1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Have you seen the gas prices in California? Have you 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: seen the gas prices down the street? 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 2: Girl? They high. 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: If it's up, then it's up. 5 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 2: If it's up, then it's stuck. It's been pretty wild. 6 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 2: I guess I'm gonna have to start biking everywhere. 7 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Come on over to the biking community. 8 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 2: I know that's your favorite thing to do. I don't 9 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 2: want to get on that bike. 10 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: You know, when gas prices start to go up, politicians 11 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: and policymakers start talking about alternative forms of energy, which 12 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: low key they should have been talking about anyway. 13 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 2: Right, huh huh. Because fossil fuels are a limited supply. 14 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 2: We will eventually run out of fossil fuels, so we 15 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: need some alternatives asap. 16 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: And one of those alternatives that often comes up is 17 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: nuclear energy. 18 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: H I love it. 19 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: I know that's right in your wheelhouse. 20 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 2: It absolutely is. 21 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: But I'm always like I think, I know, I'm not 22 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: quite sure. 23 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: You know a lot more than you think. 24 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: Well, prove it to me. 25 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: Okay, that's my mission for today. I'm TT and I'm 26 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 2: Zachiah and from Spotify. This is Dope Labs. 27 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Dope Labs, a weekly podcast that makes us, 28 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: hardcore science, pop culture, and a healthy dosa friendship. 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 2: This week, we're talking about nuclear energy, and there's a 30 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 2: lot of things about nuclear energy that I think people 31 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: don't know. We generally know that it's very powerful, but 32 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: we wanted to know specifically why it's so important, how 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: it's regulated, and more of the applications. 34 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Let's get into the recitation, all right, Listen, I'm gonna 35 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: ahead and tell you most of the things I know 36 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: about nuclear energy. I know a little bit from history, 37 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: but mostly for call of duty. Okay. 38 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 2: My friend is a gamer okay. 39 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: And then second is from Marvel and we've already talked 40 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: about this on Wakanda forever. Some of that stuff is 41 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: not real, so I'm gonna really need you to separate 42 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: back from fiction. For me, Tony Stark taught me a lot, 43 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: but how much of it is really true? 44 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: Yes? So because of that episode, we know a little 45 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: bit of the basics about nuclear energy. Where it comes from. 46 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 2: You know it comes from the nucleus of an atom, 47 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 2: but we really want to know a lot more, right, 48 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 2: And I think that is a great segue into what 49 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: do we want to know. 50 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: I know you're saying, yes, it comes from the nucleus 51 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: of an atom, But how do we get to it 52 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: a who's holding it? One atom? Multiple atoms at the 53 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: same time sequentially? I have a questions. And then what 54 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: about those halves if you're splitting them? 55 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: I think that's a very good question. I think I 56 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: want to know more about the history of nuclear energy. 57 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: I think I know a little bit of why we 58 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 2: first started looking into it, but I really want to 59 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 2: know why and what problem we were trying to solve 60 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 2: and how we got to where we are today. 61 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: And like so many things, what's the potential, what's next? 62 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: How is this being regulated? How do we ensure that 63 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: it's equitable access to something if it has all the 64 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: potential folks are saying it has. Okay, let's jump into 65 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: the dissection. Our guest for today's lab is doctor Marina 66 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: Robinson Snowden. 67 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 3: My name is doctor Marina Robinson Snowden. 68 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 4: I'm a senior engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applyve Physics Laboratory. 69 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: Like we said, we talked about the basics of nuclear 70 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 2: energy in our episode Wakonda Forever, but we act doctor 71 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: Snowden to take us back to high school physics class 72 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 2: and explain to us the anatomy of an atom. 73 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 4: So you have protons and neutrons that are in the nucleus, right, 74 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 4: and then outside of that nucleus you have electrons and 75 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 4: inside of that atom, it takes a lot of energy 76 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 4: to keep all of those different pieces together. 77 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,919 Speaker 2: That's right. Atoms are the building blocks of all things. 78 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 2: And just like doctor Snowden said, you have your nucleus 79 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: of your atom, and that has neutrons and protons and 80 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 2: they're all packed together really tightly, and then spinning around 81 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 2: that nucleus is all of these electrons. 82 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: If you think about how all of that energy is 83 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: holding those things together, the vibes are definitely right. We 84 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: want to start thinking about how to capture and use 85 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: that energy. Doctor Snowden says, there are a couple different ways. 86 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 4: So the first is something that I think we're all 87 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 4: familiar with, which is kind of chemical reactions. So a 88 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 4: chemical reaction is something where you are trying to remove 89 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 4: an electron from an electron shell, right, So you're trying 90 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 4: to kick off an electron from that atom package. 91 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 3: Right, that's chemical. 92 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: So think of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels is a 93 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 2: chemical reaction, and so you take that fuel and igniting 94 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 2: it kicks off the chemical reaction. That's what's happening in 95 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 2: our cars that aren't electric, you know, they're using gas 96 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 2: from the pump. Those are fossil fuels, and when you 97 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: turn your key, there's an ignition and that sets that 98 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 2: fuel on fire. And what it does is produce a 99 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 2: lot of heat, and that heat is the energy that 100 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 2: is released from this reaction. 101 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: The byproduct of these reactions where we're burning that fuel 102 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitric oxide, microparticles, 103 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of other environmentally unsafe compounds just you 104 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: name it. Okay, the list goes on, and this is 105 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: where we kind of get into greenhouse gas emissions and 106 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: climate change. 107 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: So in some scenarios you can access chemical energy through 108 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 2: combustion or burning things. And another way is by leveraging 109 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: all that energy that's holding the nucleus together, aka nuclear energy. 110 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,679 Speaker 4: So some really smart people decades and decades ago, thought 111 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 4: how can we leverage the energy that's inside of the 112 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 4: nucleus and also inside of the atom itself. When you're 113 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 4: thinking about nuclear we're not talking about electrons now, we're 114 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 4: down in the nucleus, right, nuclear nucleus, that's what it means. 115 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 4: So you're dealing with reactions that are happening inside of 116 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 4: that central package in the atom. And the thing that's 117 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 4: important to know is the energy levels when you compare 118 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 4: chemical reactions to nuclear reactions, are like a million times stronger. 119 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 4: The amount of energy that it takes to keep those 120 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 4: protons together is a million times stronger than it takes 121 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 4: to keep the electron in the atom. 122 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: And because chemical reactions are not as strong, we need 123 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: a lot more fuel to burn. 124 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 4: So that's why nuclear energy is so promising because if 125 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 4: you can find a way to break those nuclei apart 126 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 4: and harness that energy, you can do things like create electricity, 127 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 4: and you. 128 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 2: Can do it by using way less fuel. So that 129 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 2: sounds really promising, right, But how is nuclear energy access? 130 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 2: Doctor Snowden talked to us about the two ways this happens, 131 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 2: fission and fusion. 132 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 3: And fission is exactly as it sounds. 133 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 4: You are trying to take a nucleus and break it apart, 134 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 4: and when you rip it apart or break it apart, 135 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 4: there's an energy release that's associated with that. That's what 136 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 4: happens inside of nuclear reactors. So we're taking uranium or 137 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 4: plutonium fuel, which are radioactive materials. We're doing a nuclear 138 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 4: process on them to force those nuclei to break apart 139 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 4: and give us that energy because we need that energy 140 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 4: to create the heat to create the electricity downstream. 141 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 2: So what's happening in a nuclear reactor this fission process 142 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 2: is it's a pretty simple process, but it's complex because 143 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 2: it takes a lot of energy. So a neutron hits 144 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: a uranium atom and that neutron causes the nucleus of 145 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 2: the uranium atom to split. So when that fission happens, 146 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 2: that split that nucleus, it releases a large amount of 147 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: energy as heat. And as it's splitting, you remember we 148 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 2: said that there are neutrons in the nucleus. As it splits, 149 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 2: more neutrons are also coming off and then going and 150 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: hitting another uranium atom and causing fission with that atom. 151 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 2: So it's a chain reaction. All of these reactions produce energy, 152 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 2: and that energy it produces is heat. Once the heat 153 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 2: is generated, it turns the water that is in the 154 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 2: nuclear reactor system into steam, and then that steam starts 155 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 2: spinning turbines, and those turbines generate electricity all carbon free. 156 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 4: The United States gets something like twenty percent of our 157 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 4: electricity from reactors. Globally it is something like eleven percent. 158 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: That's a really big percentage, and it feels really important. 159 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: And those are a lot of moving parts you just 160 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: describe TT. Yeah, and doctor Snowden is driving home just 161 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: how important those reactors are. H and all is making 162 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: me think is that Osha or somebody should have come 163 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: and stepped in in the town of Springfield because Homer 164 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: symptom was reckless at his reactions. This is all such 165 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: an intricate process. And that's just fission. Right when the 166 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: nucleus is being pulled apart. What about fusion? What's happening there? 167 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 4: The second approach, though, is fusion where instead of trying 168 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 4: to break the nuclei apart, you're actually trying to smash 169 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 4: them together. And in that same way, to take lighter 170 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 4: nuclei and smash them together, there's an associated energy release. 171 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 3: In order to get them to actually bind, they have 172 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 3: to give up energy. 173 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 4: So that energy that's given up is the same thing 174 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 4: that we're after. We're always after the energy release, whether 175 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 4: we're talking about burning fuel, fissioning fuel, or fusing fuel. 176 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: And I'd love to do a detailed example of how 177 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: fusion works, but we haven't quite messed with that yet. 178 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: Fusion is still an experimental technology. Scientists and researchers are 179 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: still trying to figure it out. But it seems like 180 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 1: fission and fusion are both viable from a climate change 181 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: perspective because they eliminate a lot of those greenhouse gas 182 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: emissions we see with kimo cool energy and combustion and burning. 183 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 2: Yes, in the US we have ninety three nuclear reactors 184 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 2: up and running right now, which is the most in 185 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 2: the world. France is in second place with fifty six. 186 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,719 Speaker 1: They can't compete where they don't compas or whatever that's 187 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: saying is. 188 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 4: So. 189 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: Doctor Snowden said that the United States gets about twenty 190 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: percent of our energy from reactors. But what does that mean? 191 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: How much energy is that twenty percent of? 192 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 4: What? 193 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 2: You know? 194 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: How is it measured? Right? 195 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 2: So that twenty percent of electricity generated that she told 196 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 2: us about is about seven hundred and ninety thousand gigawatt hours? 197 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 2: That doesn't really mean much. 198 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: Okay, when I'm typically looking at a light build that's 199 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: in like killowatt hours, and I think we can start 200 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: with the prefixes, right, Yeah, killo just means a thousand, 201 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: So a kilowatt is one thousand watts, and that's a 202 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: measure of power. But a kilowatt hour is a measurement 203 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: of energy. So that's how much energy something that takes 204 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: one thousand watts needs in order to rent for an hour. 205 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: So it's like a rate almost. 206 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 2: Absolutely, that's the difference between power and energy. Energy is 207 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 2: power and then a unit of time. 208 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: So that's like miles versus miles per hour. 209 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 2: Yes, so you go from a distance to a distance 210 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 2: per time, and that gives you a speed. 211 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: Okay, So now I understand the unit and the measure, 212 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: give me something to anchor it to. 213 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 2: So for example, a typical electric dishwasher uses about two 214 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 2: kilowat hours per load. 215 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: Okay, so I got that a Nissan. 216 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 2: Leaf electric car uses forty kilo why hours when fully charged. 217 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: But you told us that doctor Snowden was telling us 218 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: about seven hundred and ninety thousand gigaway hours. So a 219 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: kilo why hour is one thousand watts of power over 220 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: an hour. A gigawatt hour is one million killowat hours. 221 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 2: So we go from kilowatts. So that's one thousand, there's megawats, 222 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 2: so we're gonna skip over that. That's in the millions. 223 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: Now we're at gigawatts. That's in the billions of watts 224 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 2: per hour. 225 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: And so for those billion watts per hour, so that's 226 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: gigawatt per hour, there are seven hundred and ninety thousand 227 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: of those. 228 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 2: Seven hundred and ninety thousand of those billions. 229 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: Turn everything off. 230 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 2: Right, I'm turning off my computer right now, goodbye. But 231 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 2: that still only makes up a fraction of US consumption. 232 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 2: Remember that's only twenty percent, So I'm not gonna do 233 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 2: the multiplication. I'm gonna let y'all do the multiplication because 234 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 2: now we're getting into numbers that I cannot say. A 235 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 2: gigawatt hour is a unit of energy that is one 236 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 2: billion kilowatts of power sustained for one hour. In twenty twenty, 237 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 2: the US consumed trillions. That's t r trillions of gigawatt hours. 238 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 2: We produce nuclear energy in the billions of kilowatt hours, 239 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 2: but we consume electricity in the trillions of kilowatt hours. 240 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: All of this sounds great, right. It's a way to 241 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: generate electricity that doesn't give us the negative effects of 242 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: greenhouse gases, but I just noticed it not so fast. 243 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: There are some other things that we need to be worried. 244 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 4: About, but that doesn't mean that this is free lunch, 245 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 4: right There are risks associated with nuclear technology, and one 246 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 4: of the big risks is the waste that's produced at 247 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 4: the end of the day. So when you split a 248 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 4: nucleus apart, you create these things called fission products, daughter products, 249 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 4: those are some of the names that they're use. So 250 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 4: that's like the waste, and these things are highly radioactive. 251 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 3: For a long time. 252 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 4: So there's questions about what is the long term disposal 253 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 4: strategy for this waste, because there's a couple of different options. 254 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 4: You can bury it deep inside of a hole right 255 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 4: right now. We store it kind of in these spent 256 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 4: fuel storage pools outside of reactors, but that's not a 257 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 4: long term solution. But the politics of nuclear waste and 258 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 4: spent fuel are non trivial. We've been battling them for 259 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 4: decades and that's one of the key obstacles. And the 260 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 4: second risk with nuclear fuel that people really think about 261 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 4: kind of kitchen table issue is you know the risk 262 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 4: of a catastrophic accident. 263 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 2: And we've seen catastrophic accidents occur a few times, one 264 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: in Fukushima in twenty eleven, after an earthquake three Mile 265 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 2: Island in nineteen seventy nine, which happened right here in 266 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 2: the United States, an Chernobyl in nineteen eighty six because 267 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 2: of a flawed reactor and errors in the actions of 268 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: the technicians, and the event in Chernobyl was so long 269 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 2: it was releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere for ten days, 270 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 2: and it made it so that to this day, about 271 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 2: one thy six hundred square miles surrounding that that nuclear 272 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 2: reactor where the accident happened is still not allowed to 273 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 2: be inhabited. Sixteen hundred square miles is about three times 274 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 2: the size of Los Angeles. 275 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: And that's what I remember from Call of Duty. They 276 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: drop you into that zone, they put you in Chernobyl. Yeah, 277 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: there's all these abandoned buildings and things in the grass 278 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: has overgrown on this stuff because it hasn't been inhabited 279 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: for so long. 280 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 2: Y'all gotta chill. 281 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: Children should not be playing. That should not only the guns, 282 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: but also the atmosphere. 283 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 2: Cheeze. OK, that's crazy. 284 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: So, even though there are a lot of these potential 285 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: upsides with nuclear energy, Like TT mentioned, there are some 286 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: risks involved too. 287 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 4: Risks, they say, is the probability of the event, the 288 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 4: consequences of the event, and the vulnerability of the asset. 289 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 4: So even though the probability is very low, the consequences 290 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 4: are so high. Radioactive fallout contaminating large swaths of areas, 291 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 4: you have families displaced. There can be like generational impacts 292 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 4: if there is a catas graphic accident. So those are 293 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 4: some of the things that policymakers communities that are thinking about. 294 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 3: Hosting these facilities. 295 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 4: Right, whether we're talking about the reactor itself or the 296 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 4: repository for the spent fuel, these are the things that 297 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 4: they have to think about in terms of kind of 298 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 4: the near term and long term benefits of the technology 299 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 4: balance that with the risk. 300 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: When we talk about nuclear energy and splitting an atom 301 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: and uranium plutonium. I think about radiation in the way 302 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: I learned about it in the lab, and I remember 303 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: when I first was going through training to work with radiation, 304 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, so worried and so you know, 305 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: but I think it's important for people to understand that 306 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: not all radiation is the same. There's a spectrum. 307 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we're surrounded by radiation every day. You know, microwaves, 308 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 2: radio waves, everything, But there are big differences between a 309 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 2: microwave from your microwave and radiation that is potentially harmful 310 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 2: to you. And I think once you have a grasp 311 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 2: of that, then you can understand, Okay, what does this 312 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 2: mean for nuclear energy? What does this mean for the 313 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 2: byproducts and offshoots of these processes, and what's harmful and 314 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,120 Speaker 2: what's not. Could you tell us a little bit more 315 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 2: about the harmful factors to consider. So, the difference between 316 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 2: a microwave and radiation, which is called ionizing radiation, so 317 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 2: that's the type of radiation that is potentially dangerous, is 318 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 2: the wavelength. So when you're talking about microwaves, radio waves 319 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 2: and things like that, these are literal waves that are 320 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 2: so long, So that means that they're really tall and 321 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 2: really deep, and the distance from one peak wave to 322 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 2: the next peak wave is really long. So when you 323 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 2: think about it, it's too big to be able to 324 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 2: really interact with atoms or your cells. 325 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 4: Because the energy the wavelength is so large relative to 326 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 4: the size of your cells. 327 00:17:58,520 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 3: You good, you, goujie. 328 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 2: But when we start talking about ionizing radiation, those waves 329 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 2: are really tight and tiny. So they're so small, so 330 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 2: tight and so tiny that they have the ability to 331 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 2: really get up close and personal with the cells in 332 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 2: your body. They just touching all over them, and they 333 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 2: can do a lot of damage. 334 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: And so exposure to that harmful ionizing radiation is what 335 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: happened when we saw these accidents at nuclear reactors, so 336 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: at three mile, at Chernobyl, at Fukushima. This is not 337 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: the same as microwave waves. This is not the same. 338 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 2: Okay, so heat up to your hot pocket, You'll be 339 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 2: all right. 340 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: But I think it's so important for people to understand 341 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: like where we are on this scale, both in size 342 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,199 Speaker 1: of wave and in potential harm yep. And so I 343 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: think that's a great way to think about risk, right, 344 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: not just oh, a thing could happen, but how likely 345 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: is it to happen, and if it happens, how devastating 346 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 1: are the events? But also if we remove this from 347 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: the equation overall, what does this mean for our electricity grid? 348 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: What does that mean for day to day life in America? 349 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 2: That's a really good point because in twenty twenty, forty 350 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 2: percent of the US's electricity came from natural gas twenty 351 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 2: one percent came from renewables, so that's when hydrosolar, biomass, geothermal, 352 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 2: and twenty percent came from nuclear and nineteen percent came 353 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 2: from call. 354 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:23,679 Speaker 4: You need kind of a constant energy source, something that 355 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 4: can always run. There's these kind of classic lines about 356 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 4: the wind doesn't always blow, the sun doesn't always shine. 357 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 4: So those renewable sources there is a temporal component to them, 358 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 4: whereas with a reactor, once you've built it and you've 359 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 4: gotten the core up and running, it can go for 360 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 4: you know, a long time, and that. 361 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 3: Can be kind of your assured energy. 362 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: Source and tc. This is on something that we say 363 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,360 Speaker 1: all the time, yep, Right, A lot of problems are 364 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: not solved by one single solution, but there are multiple 365 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: things working in lockstep to give you a reinforced solution. 366 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: So even if one fails, you have some backups. 367 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 4: So I think the idea is to have a diverse 368 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 4: fire portfolio with the lowest carbon footprint possible and being 369 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 4: able to balance these near term and long term risk 370 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 4: and benefits with the you know, global society in a 371 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 4: way that mirrors our values today. Right, So you think 372 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 4: about nuclear energy now versus then we have very vibrant 373 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 4: conversations around equity and justice. 374 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:23,400 Speaker 3: So if we're talking. 375 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 4: About where is this fuel being mined, where is this 376 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 4: spent fuel being deposited, we have to think about whose 377 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 4: communities are these, what seat do they have at the table. 378 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,679 Speaker 4: So you're seeing administration starting to adopt a lot of 379 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 4: this language and this perspective on the way that we 380 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,640 Speaker 4: need to make energy policy. And it's different than kind 381 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 4: of the nature of the conversations in the sixties and 382 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 4: the seventies and the eighties. So it's about a balanced approach, 383 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 4: but you can see there's changes to the conversation. 384 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 2: Okay, so we've talked about nuclear energy and how it 385 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 2: can be used to possibly replace some more harmful forms 386 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 2: of fuel, but that's not why this form of energy 387 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 2: harvesting was originally looked into. 388 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 4: The origin of our nuclear story really starts in World 389 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 4: War Two, when the international community was trying to grapple 390 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,880 Speaker 4: with a rising Nazi power. 391 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 3: You had Adolf Hitler. 392 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 4: You saw the expansion and the genocide that he was 393 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 4: inflicting on Europe, and at that time, you know, the 394 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 4: nineteen thirties was a really active time from a nuclear perspective. 395 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 3: We were discovering stuff, y'all. We discovered fission. We discovered 396 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 3: the chain reaction, which. 397 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 4: Means like you could sustain fission, you could have sustained 398 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 4: energy output. 399 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 3: It wasn't just the one and done right. At the same. 400 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 4: Time, there was a significant worry that the Nazis were 401 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 4: trying to develop a weapon that leveraged the nuclear reactions 402 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 4: that we talked about. We were really worried about the 403 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 4: Nazis pursuing that technology. And it was actually Albert Einstein 404 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 4: that wrote a letter to FDR at the time alerting 405 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 4: him of this. Right, let me put you up on game. 406 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 4: From a scientific perspective, these things are happening. They could 407 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 4: potentially use it for this I think we need to 408 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 4: figure out. 409 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 3: What we want to do. 410 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 4: And the response of the US government was to establish 411 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 4: what was called the Manhattan Project. So we decided we 412 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 4: got to beat them to this technology. If this bomb 413 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 4: is a real thing, we got to be the first 414 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 4: to have it. 415 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: The Manhattan Project was started in nineteen forty two by 416 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: the US government and it was also supported by the 417 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: UK and Canadian governments as well to develop nuclear weapons. 418 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,119 Speaker 1: You know, this started as a really small project, but 419 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: it grew to cost two billion dollars and employ over 420 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty thousand people. There were project sites 421 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: all over the three countries, and these project sites had 422 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: not only research but testing as well. 423 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 4: And we can debate if that was the right policy decision, 424 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 4: because I think as an engineer that's been participating more 425 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 4: and more in the policy discussions, it's really important to 426 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 4: acknowledge where choice lies. 427 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:57,919 Speaker 3: None of these things are inevitable. 428 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 4: We have choices in the policy that we make, right, 429 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 4: So we made a choice to invest in beating. 430 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 3: The Nazis to a nuclear bomb. 431 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 4: We established the Manhattan Project and really the first reactors 432 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 4: that we saw on the scene were built in order 433 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 4: to produce the plutonium fuel that was needed for the bombs. 434 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 4: So it was only after the war ended, and again 435 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 4: there was a policy decision. We tested the first nuclear 436 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 4: weapon on the Trinity Site in Nevada in July of 437 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 4: nineteen forty five. Not a month later did we drop it, 438 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 4: drop two bombs on the people of Japan. And there's 439 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:40,200 Speaker 4: an active historical debate about why we did that, why 440 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 4: we did it in that way, Did it actually stop 441 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 4: the war? 442 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: Right? 443 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 3: There's a lot of narratives, but once we decided to 444 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 3: do that and the war was over. 445 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 4: You saw the international community shift from Okay, we have 446 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 4: this technology now, right, we've discovered fission. We have these reactors. 447 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 4: What if there's a role for them beyond nuclear weapons. 448 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 4: It's just an energy sources, the way to make heat. 449 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 4: But it makes heat a lot more efficiently than fossil fuels, right, 450 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 4: or the other energy sources we had at the time. 451 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 4: And remember we're talking like nineteen forty five fifty, so 452 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 4: you saw the international community shift to this conversation of 453 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 4: using these atoms for peace. And there's a key speech 454 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 4: that President Eisenhower gave in nineteen fifty three called the 455 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 4: Atoms for Peace Speech, where he said, how do we 456 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 4: take these atoms from atoms of war to atoms for 457 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,919 Speaker 4: peace and use this energy source as a way to 458 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 4: empower and enable society. 459 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 5: The atomic age has moved forward at such a pace 460 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 5: that every citizen of the world should have some comprehension 461 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 5: of the extent of this development. If the peoples of 462 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 5: the world are to conduct an intelligence search for peace, 463 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:59,919 Speaker 5: they must be armed with a significant facts of today's. 464 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 2: So, because they didn't want to create a world where 465 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 2: nuclear bombs were all over the place and ready for use. 466 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 2: Governments decided to use this power for good, not evil. 467 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 2: But let's take a quick break and when we get back, 468 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 2: we'll talk more about nuclear energy policy and what we're 469 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 2: going to do moving forward. We're back, and although we're 470 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 2: talking about energy and nuclear energy specifically this week, next 471 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: week we're digging deeper into the core of the earth 472 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 2: and talking about metals, precious metals, abundant metals, you name it. 473 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 2: Our guest expert is chemist doctor Kate Buner, and we 474 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 2: can't wait for you to hear this one. So we've 475 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 2: talked about the bad and the ugly parts of the 476 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 2: history of nuclear energy, but let's get into the good. 477 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 2: Eisenhower gave his speech, but then what So. 478 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 4: From the very beginning, the conversation was about how do 479 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 4: we promote the use of nuclear energy while also controlling 480 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 4: the use, because what we did not want to do 481 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:16,159 Speaker 4: was to give a country reactor technology, to consult with 482 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 4: them on expertise, only to see that country use that 483 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 4: technology to fuel their own military nuclear program. That was 484 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 4: not in the US interests nor the global interest, at 485 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 4: least at the time of the discussion. So you saw 486 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 4: the establishment of some key organizations. Chief among them was 487 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 4: the International Atomic Energy Agency what's known as the IAEA, 488 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 4: and the IAEA was established in nineteen fifty seven to 489 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,160 Speaker 4: do exactly what Eisenhower said, how do we promote and 490 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 4: control There was a key treaty that we have to 491 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 4: know about. It's called the Nuclear non Proliferation Treaty. The 492 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 4: Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. For everyone who signs it, they agree 493 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 4: not to proliferate nuclear technology, meaning I'm not going to 494 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 4: use my peaceful reactor to start my military nuclear weapons program. 495 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: So when this treaty was signed, there were five countries 496 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: that already had nuclear weapons, the United States, Russia, France, 497 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 1: the UK, and China, and they all agreed to eventually 498 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:14,399 Speaker 1: disarm in good faith. 499 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 4: So at the time, we all agreed we did not 500 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 4: want a world with nuclear weapons and we should work 501 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 4: towards a world without it. So once you sign on 502 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 4: to this agreement, there's a very heavy on site inspection 503 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 4: regime where the IEA comes in and they do comprehensive 504 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 4: inspections of all your different reactor facilities, all your nuclear facilities, reactors, enrichment, 505 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 4: spent fuel pools, everything to make sure that you are 506 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 4: not moving material from one place to another. Their main 507 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 4: objective is to catch the diversion of nuclear material in 508 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 4: time enough to respond. 509 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 2: So now that the treaty is signed and countries are 510 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 2: no longer developing nuclear weapons with their reactors, there became 511 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 2: lots of different ways countries could start working together to 512 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 2: share resources to produce use nuclear energy. Because spoiler alert 513 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 2: nuclear reactors are expensive to build, and not everyone has 514 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 2: the coins allocated for something like. 515 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 4: That, So when you're talking about these developing nations, it 516 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,679 Speaker 4: may not be in their ability at the time to 517 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 4: finance a capital project like that, so you can have, 518 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 4: you know, a more privileged nation come in and build 519 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 4: that system. The idea though, is that they would allow inspection. 520 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 4: They would allow those ie inspectors to come in and 521 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 4: make sure it's being used for its intended purpose. 522 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: And beyond just building. Another piece of the puzzle is 523 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: having the fuel the uranium, plutonium, et cetera that you 524 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: outlined earlier TT Not everyone has that, so they may 525 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: need to run over to a neighbor's for a cup 526 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: of uranium. 527 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 4: It's not automatic that everybody needs to have every stage 528 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 4: of that fuel cycle in their country. 529 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 3: So you can have a country. 530 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 4: That has a reactor, but maybe they don't have the 531 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 4: enrichment capability. Maybe they don't have the ability to take 532 00:28:58,440 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 4: uranium or out of the ground. 533 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:01,479 Speaker 3: Every country doesn't need to have that. 534 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 4: Maybe we go into a trade agreement where I will 535 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 4: provide that fuel to you and you just run it 536 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 4: in a reactor, and then maybe I take the spent 537 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 4: fuel from you in the back end. So there's been 538 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 4: different configurations within these trade agreements or within these kind 539 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 4: of energy export agreements that will allow certain parts of 540 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 4: the fuel cycle and others. Ionizing radiation means it is 541 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 4: energetic enough to remove an electron from your atoms. That's 542 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 4: what it means to be ionizing. You can kick off 543 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:33,320 Speaker 4: an electron. If a gamma ray comes in or a 544 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,239 Speaker 4: high energy neutron comes in, it has enough energy in 545 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 4: it to actually start removing electrons from your cells. 546 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 2: You know, we come in contact with ionizing radiation in 547 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 2: very specific ways that is under the supervision of a 548 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 2: medical professional, like X rays. A lot of people have 549 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 2: gone in for X rays, but if you have, you 550 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 2: know that parts of your body is covered with lead 551 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 2: to try and block the parts of your body that 552 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 2: you don't want. X ray to keep them from being exposed, 553 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 2: and you're not exposed for very long. So even though 554 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 2: we have been exposed to ionizing radiation, when we go 555 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 2: in for an X ray, the dose is so low 556 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 2: that we don't feel any effects and our cells are 557 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 2: able to live and thrive. 558 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: And what you're covering when you do that are those 559 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: tissues that have cells that are constantly regenerating themselves or 560 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,959 Speaker 1: that are replicating, which is your breast tissue, your stomach, 561 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: which is your gut lining and GI tract, and your 562 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: ovaries if you have them. Because those things are constantly 563 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: regenerating themselves, you're not making new arm you know what 564 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:30,479 Speaker 1: I mean. You're not making new arm meat, and so 565 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: those things don't have to be protected in the same way. 566 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 4: An important piece that I wanted to highlight is the 567 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 4: gendered component to the biological impact of radiation for women, 568 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 4: because we have more high turnover organs relative to our 569 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 4: male counterparts. Right, like I said, we have breasts, we 570 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 4: have ovaries. What are the type of cancers that generate 571 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 4: their right breast cancer or variant cancer, So we have 572 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 4: a disproportionate impact when we talk about the effects of radiation. 573 00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 4: If any of us were to be in a nuclear 574 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 4: blast or working as a reactor operator and there was 575 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 4: an accident and we got a full body dose, those 576 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 4: high turnover cellular systems would be exposed, and it's a 577 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 4: vulnerability that we have that's unique to our male counterparty. 578 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 2: I think that one of the things that I found 579 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 2: surprising in making this lab was how many nuclear reactors 580 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 2: there are. And doctor Snowden was talking about weighing the 581 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 2: risks with the benefits and things like that, and so 582 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 2: then we have to start thinking if nuclear energy is 583 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 2: something that we want to use moving forward as one 584 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 2: of our possibly main sources for electricity, that might possibly 585 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 2: mean more nuclear reactors, and so that risk will always 586 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 2: be there. But I think as scientists are working in 587 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 2: these reactors with the safety precautions that are in place, 588 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 2: I think are really great and the likelihood of an 589 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 2: accident is super super low. But I think it's exciting 590 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 2: also because when we think about climate change and the 591 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 2: train that's barreling down towards us, we have to start 592 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 2: really locking into these alternative forms of energy to help 593 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 2: save us. All. 594 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, okay, it's time for the one thing. What's 595 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 1: your one thing? This week. 596 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 2: Tt My one thing this week actually came from a 597 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 2: Doe Blabs listener. Their name is Kristin Thomas and they 598 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 2: are actually a part of the US rugby team. Okay, 599 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 2: what yes, the US women's rugby team, And are they 600 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 2: trying to recruit you possitively? You know, I'm a little strong, Simes. 601 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 2: But on their Instagram they had made a post about 602 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,719 Speaker 2: having some shoes that they weren't using anymore, and so 603 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 2: they cleaned them up and instead of throwing them in 604 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 2: the trash, they packaged them up and sent them to 605 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 2: this really cool company called Soul's for Soul and they 606 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,239 Speaker 2: take your un want to clothes and shoes and they 607 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 2: give them to folks and needs. So I mean, you 608 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 2: shouldn't send it in shoes that you know, I have 609 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 2: holes in or anything like that, but really shoes that 610 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 2: you know might be a little bit worn but are 611 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 2: still usable. So I think that's a great way to 612 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 2: reuse a pair of shoes rather than putting them in 613 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 2: the trash and then they end up in the landfill. 614 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 2: And you know, shoes have all of these plastic and 615 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 2: rubber that then further contaminates our world. Give them somebody 616 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 2: who can use them. So that is my plan, is 617 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 2: that I'm going to be packaging up a few pairs 618 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 2: of shoes that I don't wear anymore and sending them 619 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 2: to Soles for sol so you can follow them on Instagram. 620 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 2: It's s O L E S the number four s 621 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 2: O U l S Soles for Soal. 622 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: That sounds great. I have plenty of shoes that I 623 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: could get right on out the door and give another home. 624 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 2: What's your one thing? 625 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 1: My one thing this week is really touching into your domain. 626 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: Tt uh okay, let's hear it. Okay, so you know 627 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: how I like to chep it up in the kit. 628 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: I was reading this article about this group of scientists 629 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: in Maryland who have produced basically a knife. But it's 630 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,280 Speaker 1: not a knife like a steel knife or a ceramic knife. 631 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: It's made out of hardened wood. What. Yes, And they're 632 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,320 Speaker 1: saying that it's sharper than a steel knife. 633 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 2: Is it gonna put splinters in my food? 634 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: Oh? I don't know about that. But they're saying that 635 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: this hardened wood. I don't know what they did to it. 636 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,680 Speaker 1: They're saying it is twenty three times harder than like 637 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 1: the natural wood. I don't know how they're developing it. 638 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: I haven't read all into it. It was like a 639 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 1: little skim bullet. But you know, are we about to 640 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: go back to the wooden tool? You know what? 641 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 2: I kind of love that, I do. I do? 642 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I'd like to see it, you know, 643 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: like that that meme, like I'd like to see it. 644 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 2: I'd like to see it. 645 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'd like to see it. 646 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 2: I think that's amazing. 647 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, what type of material science? And that's from 648 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 1: the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland. 649 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 2: That's very cool. I know it to get you for 650 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 2: your birthday. 651 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 1: All right, that's it for Lab sixty. Call us at 652 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: two zero two five six seven seven zero two eight 653 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: and tell us what you thought. Also, you can call 654 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: and give us an idea for a different lab you 655 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:22,279 Speaker 1: think we should do. Remember we like hearing from you. 656 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 1: You can call or text us at two zero two 657 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,360 Speaker 1: five six seven seven zero two. 658 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 2: Eight and don't forget that. There is so much more 659 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 2: to dig into on our website. There'll be a cheat 660 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 2: cheat for today's lab, additional links and resources in the 661 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 2: show notes. Plus you can sign up for our newsletter. 662 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:41,360 Speaker 2: Check it out at Dope labspodcast dot com special thanks 663 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 2: to today's guest expert, doctor Marina Robinson Snowden. 664 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,640 Speaker 1: You can find her on Twitter at m R O 665 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 1: b I N s n O w SO M Robin 666 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: snow or check out her website at www dot Marina 667 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,280 Speaker 1: Robinson Snowden dot com. 668 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 2: And you can find us on Twitter and install at 669 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 2: Dope Labs podcast. 670 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 1: TT's on Twitter and Instagram at d R Underscore t SHO. 671 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 2: And you can find Zakia at z said So. Dope 672 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,919 Speaker 2: Labs is a Spotify original production from Mega Owned Media Group. 673 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: Our producers are Jenny Radlett Mast and Lydia Smith of 674 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: Wave Runner Studios. Our associate producer from Mega Oh Media 675 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: is Brianna Garrett. 676 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 2: Editing in sound design by Rob Smerciak. 677 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,280 Speaker 1: Mixing by Hannes Brown. 678 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 2: Original music composed and produced by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex 679 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:35,320 Speaker 2: Sugier from Spotify. Executive producer Corin Gilliard and creative producer 680 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 2: Miguel Contreras. 681 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Shirley Ramos, Jess Borison, yasmin afifikmu Elolia, 682 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: tillkrat Key and Brian Marquis. Executive producers from Mega Oh 683 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 1: Media Group are us t T show Dia and Zakiah 684 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 1: Wattley