023-Feb-28 39 minutes |
Solving the solar neutrino problem with Nobel Laureate Art McDonald 2023-Jan-31 51 minutes |
Is this the year NORAD shoots down Santa? With Martin Pfeiffer 2022-Dec-24 32 minutes |
Mom, I'm scared, come pick me up! Students speak out. 2022-Dec-15 50 minutes |
US Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear Posture Review with Steve Fetter 2022-Nov-29 38 minutes |
Inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with Dominik & Lara from ChernobylX 2022-Oct-25 48 minutes |
The Baby Tooth Study 2.0 with Marc Weisskopf 2022-Sep-27 58 minutes |
St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey with Nina Gilden Seavey 2022-Aug-30 34 minutes |
What if a nuclear engineer was elected US President? with Jonathan Alter 2022-Jul-26 40 minutes |
How did the U.S. Government plan for nuclear war without you? with Garrett Graff 2022-Jun-28 42 minutes |
Exploring the end of the world with nuclear literature and Daniel Cordle 2022-May-31 53 minutes |
Shipbuilding with the precision of a watchmaker - ITER with Michael Loughlin 2022-Apr-26 41 minutes |
Can Wargaming teach ethics? With John Emery 2022-Mar-29 68 minutes |
Nuclear Threat Reduction & Current Events with Matthias Grosse Perdekamp 2022-Mar-08 59 minutes |
Radium & Marie Curie go Goth Rock with Charming Disaster 2022-Feb-22 41 minutes |
Using nuclear science to understand cultural heritage with Michael Wiescher 2022-Jan-25 53 minutes |
Should Khrushchev receive story credit for Dr. Strangelove? With Nathan and Lee from The UnCover Up 2022-Jan-06 39 minutes |
The movie with the finest ending: Failsafe (1964) with Nathan & Lee from The UnCover Up 2022-Jan-04 46 minutes |
What's with all the Nuclear Movies? With Nathan & Lee from The UnCover Up 2021-Dec-28 60 minutes |
Using radiation as a poison. The murder of Alexander Litvinenko with Pete Burgess 2021-Nov-30 53 minutes |
How the Norwegians & British ended the Nazi atomic bomb program with Neal Bascomb 2021-Oct-26 57 minutes |
Finger on the Button: Life as a Cold War Missileer with Col. (Ret.) Charles G. Simpson 2021-Sep-28 59 minutes |
Scientists as activists, human rights, and ethics with Don Howard 2021-Sep-15 81 minutes |
History of early computing with Thomas Haigh 2021-Aug-17 84 minutes |
The connection between nuclear disarmament, peace, and black freedom with Vincent Intondi 2021-Aug-03 58 minutes |
Nuking the Moon and other Shenanigans with The Uncover Up 2021-Jul-20 66 minutes |
The impact of the Cold War on LIGO with Tiffany Nichols 2021-Jul-06 42 minutes |
Announcement: My Nuclear Life / The UncoverUp Crossover 2021-Jun-29 1 minute |
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster with Adam Higginbotham 2021-Jun-22 51 minutes |
Death by control rod: The story of SL1 with Todd Tucker 2021-Jun-08 51 minutes |
How to restart a nuclear reactor in Japan after the Fukushima disaster with Dreux Richard 2021-May-25 62 minutes |
Soviet bone records, Tom Lehrer, and music for your nuclear protest with Tim & Joanna Smolko 2021-May-11 67 minutes |
Deep beneath the surface: Innovating nuclear waste disposal with Elizabeth Muller 2021-Apr-27 36 minutes |
Hanford Lab Pt. 2: How the DOE got into the museum business with Robert Franklin 2021-Apr-13 62 minutes |
Hanford Lab Pt. 1: The triumph of the engineer with Robert Franklin 2021-Apr-13 80 minutes |
Quarky News: Volk Field 1962 2021-Apr-06 16 minutes |
Radium: Luxurious, Beautiful, Expensive, and Modern with Lucy Santos 2021-Mar-30 55 minutes |
Nuclear newsletters, queer theory, and Freedom of Information with Martin Pfeiffer 2021-Mar-16 56 minutes |
The War Science Won? Building the bomb, ingenuity, and politics with Richard Rhodes (Pt. 3) 2021-Mar-02 46 minutes |
How to turn the US into a factory: Beer in Hanford, Silver from Fort Knox, and PO Box 1663 with Richard Rhodes (Pt. 2) 2021-Jan-01 50 minutes |
How it all began: Europe, fission, and the Nazis with Richard Rhodes (Pt. 1) 2021-Jan-01 59 minutes |
Sunshine in a bottle. The origins of using radiation as a modern cancer treatment with Aimee Slaughter 2020-Dec-30 39 minutes |
Thwarting nuclear ambitions with sanctions: Iran, North Korea, and ... Sweden? with Richard Nephew 2020-Dec-30 31 minutes |
How do you celebrate Alaska Statehood? Nuke them a harbor with Dan O'Neill 2020-Dec-23 52 minutes |
Saving the world with nuclear energy, one microreactor at a time with Leslie Dewan 2020-Dec-16 36 minutes |