A new article in the Wall Street Journal focuses on the problematic confluence of three developments: a declining number of young people pursuing nuclear engineering, an aging nuclear workforce with many workers on the verge of retirement, and a growing demand for nuclear energy. Reporter Yusuf Khan, who specializes in sustainability-related issues, examines the nuclear industry’s “image problem” and also the roles of climate change concerns, advanced nuclear technologies, artificial intelligence, and workforce diversification in bringing hope for a reinvigorated industry.

In this first installment of a #ThrowbackThursday post, Nuclear News provides a review of radioisotope-powered pacemakers in response to an article in The Wall Street Journal. The article, published earlier this week, looks at the issue of disposing of nuclear-powered pacemakers, although considering how few are still in use today, it seems like this is really much ado about nothing.

Energy prices surged across Europe recently as markets were stricken by reduced output from wind turbines. Low supplies of natural gas had already boosted the cost of the gas–powered generation required to make up for dips in renewable energy sources. The result: a series of dire headlines, soaring prices for natural gas, and the startup of idled coal power plants.