Two members named ANS Fellows

November 6, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear Cafe

Two members of the American Nuclear Society were named ANS Fellows on November 1 at the ANS Annual Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo. These awards were presented by ANS President Eric Loewen in recognition of the Fellows' significant contributions and achievements to nuclear science and technology.

Earthquake and tsunami signature banner

November 2, 2011, 3:00PMANS Nuclear Cafe

American Nuclear Society President Eric Loewen and ANS Vice-President/President-Elect Michael Corradini were on the Times Square Jumbotron in New York City with a banner signed by ANS members at the 2011 winter meeting. The banner expresses the support and encouragement of the ANS membership for the people of Japan as they continue to rebuild after Japan's earthquake and tsunami. Flanking the ANS officers are Loewen's son and daughter, Hans and Zatha.

Radiation and Reason: A Visit to Tokyo and Fukushima

October 28, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeAkira Tokuhiro and Skye Anderson

I, Akira Tokuhiro, recently traveled to Japan to meet Wade Allison (professor emeritus of physics, Oxford University, UK) and David Wagner (Tokyo-based risk communication expert and consultant). A number of concerned scientists had expressed interest regarding the Fukushima accident. Specifically, there was concern regarding the significance and impact in the nuclear world and also the plight of the victims, especially the evacuees and the workers at the plant.

We Were Once Terrified of Fire, Too

October 5, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeSteven B. Krivit

The discovery of fire a million years ago must have been terrifying to cave men and women. Since that time, many people have died and much damage to the earth has occurred as a result of chemical energy released through fire. Nevertheless, that chemical energy found its place in the world, providing great benefits, and most people take it for granted.

We must cooperate to overcome fear of radiation and nuclear energy

October 4, 2011, 10:00AMANS Nuclear CafeRod Adams

On Friday, September 30, the Japanese government cancelled evacuation advisories for areas located more than 20 km (12 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The evacuation advisories initially affected 59,000 people, but 30,000 had already returned because radiation measurements showed them that there was no longer any reason to stay away from their homes. That indicates that irrational fear has begun to fade away.

ANS to hold teacher workshop in Washington, DC

September 23, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear Cafe

The American Nuclear Society's Public Education Program will be sponsoring a one-day teacher workshop on Saturday, October 29, in Washington, DC. The workshop-Detecting Radiation in Our Radioactive World-is intended for science educators (including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, physical science, life science, environmental, and general science teachers) at the high school and middle school levels. The workshop will be held prior to the ANS Winter Conference, October 30-November 3, 2011.

An Interesting Summer!

September 13, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeHoward Shaffer

Entergy, the owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant (VY), has sued the state of Vermont in federal court. At the same time, VY is the subject of a suit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in which intervenors claim that VY does not have a discharge permit required by the Clean Water Act.

Unwarranted fear of radiation can paralyze and prevent beneficial activity

August 2, 2011, 10:00AMANS Nuclear CafeRod Adams

During the past few days, I have been blessed with the opportunity to eavesdrop on an intriguing e-mail exchange involving Ted Rockwell, one of my technical heroes. Rockwell is a man whose involvement in nuclear technology dates back to the Manhattan Project, where he served as a member of a "Tiger Team" of young engineers who were assigned the task of making process improvements at Y-12.

57th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers

June 18, 2011, 9:59PMANS Nuclear Cafe

Perhaps one of the more enduring cartoons that relates to the quality of information on the Internet is the one that states, "On the Internet no one knows you are a dog." It shows a drawing of two dogs sitting in front of a computer terminal. Unfortunately, the cartoon is copyrighted material so it can't be reposted here, but you can see it here along with many variations. The point of the cartoon is that words and images on the screen can come from anywhere and anyone.Clearing up misconceptions and outright falsehoods about nuclear energy since the March 11 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami is getting more attention these days. Problems range from not mainstream journalists not understanding the technical issues to people who are publicity crazed fear mongers out to get their face on a video.

Food Irradiation: A Global Perspective & Future Prospects

June 9, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeRonald Eustice

Radura symbol used for irradiated food in the United States

The use of food irradiation has expanded globally during the past decade and is gaining renewed momentum as a steadily increasing amount of irradiated food enters commercial channels in the United States and worldwide. Although irradiated fruits, vegetables, and poultry have been available commercially since the early 1990s, the introduction of irradiated ground beef by Huisken Meat Company in Minnesota during 2000 significantly increased awareness and interest in the technology.

The Nuclear Literacy Project

June 8, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeSuzy Hobbs

Yurman

In the weeks and months following the events at the Fukushima plant in Japan, the American Nuclear Society's Social Media listserv has become a headquarters for sharing information, ideas, and strategies about how to combat misinformation about nuclear energy. This active forum is facilitated by Dan Yurman, who through this effort has opened a new door for collaboration between communicators from all corners of the nuclear community. Many on this list have voiced concerns that the industry response to Fukushima has not yet managed to transition from defensive to offensive, in terms of public outreach.

UT–Austin holds Texas Atomic Film Festival

May 16, 2011, 6:08AMANS Nuclear Cafe

The third annual Texas Atomic Film Festival (TAFF) was held on May 5, 2011, by the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. The 2011 TAFF featured seven films produced by students from UT-Austin as well as distance-learning students from Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa. The goal of the TAFF is to allow students to communicate technical subjects to their peers by using digital movie content.

Was Fukushima Rated Correctly on INES?

April 28, 2011, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeJeff Merrifield

On April 12, one month after the initiation of the tragedy at the Fukushima Daiichi I nuclear power plant, the Japanese government labeled the event a level seven accident-the most severe rating on the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES). This announcement heightened international concerns about the severity of the event and the potential for circumstances to worsen. This posting is intended to provide some clarification about these events in historical context.