My Nuclear Life
69 episodes - English - Latest episode: 28 days ago - ★★★★★ - 40 ratingsOn 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.
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Episodes
Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction - Georgia Pt 2
March 27, 2024 09:07 - 52 minutes - 121 MBShelly continues her stay in Tbilisi, Georgia and speaks to two Physicists, Giorgia Japaridz (Illia State Univ.) and Revaz Shanidze (Tbilisi State Univ). They discuss what life as a physicist was like under Soviet rule and after Georgian independence. Along the way we learn about scientists who protected nuclear material when security fled, why the Institute’s reactor was unique, and find out how to survive in post-Soviet times. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stan...
Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction - Georgia Pt 1
February 27, 2024 10:07 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBSpend time with Shelly and two guest as she travels to Tbilsi, Georgia. First she discusses storytelling and Georgian’s atomic Odyssey with Shorena Lortkipanidze from the Civil Council on Defense and Security (Tbilsi, Georgia). Next, Mariam Chabashvidi explains her love for computer programming after Georgian independence and how she became an invaluable member of the nuclear science team at the Institute of Physics in Tbilsi, Georgia. This podcast is in collaboration with Th...
The new face of the nuclear nerd - Miss America (2023) Grace Stanke
January 30, 2024 10:03 - 40 minutes - 92.2 MBStart the New Year off with a bang. Join Shelly & Miss America 2023, nuclear engineer, and fellow Badger Grace Stanke to discuss a range of topics.
Understanding Edward Teller with Istvan Hargittai
November 28, 2023 10:53 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBWhat makes Edward Teller tick? Find out with physical chemist and author Istvan Hargittai on this episode.
For the love of lasers with Donna Strickland
October 31, 2023 09:03 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBPhysics Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland talks about all things lasers, how lasers relate to nuclear physics, and explains why she had to pay the long-distance bill to Sweden.
Are radiation limits based on a lie? with Ed Calabrese
September 26, 2023 09:07 - 50 minutes - 46 MBMeet Dr. Ed Calabrese, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health & Health Sciences. Ed has spent years diving into the history of dose response and the Nobel Prize awarded to Hermann Muller for this work.
How to identify Manhattan Project Plutonium with Cody Folden
August 29, 2023 12:43 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBHow can you find the age of Plutonium? Why is it important? What are the applications? Find out the answer to these questions and more on this episode of My Nuclear Life when Cody Folden joins Shelly Lesher to discuss his paper in the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry.
Trying to stay alive at the Diefenbunker with Nathan Radke & Lee Kuhnle
July 25, 2023 09:13 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBMy Nuclear Life and The Uncover Up visit the Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum. Join Shelly, Nathan, and Lee as they journey 75 feet underground to compare how the Canadian Government planned to prepare for their survival versus the Civil Defense measured intended for their citizens.
J. Robert Oppenheimer with Kai Bird
June 27, 2023 09:27 - 1 hour - 144 MBGet ready for the summer movie by joining Oppenheimer biographer Kai Bird (author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer) as he discusses Oppie's life and science.
The 3rd Nuclear Age with Ankit Panda
May 30, 2023 09:33 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBWhat is the 3rd Nuclear Age? Wait, what about the 1st and 2nd? Join Shelly as she speaks to Stanton Senior Fellow Ankit Panda about how the world is grabbling with nuclear proliferation and what challenges we face.
The Origin of the Elements with Artemis Spyrou
April 25, 2023 09:03 - 40 minutes - 92.7 MBChemical elements make up the matter we observe in the universe but how did they form? How did scientists figure this out and what is left to learn? Artemis Spyrou joins Shelly to discuss the evolution of the elements and the nuclear processes that govern stellar nucleosynthesis. Find the B2FH paper, Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
NIF fusion was a breakthrough, but what kind? with Bob Rosner
March 28, 2023 09:27 - 43 minutes - 99.9 MBIn December 2022, Lawrence Livermore's National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved ignition. Join Shelly as she speaks with Bob Rosner about what this milestone means to Stockpile Stewardship and to physics. Also - learn how cool it is to focus 192 lasers onto a tiny little capsule. Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us Article: Bulletin Article
Witnessing the Starfish Prime nuclear test with Jim Burkhart
February 28, 2023 09:57 - 39 minutes - 90 MBHave you ever wondered what it would be like to witness an above-ground nuclear weapons test? Shelly is joined by Jim Burkhart who was stationed on the Johnston Atoll in 1962 when the largest nuclear test in outer space was conducted. He will discuss this and other shots during his year "on island" as part of Operation Dominic. email us or visit our website mynuclearlife.com. Please leave a 5-star review on iTunes and subscribe to My Nuclear Life wherever you listen to ...
Solving the solar neutrino problem with Nobel Laureate Art McDonald
January 31, 2023 09:47 - 51 minutes - 118 MBFrom his beginnings as a nuclear physicist to his Nobel Prize-winning work on neutrinos, Arthur McDonald sits down with Shelly Lesher in the studio. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Is this the year NORAD shoots down Santa? With Martin Pfeiffer
December 24, 2022 10:25 - 32 minutes - 73.4 MBMartin Pfeiffer aka @nuclearanthro joins Shelly to discuss the origin story of NORAD Tracks Santa and why it matters. Not suitable for children and may contain foul language. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Mom, I'm scared, come pick me up! Students speak out.
December 15, 2022 17:01 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBYoung scientists from the Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) Conference react to the nuclear weapon talks which opened the conference. Hear their thoughts about the role nuclear scientists play in the future of nuclear policy and disarmament. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
US Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear Posture Review with Steve Fetter
November 29, 2022 10:49 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBWith all the talk of nuclear weapons in Europe, learn about the US nuclear weapon triad with Dr. Steve Fetter. Recorded live during a nuclear physics conference, Drs. Fetter and Lesher discuss the US Nuclear Posture Review, the US Nuclear Triad, Nuclear Modernization, and the history of ICBMS.
Inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with Dominik & Lara from ChernobylX
October 25, 2022 09:07 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBIn this episode, we take you inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with Dominik Orfanus founder of ChernobylX and lead tour guide, Lara Graldina. What is it like inside the "Zone"? Who lives there? What can you do to help? This and more on Episode 38. Note: This episode does not discuss the disaster itself. To hear about that event, listen to Episode 16 - The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster with Adam Higginbotham. Send an email to ChernobylX to find out how you can ...
The Baby Tooth Study 2.0 with Marc Weisskopf
September 27, 2022 09:07 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBThe St. Louis Baby Tooth Study has been reimagined. Using the original teeth collected from the children of the 1950s and 1960s Marc Weisskopf and his colleagues at Harvard are seeking to find new answers from old teeth. Shout out to Taz & Mookie Weisskopf who make their presence known on the recording. Note: For background on the Baby Tooth Study listen to Episode 36 first. Artwork from href=https://theappendix.net/issues/2014/10/atomic-anxiety-and-the-tooth-fairy-citizen-s...
St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey with Nina Gilden Seavey
August 30, 2022 09:07 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBNina Gilden Seavey discusses how the St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey helped persuade U.S. President Kennedy to sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which ended above-ground nuclear weapons testing in the US, UK, and the Soviet Union. In the process, citizen science was born and children sported cool buttons on their lapels.
What if a nuclear engineer was elected US President? with Jonathan Alter
July 26, 2022 09:03 - 40 minutes - 37 MBHe was and served as the 39th President of the USA. But before his career in politics, Jimmy Carter was a Navy Nuke under Gen. Rickover. What did he do in the Navy? How did this time in the Nuclear Navy shape his policies? What would happen if someone who thought like a scientist gained access to the highest seat in the land? Find out in this episode when Shelly speaks to Jimmy Carter’s biographer, Jonathan Alter. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/my...
How did the U.S. Government plan for nuclear war without you? with Garrett Graff
June 28, 2022 09:57 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBUnderground nuclear bunkers, the birth of FEMA, secret government plans for the end of the world, and more in this episode. Garrett Graff discusses his book Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself -- While the Rest of Us Die. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Exploring the end of the world with nuclear literature and Daniel Cordle
May 31, 2022 09:53 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBThis episode explores how we, as humans, grapple with the end of the world through nuclear literature including fiction, nonfiction, poems, etc. How do we grapple with the "end" if it is caused by humans and how do we explain nuclear events to children? Visit our webpage for a list of books discussed in this episode. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Shipbuilding with the precision of a watchmaker - ITER with Michael Loughlin
April 26, 2022 09:27 - 41 minutes - 95.3 MBThe history of fusion as a source of energy is discussed along with past and current projects. Is a fusion power plant still decades away? Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Can Wargaming teach ethics? With John Emery
March 29, 2022 09:07 - 1 hour - 157 MBWhat is a war game? How did they shape our understanding of the Cold War? Did the mathematicians or social scientists win the war of the COW game? Learn about issues surrounding wargaming at RAND and elsewhere as Shelly & John dive deep into the question, "Can wargaming teach ethics?" Find John Emery's paper here: Moral Choices without Moral Language Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us Send an email us to My Nuclear Life ...
Nuclear Threat Reduction & Current Events with Matthias Grosse Perdekamp
March 08, 2022 13:41 - 59 minutes - 136 MBSpecial episode on reducing nuclear threat with Prof. Matthias Grosse Perdekamp. Recorded when Russia was invading Ukraine.
Radium & Marie Curie go Goth Rock with Charming Disaster
February 22, 2022 10:07 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBToday's episode features the musical duo Charming Disaster. They discuss the process of writing their new album based on the life of Marie Curie and the element she discovered, stories that did not make it into their songs, and ways that this album should sound familiar to fans but is also a departure from their usual writing style. Also, Elia & Jeff dispel Shelly's notion of "Goth Rock". Preorder their new album:Our Lady of Radium Visit Charming Disaster Website Visit ...
Using nuclear science to understand cultural heritage with Michael Wiescher
January 25, 2022 10:53 - 53 minutes - 123 MBWhat role does nuclear science play in understanding art and culture? Michael Wiescher from The University of Notre Dame explains. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Should Khrushchev receive story credit for Dr. Strangelove? With Nathan and Lee from The UnCover Up
January 06, 2022 10:07 - 39 minutes - 36 MBNathan Radke and Lee Kuhnle from The UnCover Up podcast discuss Dr. Strangelove with Shelly and introduce an interesting conspiracy theory. Lee poses a question on if Nikita Khrushchev should receive story credit for the plot of the movie and backs it up with some interesting history of who could launch a nuclear attack. Wait - did Stanley Kubrick accidentally get it right? Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
The movie with the finest ending: Failsafe (1964) with Nathan & Lee from The UnCover Up
January 04, 2022 10:13 - 46 minutes - 107 MBNathan Radke and Lee Kuhnle from The UnCover Up podcast discuss Failsafe (1964) with Shelly and compare it to Dr. Strangelove. Find out what character made Lee want to quit watching Failsafe, who the gang thinks would have a better chance at surviving a nuclear exchange: file clerks or prisoners, and what Shelly wants etched on her tombstone. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
What's with all the Nuclear Movies? With Nathan & Lee from The UnCover Up
December 28, 2021 10:17 - 1 hour - 138 MBNathan and Lee from the UnCover Up podcast join today’s conversation in discussing their favorite nuclear movies spanning over the decades, involving wars, nuclear disasters, and so much more! Amongst the 100’s of movies, they’ll be touching on just a sampling—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss! Movie links can be found on our website. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com email us
Using radiation as a poison. The murder of Alexander Litvinenko with Pete Burgess
November 30, 2021 10:27 - 53 minutes - 49 MBIn this episode Pete Burgess discusses the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian spy who defected to the UK. Why is polonium-210 a good poison? How do you make it? Why wasn’t the public scared it could happen to them? All of those questions and more are answered in this exciting episode. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife Send an email us to My Nuclear Life or visit our website mynuclearlife.com. Please leave a 5-star review on i...
How the Norwegians & British ended the Nazi atomic bomb program with Neal Bascomb
October 26, 2021 09:53 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBIn this episode, host Shelly Lesher is joined by Neal Bascomb, author of The Winter Fortress, which tells the story of the plan to sabotage Hitler’s atomic bomb. Listen as Neal tells about the several different missions set out to destroy the Nazi atomic bomb program and how they affected the course of the World War II. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Announcement & Anniversary Give Away
October 12, 2021 09:37 - 2 minutes - 2 MBOur release schedule has changed to the last Tuesday of the month. This episode also introduces information about entering to win some great prizes at mynuclearlife.com drawing on 16 Dec 2021.
Finger on the Button: Life as a Cold War Missileer with Col. (Ret.) Charles G. Simpson
September 28, 2021 09:47 - 59 minutes - 137 MBGo inside a US missile silo with Col. (Ret.) Charles G. Simpson as he discusses his time as a US Air Force Missileer which started weeks before the Cuban Missile Crisis and ends shortly before the end of the Cold War. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
Scientists as activists, human rights, and ethics with Don Howard
September 15, 2021 10:07 - 1 hour - 75 MBThis episode features Don Howard, a Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame with an interest in the ethics of emerging technologies. Shelly & Don explore the ethical considerations behind the Manhattan Project and building the H-bomb, and discuss question such as: Should scientists use their expertise to be involved in politics? What is the moral obligation to one’s work? How are scientists involved in human rights work? and more. Don also sh...
History of early computing with Thomas Haigh
August 17, 2021 09:07 - 1 hour - 77.4 MBIn this episode Shelly speaks with Thomas Haigh, a historian of computing, about the ENIAC and its influence on nuclear physics. Learn how the ENIAC was more of an experimental apparatus than a computer, the role of women in early computing, why we know so much about the secret h-bomb calculations, what Wikipedia gets wrong, and the confusion surrounding the MANIAC. All of this and more in this super-sized episode. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com...
The connection between nuclear disarmament, peace, and black freedom with Vincent Intondi
August 03, 2021 09:07 - 58 minutes - 134 MBIn this episode Shelly is joined by Dr. Vincent Intondi, history professor at Montgomery College in Maryland. He is invited on the podcast today to discuss his recent authorship of his eye opening book entitled African Americans Against the Bomb: Nuclear Weapons, Colonialism, and the Black Freedom Movement. Shelly shares that while reading this book, she was uncomfortable with material, and had to process material from perspectives that she had never considered before. This...
Nuking the Moon and other Shenanigans with The Uncover Up
July 20, 2021 09:07 - 1 hour - 153 MBIn this episode, Shelly is joined by 2/3rds of The Uncover Up Conspiracy Podcast, Nathan Radke and Lee Kuhlne. They discuss the Pentagon UFO report, their joint Cold War obsession, what we can learn from conspiracy theory, and various nuclear conspiracy theories. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us
The impact of the Cold War on LIGO with Tiffany Nichols
July 06, 2021 09:03 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBIn this episode Shelly speaks to Tiffany Nichols, doctoral candidate at the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University, graduate student affiliate at the Black Hole Initiative and a National Science Foundation grantee. Her research focuses on how place, surrounding environment, and laboratory are embedded in the outputs signals of The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, also known as LIGO. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon...
Announcement: My Nuclear Life / The UncoverUp Crossover
June 29, 2021 09:07 - 1 minute - 5.67 MBWe are excited to announce our first crossover!
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster with Adam Higginbotham
June 22, 2021 09:03 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBIn this episode Shelly is joined by Adam Higginbotham, author of New York Times best selling book Midnight in Chernobyl. Listen as Shelly and Adam talk about his book and about the biggest nuclear disaster in the world. Adam takes the time to share his own research in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the many events that led up to the accident. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife
Death by control rod: The story of SL1 with Todd Tucker
June 08, 2021 09:07 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBIn this episode of My Nuclear Life, Shelly speaks with Todd Tucker, author of several books including Atomic America: How a Deadly Explosion and a Feared Admiral changed the Course of Nuclear History published in 2009. Today, the story of SL-1 holds wide appeal yet remains relatively unknown. If you have heard of the explosion you might know of the person impaled by a control rod, a murder suicide plot due to a love triangle or a prank gone wrong. All of this and more is di...
How to restart a nuclear reactor in Japan after the Fukushima disaster with Dreux Richard
May 25, 2021 09:03 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBIn this episode, Shelly Lesher and Dreux Richard author of the book, Every Human Intention: Japan in the New Century, explore the post-Fukushima nuclear regulatory system of Japan and how to determine the safety of restarting nuclear reactors threatened by earthquake faults. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife
Soviet bone records, Tom Lehrer, and music for your nuclear protest with Tim & Joanna Smolko
May 11, 2021 09:03 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBIn this episode of My Nuclear Life, host Shelly Lesher speaks with Tim and Joanna Smolko, authors of Atomic Tunes: The Cold War in American and British Popular Music. They discuss atomic music across the decades including how music influenced The Women’s March for Peace, how Soviet’s made records out of x-ray films, and how David Hasselhoff became a Cold War icon. Listen along with the Spotify Playlist or at YouTube. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com...
Deep beneath the surface: Innovating nuclear waste disposal with Elizabeth Muller
April 27, 2021 09:13 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBIn this episode, Lexie Weghorn and Shelly Lesher discuss nuclear waste disposal with Elizabeth Muller, CEO of Deep Isolation. Topics include nuclear energy’s “waste problem”, how nuclear waste is currently stored, and options for our future. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife
11. Hanford Lab Pt. 2: How the DOE got into the museum business with Robert Franklin
April 13, 2021 09:07 - 1 hour - 143 MBIn this episode, Shelly continues her conversation with Robert Franklin, Archivist & Oral Historian at the Hanford History Project. They discuss how Hanford's B-Reactor became a Manhattan Project National Historical Site, local vs. national interpretation of history, the local high school mascot, and civil rights. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife
Hanford Lab Pt. 2: How the DOE got into the museum business with Robert Franklin
April 13, 2021 09:07 - 1 hour - 143 MBIn this episode, Shelly continues her conversation with Robert Franklin, Archivist & Oral Historian at the Hanford History Project. They discuss how Hanford's B-Reactor became a Manhattan Project National Historical Site, local vs. national interpretation of history, the local high school mascot, and civil rights. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife
10. Hanford Lab Pt. 1: The triumph of the engineer with Robert Franklin
April 13, 2021 09:03 - 1 hour - 185 MBIn this episode, Shelly and Robert Franklin, Archivist & Oral Historian of the Hanford History Project dive into the history of the Hanford Laboratory and B-Reactor located in Washington State. They discuss why this site is the lesser known of the Manhattan project laboratories and what you can see if you visit today. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife
Hanford Lab Pt. 1: The triumph of the engineer with Robert Franklin
April 13, 2021 09:03 - 1 hour - 185 MBIn this episode, Shelly and Robert Franklin, Archivist & Oral Historian of the Hanford History Project dive into the history of the Hanford Laboratory and B-Reactor located in Washington State. They discuss why this site is the lesser known of the Manhattan project laboratories and what you can see if you visit today. Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife