ENS1 – Matter, Atoms, and Quarks
A brief introduction to the fundamental structures that make our world go ‘round.
https://youtu.be/e0n0mmuFbEA
ENS2 – Our Radioactive World
We live in a radioactive world. Discover the sources of ionizing radiation we are exposed to every day of our lives.
https://youtu.be/2tYmf1JdTZ8
ENS3 – Understanding Ionizing Radiation
Marie Curie said nothing in life is to be feared, only to be understood. Understanding ionizing radiation is the antidote for radiophobia and the nemesis of those who want us to be fearful of all things nuclear.
https://youtu.be/MyhYZhjTOVs
ENS4a – Effects of Ionizing Radiation Exposure
Paracelsus famously asserted it’s the dose that makes the poison. That applies to both toxins and radiation. Ionizing radiation is a very natural aspect of life on planet Earth, so it’s worth knowing what it does and what that means.
https://youtu.be/aKtKHAYlSLU
ENS5 – Biological Adaptive Protection
The human body has a marvelous capacity to maintain tissue structural integrity and function when exposed to low levels of potentially harmful agents. We couldn’t survive without the full-time, intensive activity of powerful adaptive protection systems that prevent, repair, and remove DNA damage.
Https://youtu.be/gauBTgvL0oM
ENS6a – Radiation Hormesis
An innate capacity that enhances human survival and biological performance following exposure to low levels of harmful stressor agents. Discover what biological adaptive protection measures are upregulated by exposure to low-dose/low-dose-rate ionizing radiation.
https://youtu.be/RlpvOjq2tPg
ENS6b – Radiation Hormesis Support Information
Data supporting low-dose radiation hormesis has been obtained from several human radiation exposure studies, including the radium dial painters, the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, and nuclear shipyard workers. The data challenges the traditional Linear No-Threshold (LNT) dose-response model, asserting that there is an identifiable threshold below which ionizing radiation exposure is “biopositive” and above which it can become harmful to human health.
https://youtu.be/DncWjgOd_iQ
ENS7 – Ionizing Radiation Risk
General risk maxims – risk issues are emotional, solutions are technical, decisions are political. These maxims are especially true for the issue of radiation risk, which is burdened by the flawed linear no-threshold dose-response model and its collective dose and as-low-as-reasonably-achievable corollaries.
https://youtu.be/yvyv7g306Hkttps://youtu.be/CV55t_4jXTk
ENS8 – Radioisotope Applications
Discover the numerous beneficial applications of radioactive isotopes across various fields, including medicine, industry, agriculture, and environmental science.
https://youtu.be/Av-WL98CItg
ENS9 – The Tritium Tempest in a Teapot
The trouble with tritium is there is no trouble with tritium. The facts associated with the Fukushima tritiated water disposal controversy are presented.
https://youtu.be/rBl9qcumjAU
ENS10 – Radon NOT the Silent Killer the EPA Wants You to Believe
How the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indoor radon remediation action level is at odds with the facts about home radon.
https://youtu.be/1p88HAeJCqg
ENS11 – Chart of the Nuclides
The Chart of the Nuclides is a compilation of over 3,500 known chemical element isotopes. Approximately 254 are stable isotopes and 35 are naturally occurring (primordial) radioactive isotopes. Another 60 detectable radioactive isotopes arise either from radioactive decay of primordial radioisotopes or from cosmic radiation interactions with chemical elements in Earth’s upper atmosphere. More than 3,000 radioactive isotopes have been artificially created. This presentation addresses the Chart data display for both stable and radioactive isotopes and introduces the key for identifying the isotope created from the primary radioactive decay mode (i.e., alpha, beta plus, beta minus, or electron capture) of any radioisotope.
https://youtu.be/LawdoJJIUHU
ENS12 – Nuclear Energy Basics
Why nuclear power? Because E = mc2. The science and facts of nuclear power are presented to establish why uranium is the most desirable energy resource for generating electricity.
https://youtu.be/283CBDftaB0
ENS13 – Nuclear Power Plant Sytems Notes – The purpose of this presentation is to introduce students to the fundamental structures and primary operating systems for pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) power plants through the use of graphics to show what these structures and systems look like. In the U.S. there were originally 3 companies that designed PWRs – Westinghouse, Combustion Engineering, and Babcock & Wilcox – and one company that designed BWRs – General Electric.
https://youtu.be/fEWI_yvlqyA
ENS14 – Principles of Reactor Safety
Nuclear reactor safety was never an afterthought. The clear safety focus has always been on radioactive material confinement, which is accomplished using a three-level defense-in-depth approach to ensure the integrity of the multiple barriers for radioactive material retention.
https://youtu.be/EHgj2ZOCiw4
ENS15 – Nuclear Plant Accidents
The Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima nuclear plant accidents are briefly presented, each focusing on 1) the initiating event and significant complicating events, 2) the radiological consequences, and 3) subsequent industry changes resulting from the accident.
https://youtu.be/zmqVIuInKP8
ENS16 – Nuclear MythBusters
Dirty bombs and suitcase nukes get vastly more attention than they deserve. The allegation that reprocessing used nuclear fuel will lead to nuclear weapon-grade material proliferation persists in America despite decades of reprocessing experience by the French, the Brits, the Russians, and the Indians that discredit this claim. And the assertion that nuclear reactors can explode like nuclear bombs is a physical impossibility. These myths will be addressed.
https://youtu.be/2czxGfM_gkU
ENS17 – Nuclear Energy’s Future?
Nuclear reactors have evolved from the Pressurized Water Reactor and Boiling Water Reactor prototypes of the 1950s to the large Generation IV reactor, small modular reactor, and micro-reactor designs of the 21st century. Characteristics of these advanced reactor designs are addressed along with potential obstacles to their realization.
https://youtu.be/zWrAVB_dsNs
ENS18 – How a Nuclear Reactor Works
Fasten your seatbelt and welcome to reactor kinetics for novices. It’s complicated. It’s all about neutrons – how they are generated and how the reactor neutron population is controlled through proper reactor design and application of detailed operating procedures.
https://youtu.be/awSoPu4LVNQ
ENS19 – Energy and Electricity Generation
Obtaining abundant, affordable, and reliable electricity from any energy resource depends upon resource energy density, energy conversion efficiency, and electricity-generating system capacity factor. The energy resource life-cycle is presented and the relative performance of energy resources we use to generate electricity is examined.
https://youtu.be/-0J4QOBJ6Uk
ENS20 – Back to Energy’s Future?
Abundant, affordable, and reliable energy enabled the industrial revolution and the improvements in sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and medical care that led to today’s increased human lifespan. The movement to return to pre-industrial revolution energy resources (i.e., “renewable” resources) is alleged to be capable of maintaining 21st century living conditions. The reality of this allegation is examined.
https://youtu.be/p9xgItS4x4w
ENS21 – Making of the Atomic Bomb
Although the Manhattan Project didn’t officially begin until 1942, research on the possibility of a uranium fission chain reaction began in 1939. The potential for using this chain reaction in a weapon of war was confirmed in 1941 but the actual development of the atomic bomb was prompted by the “date which will live in infamy” – December 7, 1941. This presentation addresses both the history and the science associated with the atomic bombs used to end World War II.
https://youtu.be/BiZFwo7AgrA
ENS22 – TMI Revisited
This presentation provides a retrospective assessment of the 1979 Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant accident, addressing the chain of mechanical failures, human errors, and misinterpretation of ambiguous instrument readings by reactor operators that led to a partial melting of the nuclear reactor core. While damage to the nuclear reactor was financially costly, damage to public perception of nuclear power resulting from mismanaged accident communications was the most costly consequence of this accident.
https://youtu.be/3xG0jK0R-aI
ENS23 – Nuclear Plant Risk Assessment
This presentation begins by briefly addressing some of the issues associated with risk, including principles of risk management, risk perception, risk models, risk quantification and expression, risk communication, and risk acceptance. The remainder of the presentation is focused on how nuclear power plant risks are evaluated by performing probabilistic risk assessments (PRA).
https://youtu.be/S1in9d3a33o
ENS24 – Only from the Mind of God
Many aspects of science point to intelligent design for their origin. This presentation considers a few of the nuclear science features addressed in previous Essential Nuclear Science presentations for which intelligent design is arguably more plausible than chance for their origins.
https://youtu.be/hoe9SxQvjkM