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.
(New Intro) Challenger Explosion | Adam Higginbotham
January 28, 2026
75
00:44:5441.11 MB

(New Intro) Challenger Explosion | Adam Higginbotham

On the 40th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, we rerelease this episode with a new introduction to include Ron McNair articles from his home, N.C. A&T Physics.

Black holes, string theory, and public policy | Jim Gates (Sylvester James Gates)
December 30, 2025
74

Black holes, string theory, and public policy | Jim Gates (Sylvester James Gates)

See what happens when Shelly talks to smarty-pants Jim Gates, says she is not going to talk about String Theory and immediately asks questions about String Theory. Hear about String Theory’s Doppelganger, the history of black holes, fulfilling a dream of riding the Trans-Siberian Railroad, and how it a...

How much time does the US need to restart nuclear testing? | Hans Kristensen
December 02, 2025
69

How much time does the US need to restart nuclear testing? | Hans Kristensen

How likely is it that the US will restart nuclear testing? How much time would it take? You might be surprised by the answers. Join Shelly as she discusses this and other topics with Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. And we find out -...

House of Dynamite | Lee and Nathan
November 18, 2025
70
00:56:4878.01 MB

House of Dynamite | Lee and Nathan

Lee Kuhln and Nathan Radke join Shelly to talk about the No. 1 Netflix movie - House of Dynamite and answer the question, "Is the movie Dyn-o-mite"?

HItler and the Bomb | Mark Walker
October 16, 2025
66

HItler and the Bomb | Mark Walker

How close were the Germans to building an atomic bomb? What went wrong? Listen to the conversation with historian Mark Walker to find out more.

Hidden in plain sight. The Greenbrier Bunker | Deanna Hylton
September 02, 2025
70

Hidden in plain sight. The Greenbrier Bunker | Deanna Hylton

Not actually a bunker but a fallout shelter under the Greenbrier Hotel in the hills of West Virginia. Shelly visits the bunker and then speaks with the manager of bunker tours and historian Deanna Hylton.