ANS Nuclear Cafe

From October 30 through November 1, 2013, a group of about 150 people with questioning attitudes about small, modular reactors (SMRs) met in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  They were treated to a number of presentations that described the technical progress that has been made so far and also provided a realistic, sobering look at the long, challenging development path that must be traversed to allow the technology to begin contributing to the world's energy security.

The American Nuclear Society is offering new materials in time for the holidays. Buy one for a friend.....and another for yourself!

The 181st Carnival of Nuclear Energy has been posted at Atomic Power Review.  You can click here to access this latest entry in a long running tradition among the world's top English-language, pro-nuclear bloggers and authors.

The Sun is powered by the strongest source of energy in the universe - nuclear fusion - and teams of scientists and engineers around the world are working toward harnessing fusion to power the long-term future of civilization.  In effect... they are working to "create a star" on earth.

My husband and I have lived in Washington, D.C. for 18 years, and we've been amazed at how the city's dining options have evolved.  In a previous blog, I focused on the high-end and classic places where you'll find great food and sometimes see celebrities.  This blog focuses on the places where people who live here enjoy dining and where they often find bargains.  For attendees of the American Nuclear Society's annual Winter Meeting on November 10-14, Washington provides the perfect setting for great dining.

The Young Member Excellence Award recognizes "a young member who has demonstrated overall excellence in a variety of areas."  It is granted to an actively involved ANS YMG member who "advances the goals of the ANS Young Members Group, displays outstanding non-technical skills as well as technical or managerial ability, is recognized by others in their field, demonstrates high quality and safety standards, and positively represents nuclear science and technology to the general population."

Rod Adams posted a good article on this site about the situation in Europe with respect to CO₂ emissions reductions and the electricity market in general. Here, I'll share my own, additional perspectives.

The 180th Carnival of Nuclear Bloggers is up right now at The Hiroshima Syndrome.  You can click here to see this latest contribution to a long-standing tradition among the top English-language pro-nuclear authors and bloggers.

Today's ANS Nuclear Cafe Matinée takes faithful viewers through the beautiful waterways and countryside of France, following the route of the massive reactor pressure vessel being delivered to the new 1,650 MWe European Pressurized Reactor under construction at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant.

When Leonard Nimoy wrote his first autobiography, it was titled I Am Not Spock. Nimoy had mixed feelings about the title, but it did entice people to read the book.

WHEREAS, Nuclear Science Week recognizes the contributions of the nuclear science industry and those who work in it every day; and

The American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Technical Group (NNTG) will host a distinguished two-part panel session on the Middle East as part of its embedded topical at the 2013 ANS Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo in our nation's capitol.

The American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Nonproliferation Technical Group (NNTG) will host its first embedded topical meeting during the ANS Winter Meeting on November 10-14, 2013, in Washington, DC. The theme is "Nuclear Nonproliferation - First Fission to the Future" and will kick off with the opening plenary on Tuesday, November 12, at 8:00 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. The invited speakers for the opening plenary include Laura Holgate, Senior Director of the National Security Council, and Rose Gottemoeller, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

ANS Nuclear Cafe is proud to host the 179th Carnival of Nuclear Energy this week.  This long running tradition features top posts and stories by pro-nuclear authors and bloggers each week, and provides a window into the foremost issues in nuclear energy and nuclear science in a single convenient post.  Here are this week's entries!

ANS Nuclear Cafe recently took the opportunity to ask a number of nuclear professionals and ANS staff members some questions about attending the organization's annual meetings - the ANS Annual Meeting held in the summer, and the ANS Winter Meeting held in late autumn.  The answers we received help us understand not only the benefits of attending these meetings, but also the work that goes into preparing large events with over a thousand attendees.

In case you haven't already seen all of the tweets, facebook posts and posters, I am thrilled to let you know that next week is National Nuclear Science Week for 2013! For the past two years I've been very lucky to participate as a Steering Committee member for this educational and very fun event, which continues to grow exponentially each year thanks to our fantastic team of nuclear educators.

When it comes to taking in a city, I am the consummate planner. I need to make sure that every minute in a new city is taken advantage of with particular planning to the history of the city, as well as taking in the current culture. Washington, D.C., home to the American Nuclear Society's annual Winter Meeting on November 10-14, provides the perfect opportunity for ANS members to blend both of these together in planning out activities outside the conference.

The leaders of electric power companies owning half of Europe's generating capacity have joined together to inform the European Union that its policies are leading to a dangerously unstable power grid. According to GDF Suez CEO Gerard Mestrallet,

The 178th Carnival of Nuclear Energy has been posted at Next Big Future.  You can click here to access this latest edition of a long-standing tradition in the world of English-language, pro-nuclear bloggers and authors.

Can we assume that everyone knows that the misty cloud from a cooling tower at a nuclear plant - is simply water?