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Division Spotlight
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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How to talk about nuclear
In your career as a professional in the nuclear community, chances are you will, at some point, be asked (or volunteer) to talk to at least one layperson about the technology you know and love. You might even be asked to present to a whole group of nonnuclear folks, perhaps as a pitch to some company tangential to your company’s business. So, without further ado, let me give you some pointers on the best way to approach this important and surprisingly complicated task.
D. B. MacMillan
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 48 | Number 2 | June 1972 | Page 219
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE72-A22473
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Let α be a parameter governing a Monte Carlo importance sampling process. This note gives formulas by which the results of a Monte Carlo run may be used to estimate the derivatives of the variance with respect to α. It is pointed out that these derivatives may be used to optimize α, that is, to minimize the variance of the Monte Carlo problem.
