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PODCAST

Naked Nuclear

Ever wondered how nuclear energy works or what advanced nuclear technology really means? Naked Nuclear breaks down complex topics like nuclear reactors, fuel types, and emerging technologies into simple, accessible conversations. Whether you"re a curious beginner or an energy enthusiast, we make the science behind nuclear power easy to understand so you can launch your career in the clean energy future. Tune in to strip down the fascinating world of nuclear energy—one atom at a time.

science physics

All Episodes

00:51:17

I&C with Tighe Smith: The Nervous System of a Nuclear...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/08/10

ABOUT THIS EPISODEWhat keeps a nuclear power plant running safely after 50 years? Tighe Smith knows better than almost anyone. As Chief Nuclear Officer at Paragon Energy Solutions — now part of Mirion Technologies following a $585 million acquisition — Tighe has spent his career in nuclear instrumentation and control (I&C): the nervous system of every reactor.In this episode, we get into what I&C actually does, why some of the control systems inside U.S. nuclear plants predate the

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01:11:55

Follow The Friday: Nuclear Down Under with Mark...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/07/31

Mark Schneider accidentally became a nuclear professional at 17 when a sarcastic answer to a Navy recruiter — "only if you have nuclear power" — launched a 20-year career. He went on to serve as a nuclear electronics technician, make chief petty officer, earn his commission as a nuclear-powered limited-duty officer, and operate reactors on three submarines and an aircraft carrier.Now he's the Chief Nuclear Officer at UBH Group, and his current mission is one of the most unusual in the

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00:25:17

Ukrainian War Refugee to Microreactor Entrepreneur:...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/07/20

Jonas Helwig is Swedish-born, French-passport-holding, and was living in Ukraine when the war started. He fled with his wife and their newborn daughter, ended up in Buenos Aires by accident, and his neighbor turned out to be a nuclear energy manufacturer.Over dinner conversations with a pen and paper, they sketched out the N1, and Jonas joined the company. That's how Nuclearis Energy started.In this episode, Jonas walks us through the N1 micromodular reactor: what it is, how it solves the efficiency

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00:40:38

Season 4 Sneak Peak! How to Scale Nuclear Energy with...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/07/13

SNEAK PEAK!Season 4 of Naked Nuclear is about the infrastructure underneath nuclear energy, the laws, regulations, economics, and institutions most people never think about. Ross Matzkin-Bridger is exactly the right person to open that conversation.As Senior Director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a senior advisor at the Nuclear Scaling Initiative, Ross has spent 11 years in U.S. government bouncing between nuclear nonproliferation and energy policy. He grew up near reactors in Michigan and

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00:14:01

After-Pop! Wait... Should We Recycle Used Nuclear...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/06/22

Ed McGinnis said something in our last episode that's hard to shake: 96% of the energy in spent nuclear fuel has never been touched. The physics checks out. But what happens when countries actually try to get that energy back?This After Pop digs into the history of nuclear fuel recycling, not the theory, but the track record. France, the UK, Japan. Staggering sums of money. Complicated results. And a 1977 executive order that changed everything.We break down what PUREX actually does, why Jimmy

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00:41:34

It's Not Actually Waste: How CURIO is Tackling the...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/06/15

Imagine filling up your car at a gas station in Washington, DC, and heading toward Richmond. Twenty miles down the road, you pull over, call a tow truck, and scrap the car, with 96% of the fuel still in the tank. That's what we do with nuclear fuel in the United States right now.Ed McGinnis is the CEO of Curio and a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Energy. He's spent decades in nuclear policy and energy security, and he's now building something that could change how we

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00:11:17

After-Pop! Megawatts Thermal vs Electric?

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/06/08

Dr. John Zino stood in front of a room of engineers, technicians, and career-changers and told them a nuclear reactor is "just boiling water." Jaws dropped. Really? That's it?Well, yes. And also, that little word "just" is hiding one of the most elegant chains in all of engineering.In this After Pop explainer, we follow a single uranium atom from the moment it splits to the moment your phone starts charging. Fission to heat. Heat to steam. Steam to a spinning shaft. Spinning

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00:37:36

Inside the BWRX-300 with Dr. John Zino | "We're just...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/06/01

What does it actually look like to spend nearly 40 years inside the nuclear industry, from submarine shielding to the Department of Energy to the cutting edge of small modular reactor design?Dr. John Zino is a Chief Consulting Engineer at GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and an Associate Teaching Professor at NC State University. In this episode, he breaks down the BWRX-300 — a 10th-generation boiling water reactor that strips nuclear power down to its simplest form. No massive recirculation pumps

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00:54:01

How to Build the Internet’s Best Nuclear Guide with...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/04/24

What does it take to explain one of the most misunderstood technologies on Earth?This Final Friday on Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Nick Touran for a new Follow Them Friday episode.Nick is the founder of What Is Nuclear, one of the internet’s most respected resources for understanding nuclear energy, reactor technology, fuel cycles, history, and policy in plain English. In a world drowning in hot takes and cold IQs, he built something useful.We discuss Nick’s journey into nuclear

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00:08:25

The 41-Hour Pour: When a Nuclear Plant Begins to Exist

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/04/06

At 2:13 AM in Waynesboro, Georgia, crews were already deep into a process they couldn’t stop.For 41 continuous hours, concrete flowed into the basemat of Vogtle Unit 4, the foundation that would anchor one of the newest nuclear reactors in the United States.This episode breaks down:What a nuclear basemat actually isWhy concrete is part of the safety systemThe physics of heat, cracking, and radiation shieldingThe choreography required to keep a 41-hour pour aliveAnd why this moment marks the point

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00:13:37

Why Build Nuclear When We Have Solar?

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/03/30

I Asked If Solar Could Power California… and It Got ComplicatedWhat started as a simple question turned into a full-blown debate: If solar panels and batteries are getting so good…why does California still need nuclear energy?In this episode, we break down what actually keeps the lights on — beyond headlines, hot takes, and LinkedIn comment wars.What You’ll LearnWhy “more solar” doesn’t automatically solve the problemSolar energy is powerful — but it only works when the sun is shining.Electricity

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00:59:19

Change Your Mind on Climate Change: Why Energy is...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/03/27

What happens when an environmentalist changes their mind about nuclear energy?In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Zion Lights, environmental advocate, award-winning science communicator, and author of Energy Is Life to unpack one of the most important (and uncomfortable) shifts happening in climate conversations today.Zion shares her journey from anti-nuclear activism to becoming one of the most prominent voices advocating for nuclear as a critical solution to climate change

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00:39:42

Raised by the Reactor: How a 19 year-old Laborer...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/03/09

When people talk about building nuclear power plants, the conversation usually centers on policy, engineering, and billion-dollar infrastructure.But reactors aren’t built in conference rooms.They’re built by craft workers.In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with nuclear welder Tyree McCall, who started his career at Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 at just nineteen years old. What began as a labor job quickly turned into a mentorship-driven apprenticeship where experienced workers

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00:09:30

After-Pop! What is an EPC & Why You Should Care?

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/03/02

What an EPC Actually Does: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction ExplainedWhat does it actually take to build a nuclear power plant?In this After-Pop! episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle breaks down one of the most important, and least explained, parts of major infrastructure projects: the EPC contractor.EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, and companies operating in this space are responsible for turning complex reactor designs into real, operating power plants.Drawing

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00:49:09

Built By Bechtel: How to Build Advanced Nuclear with...

Naked Nuclear ·

2026/02/23

Nuclear power is often described as essential for climate goals, grid reliability, and energy security.But here’s the real question:Can we actually build it safely, on time, and on budget?In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle Allen sits down with Ahmet Tokpinar, Principal Vice President and General Manager of Nuclear Power at Bechtel, to unpack the boots-on-the-ground reality of building nuclear power plants in today’s world.From geotechnical investigations and contractor qualification to

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00:36:14

Island Energy Super Heroes: How one Jamaican PhD...

Naked Nuclear ·

2025/12/15

What happens when a nuclear engineering PhD student realizes that the book she needed as a child… doesn’t exist?She writes it.In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Zola Hind, Jamaican-born computer scientist turned nuclear engineering researcher at Bangor University — and author of Island Energy Superhero: A Kids’ Guide to Energies in the Caribbean.From visualizing nuclear fuel behavior using astronomy-inspired methods… to printing her book in braille for visually impaired

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00:41:28

Nuclear Physics for 3rd Graders? How ANS is...

Naked Nuclear ·

2025/12/01

In this episode, Danielle talks with Uchenna Ezibe about how the American Nuclear Society is shaping the future of nuclear education—starting as early as kindergarten. They dive into ANS’s hands-on programs like cloud chambers, educator training, and the new Accelerators initiative for high schoolers.Learn how early exposure to nuclear concepts can spark student curiosity, close the literacy gap, and help build the next generation of clean energy professionals.Highlights:Why nuclear literacy

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01:29:52

BONUS Crossover Episode: The Future of Nuclearn &...

Naked Nuclear ·

2025/11/17

In this crossover episode between Naked Nuclear and Nuclearn’s The Future of Nuclear, we bring together two teams with different backgrounds but a shared philosophy: curiosity, collaboration, and the courage to try.Danielle comes from the world of storytelling and education; Phil comes from the world of digital nuclear operations and AI. One explores the industry through conversations and community, the other builds tools to help the industry work smarter. Together, they compare notes on culture,

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00:41:59

Intro to Fusion Energy with Princeton Plasma Physics...

Naked Nuclear ·

2025/11/06

What exactly is plasma, and why are some of the world’s brightest minds betting on fusion energy to power our future? In this episode of Naked Nuclear, host Danielle sits down with Dr. Arturo Dominguez — Head of Science Education at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) — to break it all down in plain language. From his own journey into plasma physics to PPPL’s groundbreaking research, Dr. Dominguez shares how fusion works, why it matters, and how students everywhere can get involved. We

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00:10:17

After-Pop! Inside the Z Machine: The Most Powerful...

Naked Nuclear ·

2025/10/06

What happens when you unleash more power than every power plant on Earth — for just a few billionths of a second?Welcome to After-Pop! — today, we’re diving into the Z Machine, the crown jewel of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s the most powerful pulsed-power facility on the planet, capable of creating the same temperatures and pressures found inside stars, nuclear detonations, and planetary cores.In this episode, we’ll break down:Why the Z Machine was built — and how it

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