My Nuclear Life

My Nuclear Life

On 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.
Day in the Life of a Nuclear Physicist | Kelly Chipps
May 13, 2025
67
00:37:3934.47 MB

Day in the Life of a Nuclear Physicist | Kelly Chipps

What do you think a nuclear physicist does every day? Lone genius or social butterfly? Listen to find out how Dr Kelly Chipps of Oak Ridge National Laboratory fills her time.

Cold War Human Radiation Experiments | Eileen Welsome
April 08, 2025
66
00:53:4949.27 MB

Cold War Human Radiation Experiments | Eileen Welsome

“As all these stories do, it started with a radioactive animal dump in Albuquerque,” is the best first line of a story I have ever heard. Listen as Eileen Welsome and Shelly Lesher discuss some of the medical experiments the US government funded on its own citizens involving radiation without their con...

Cold War Kids | Ann Kordas
February 25, 2025
65
00:48:3244.43 MB

Cold War Kids | Ann Kordas

Ann Kordas joins Shelly to discuss the gendered roles of boys and girls during the Cold War and how children were taught to protect themselves from nuclear annihilation through toys, sitcoms, and government messaging.

Nuclear Christmas List with Kelly Chipps
January 07, 2025
64
00:48:05110.06 MB

Nuclear Christmas List with Kelly Chipps

Ever wonder what to buy with your Christmas money? Need a nuclear themed gift for that nerd in your family? Look no further, Shelly and her friend and fellow nuke, Kelly Chipps found lots of items for you to purchase from eBay to Amazon. Nuclear Christmas List Links

(rerelease) Jimmy Carter - with Jonathan Alter
January 01, 202500:40:2236.95 MB

(rerelease) Jimmy Carter - with Jonathan Alter

On December 29, 2024 humanitarian, nuclear engineer, and the 39th president of the US passed away at 100 years old. Please enjoy this rerelease of Episode 35.

Was the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion inevitable? with Adam Higginbotham
November 26, 2024
63
00:30:4156.18 MB

Was the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion inevitable? with Adam Higginbotham

If you were alive at the time, you remember an o-ring caused the January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion 73 seconds after take off. But was it that simple? Adam Higginbotham discusses his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space and see how much you re...