December 20, 1951 marks an important date in the history of nuclear power; it's the date on which the first useful electric power was generated by atomic fission.  While the now-famous event at that time only powered four light bulbs, the somewhat stunt-like nature of the day obscured the fact that the plant was actually set up to generate considerably more power, and did so.  Let's take a look at this fact and, at the same time, the facility through illustrations from my collection and from photographs that I took myself while touring EBR-1 earlier this year.

ANS member Dr. Christopher Morrison was a recent guest on The Space Show. Dr. Morrison covered space radiation, lifetime radiation limitations, legal limits, rodent GCR and radiation experimentation, terrestrial radiation simulations, space nuclear power & propulsion, super-cooling conductivity.

The start of Marie Curie's story isn't like most of the other scientists that  had made a name for themselves throughout history, mostly because she was a grown woman by the start of the 20^th century. But she was the first woman to do a lot of things, including getting a Ph.D. from a university in France, and winning a Nobel Prize. She was also the first person ever to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields of science. To say she pushed the societal and scientific boundaries of her era is an understatement.

As a fourth year nursing student working in Chicago area hospitals, I deal with nuclear medicine quite often. The term "nuclear medicine" can sound disconcerting, but when you are familiar with it, I assure you, it's not. Just think of it as a bunch of necessary medical tools with a little radiation thrown in. I know what you are thinking. Radiation? What? Relax. It's fine. You already know it, and either you, or someone you know, has been exposed to this specific area of medicine via certain procedures.

Reactor vessel delivered to Calvert Cliffs; from brochure in Will Davis collection.

The year 1971 saw a continuation of the general trend of rising capital costs for all types of power plants, described by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in its publication for 1971 as having "risen rather rapidly."  According to the AEC, the aggregate major causes for the increases in costs specific to nuclear electric power plants were as follows, with author's analysis accompanying each:

On Episode 12 of RadioNuclear, we discuss how fear-mongering stories about nuclear power plants in the path of a hurricane are irrelevant, the Oyster Creek Shutdown, and lastly, how nuclear power should be used geopolitically.

By Will Davis, reporting from the 2016 ANS Winter Meeting in Las Vegas

As we come to a completion of Women's History Month, we at the American Nuclear Society would like to celebrate one of our own Women in History - the first female ANS Fellow, Margaret Butler.

Taishan EPR under construction; courtesy CGN

•Written on location at the ANS Winter Meeting by Will Davis

For over a decade, I have been attending American Nuclear Society (ANS) National and Topical meetings both as a student and a young professional. These meetings hold a very special place in my heart and give me the opportunity to participate in a professional and technical venue most closely aligned with my career and goals. However, I am often asked, "What value is there in attending the ANS meetings, and why do you go?" The answer to that question can sometimes be difficult to supply, solely because of the over-abundance of reasons for and value I gain from attending. The short answer is, "I attend because I am a nuclear professional and an advocate for our industry and all nuclear professionals should attend." But the true answer goes deeper than that.

Editors note: On June 11, 2015, Eugene Grecheck became the 2015-2016 president of the American Nuclear Society. The following is his vision for nuclear and ANS.

South Korea's Shin-Kori units 3 and 4 (left pair) and 5 and 6 (right pair.) Preconstruction art courtesy KEPCO.

by Will Davis, reporting from the 2015 ANS Annual Meeting

This is the second of three posts presenting the professional opinions of experts in the nuclear field on the Yankee Vermont closing.

The 5th annual Nuclear Science Week was launched with a public symposium on October 16 and 17 at the Pacific Science Center at the foot of the Space Needle in Seattle.

I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you a question: Have you considered attending the American Nuclear Society's Winter Meeting yet? Before you answer, I'd like to give you a few compelling reasons to do so from my own personal experience.

The Focus on Communications Workshop held on June 19 at the 2014 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting posed the question: "What will it take to move nuclear energy forward?" Mimi Limbach of the Potomac Communications Group covered some very interesting poll data and facilitated a conversation on how to move nuclear energy forward through effective communication.

A group of past presidents and fellows of the American Nuclear Society has composed an important open letter to ANS on a topic that has been the subject of controversy since before I first joined the society in 1994. The subject line of that letter is "Resolving the issue of the science of biological effects of low level radiation." The letter is currently the only item on a new web site that has been created in memory of Ted Rockwell, one of the pioneers of ANS and the namesake of its award for lifetime achievement.

Such was the provocative title of the Focus on Communications Workshop held at the 2014 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 19.

Thank you for your remarkable contributions to continuing progress and advancement in nuclear sciences and technologies-and congratulations to American Nuclear Society honors and awards recipients at the 2014 ANS Annual Meeting.

One of the many highlights at American Nuclear Society national meetings is the opportunity to hear terrific communicators sharing their insights and best practices, along with lively and informative panel discussions that follow. The June 2014 ANS Annual Meeting offers three of these popular sessions-if you will be in Reno, Nev., be sure to schedule them on your meeting calendar.