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?

Among my circle of friends, I'm known as someone who enjoys great food and wine.  And for those who will be participating in the ANS Winter Meeting, there are some great possibilities.

The fall in New England brings crispness to the air, beautiful mountainsides covered with leaves turning color, and a spur to activity before the coming winter. The nuclear debate continues to be spurred on as well.

The 177th Carnival of Nuclear Bloggers has been posted at Deregulate the Atom.  You can click here to read this latest installment of a long-running tradition among nuclear bloggers, and pro-nuclear authors.

Two new AP1000 nuclear power reactors are under construction at the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station in Fairfield County, South Carolina. Along with two new units at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia, these are the first new nuclear units built in the United States in the past three decades.

The ANS Nuclear Cafe Matinee is usually celebrated on Fridays-but this time, we just couldn't wait.

The 75th Anniversary of the Discovery of Nuclear Fission

There is a good reason for American nuclear energy professionals to learn more about the dynamics of the natural gas market. We have been told numerous times that cheap natural gas is making our technology less and less viable in the competitive market place. Natural gas (also known as methane) is a terrific product, but it has been promoted as being capable of supplying a much larger portion of our overall energy demand. That promotional effort is putting us all at risk of a severe hangover when the low price bubble bursts.

The 176th Carnival of Nuclear Energy is now posted at The Hiroshima Syndrome.  You can click here to access this latest edition of a long-running tradition among the world's English language pro-nuclear bloggers and authors.

Yes, of course... in super slo-mo.  Today's Nuclear Matinee features videos of a recent test conducted to simulate an aircraft crash on a HI-STAR 180 spent nuclear fuel transport cask, a product of Holtec International that is completing rigorous certification for the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate.

Fukushima Daiichi Units 5 (left) and 6 (right) seen in October 2012 behind the newly completed breakwall.

Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conducted a visit to Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station to examine conditions at the site and to gauge TEPCO's response to numerous ongoing problems. When Abe spoke to reporters after the visit, he mentioned (for reasons still unknown) that he had suggested to TEPCO that it decommission Unit 5 and Unit 6 on the site, so that it could focus its efforts squarely on the work required to recover from the nuclear accidents at Units 1, 2, and 3. This was reported with some surprise in many quarters.

Last week Dan Kahan, Harvard professor and member of the highly important Cultural Cognition Project, released his latest research about how scientific evidence impacts opinions. It was published under dim headlines such as Scientists' depressing new discovery about the brain and elicited equally defeated sounding tweets and Facebook posts from science communicators all over the globe.

Two events sponsored by the Young Members Group (YMG) bookend the American Nuclear Society's Winter Meeting, and are traditional highlights for many ANS members. Now that details for participating have been announced, you may find that attending these opportunities are well worth extending your trip-but you'll have to be prepared!

The 175th Carnival of Nuclear Energy has been posted at Deregulate the Atom.  You can click here to access the latest edition of a long-running tradition among pro-nuclear bloggers and authors.

Years ago, filmmaker Robert Stone helped Michael Moore make his very first movie (Roger & Me). Here, Stone and Moore discuss the pro-nuclear energy documentary Pandora's Promise, directed by Stone and featured this summer at Moore's Traverse City Film Festival.

Most of you are well aware that Entergy recently announced it will permanently close its Vermont Yankee (VY) nuclear plant. The primary reasons given were continued low natural gas prices, the cost of post-Fukushima upgrades, and "flaws" in the local wholesale electricity market that suppress prices and harm the profitability of baseload facilities like VY. VY was close to breaking even this year, as well as the last few years, but was projected to become unprofitable in the future-over the next few years, anyway.