Shows
Middle Tech313. Why America Needs a Nuclear Renaissance: a Conversation with Nuclear Engineer & Advocate Dr. Nick TouranNick Touran is a nuclear engineer, educator, and advocate who spent nearly 16 years designing advanced reactors at TerraPower and building one of the most trusted resources in nuclear education, WhatIsNuclear.com. Now, he’s on a mission to help America rethink its relationship with nuclear energy - and its future.What would it take for nuclear to fuel America's next era of innovation? Why did we fall behind - and can we catch up before it's too late?Expect to learn why Nick believes a nuclear renaissance is critical for the U.S., how China’s aggressive investment in nucl...2025-04-281h 19
DecoupleHard Lessons with Hot HeliumThis week, we talk High Temperature Gas Reactors, or HTGRs, with a Decouple favorite: reactor designer and nuclear historian Nick Touran (What Is Nuclear | X). From the first conceptual sketch of an HTGR in wartime labs to today’s revival by players like X-energy and China’s fast-moving reactor fleet, we dissect what makes HTGRs unique—both in engineering promise and the difficulties that have long haunted their success. With helium cooling, TRISO fuel, and ambitions beyond electricity into process heat and industrial decarbonization, HTGRs may be poised for a comeback. But will history repeat itself, or finally break the cy...2025-04-231h 16
DecoupleRespect the RadsThis week, we talk radiation—the elephant in the room during many conversations about nuclear power. Nick Touran, a reactor designer and nuclear historian, helps us along. While nuclear advocates have made remarkable strides in dispelling public fears about radiation, Touran warns against the pendulum swinging too far toward complacency. We explore why maintaining a healthy respect for radiation remains crucial even as we champion nuclear power's expansion.Read the extended shownotes on Substack.2025-04-011h 21
DecouplePass the SaltMolten Salt Reactors are often portrayed as nuclear’s great missed opportunity, promising unparalleled safety, efficiency, and fuel sustainability. But are these promises reality or hype? Nick Touran, reactor designer and nuclear historian, joins me to tell the complex story behind molten salt reactors—from their ambitious beginnings during Cold War nuclear airplane experiments to the realities of managing radioactive liquid fuels. This conversation clears the mist around one of nuclear's most intriguing yet misunderstood technologies.Read more in-depth show notes on Substack.2025-03-251h 08
Gener8Nick Touran, What Is Nuclear?For episode 31 of Gener8, we encourage you to utilize our visual stream as we're excited to share a documentary film that hasn't been seen in decades but is now available to us all thanks to the efforts of this episode's guest, Dr. Nick Touran. Nick is the founder and main force behind the WhatIsNuclear.com website, the Manager of Digital Engineering at Terrapower, and a man on a mission to save and revive some of the history around many of the amazing activities that took at the beginning of the nuclear age. Veriten was honored to sponsor the digitization...2025-03-0647 min
DecoupleMicroreactors, Macro ProblemsNick Touran, a nuclear engineer and manager at TerraPower, unearths the sobering realities of micro nuclear reactors. Through a detailed discussion of physics, engineering, economics, and history, Touran explains why microreactors face fundamental challenges that factory production alone cannot solve.2024-11-121h 22
The Transformation of Value with Cody EllinghamWhat is Nuclear Energy with Nick TouranI am joined by Nick Touran, a nuclear engineer, educator, and founder of whatisnuclear.com.
We talk about the nuanced reality of nuclear energy, its history and the current political, economic, and regulatory challenges globally, as well as the outlook for nuclear reactor technology and energy abundance more broadly.
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Links:
What Is Nuclear? Website - https://whatisnuclear.com/
Nick Touran on X - https://x.com/whatisnuclear
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Support The Transformation of Value:
Bitcoin address: bc1qlfcr2v73tntt6wvyp2yu064egvyeery6xtw...2024-11-081h 10
DecouplePaper Reactors to Power ReactorsNick Touran tells the story of Admiral Hyman Rickover, the “Father of the Nuclear Navy” and author of the legendary "Paper Reactor" memo. We discover how Rickover’s hard-driving management and obsession with practical engineering shaped not just the US nuclear navy, but the entire landscape of modern nuclear power.
Touran is manager of digital engineering at TerraPower and creator of Whatisnuclear.com.
Decouple Substack: https://www.decouple.media/2024-11-051h 15
Where We Go Next121: The Inner Workings and Outsized Benefits of Artificial Intelligence, with Harper CarrollHarper Carroll is an AI and Machine Learning software engineer and educator known for making complex AI concepts accessible to a wide audience. She has multiple degrees from Stanford University in Computer Science specializing in AI, and industry experience at Meta, working on augmented reality and civic integrity projects. Her online educational content has gained her a following of over 300,000 subscribers on Instagram and YouTube.Harper's 10 Days of AI BasicsAI Avatar Demonstration10 Days of AI x Nuclear: AI's Energy NeedsGround News gathers news coverage from around the world, empowers...2024-10-1659 minWhere We Go Next118: Making Paleontology the Next TikTok Trend, with Harrison DuranHarrison Duran is a field paleontologist whose popular social media accounts document his preparation and excavation in the American West. His videography and storytelling convey the work and skill required by paleontology, as well as its significance to our understanding of the natural world. Species which he has excavated and prepared include Triceratops, Edmontosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus rex.If You Liked This Conversation, You'll Probably Like These Episodes of Where We Go Next:111: The Hidden Forces Driving Our Online Behavior, with Steve Rathje104: The War for Critical Minerals and Our Electrified Future, with Ernest Scheyder97: Climate Change...2024-09-171h 08Where We Go NextRe-Release: Solving the Crisis of Boys and Men, with Richard ReevesWhere We Go Next will be back to its regularly scheduled programming next week. Until then, enjoy this re-release of Episode 68, with the brilliant Richard Reeves. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and writes for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, the Guardian, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, and Wall Street Journal. His book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, shows how the basic social structures defining masculine maturity and success have been shattered, and how th...2024-09-101h 18Where We Go Next115: Spaceships, Silicon Valley, and Psilocybin, with Ashlee VanceAshlee Vance is a feature writer at Bloomberg Businessweek, host of the innovator-focused travel show Hello World, and the New York Times bestselling author of two books: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, and most recently, When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach, which was the inspiration for his new HBO documentary Wild Wild Space. Wild Wild Space - Trailerashleevance.comGround News gathers news coverage from around the world, empowers free thinking, and makes media bias explicit. S...2024-08-211h 02Where We Go Next111: The Hidden Forces Driving Our Online Behavior, with Steve RathjeSteve Rathje is a postdoctoral researcher in social psychology at New York University. Broadly, he studies the psychology of technology, and explores how polarization and intergroup conflict interact with social media and artificial intelligence. He is also a science communicator with over one million followers on his psychology TikTok channel.steverathje.comThe Global Social Media ExperimentSocial Identity & Morality LabHeineken: Worlds ApartPsychology Experiment on Conformity - Steve's TikTokGround News gathers news coverage from around the world, empowers free thinking, and makes media bias...2024-07-231h 09Where We Go Next109: Bringing the World’s First Solar-Powered EV to Market, with Steve FambroSteve Fambro is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Aptera Motors, which is aiming to deliver the world’s first mass market solar-powered electric vehicle.Aptera MotorsGround News gathers news coverage from around the world, empowers free thinking, and makes media bias explicit. Subscribe through my link at https://check.ground.news/Next for 15% off your subscription.If You Liked This Conversation, You'll Probably Like These Episodes of Where We Go Next:83: Building Autonomous Vehicles to Clean Up Outer Space, with Trevor Bennett74: Going to Space, Reusing the Entire Rocket, and Flying Ag...2024-07-0959 minWhere We Go Next104: The War for Critical Minerals and Our Electrified Future, with Ernest ScheyderErnest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters and the author of The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives.The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our LivesErnest Scheyder at ReutersIf You Liked This Conversation, You'll Probably Like These Episodes of Where We Go Next:101: Uncovering the Hidden Truths in Political Memoirs, with Carlos Lozada97: Climate Change Comes for Small-Town America, with Jonathan Vigliotti71: Rescuing Animals From the Brink of Extinction, with Forrest Galante70: Making Extinction a Thing of the...2024-05-2153 min
DecoupleRenewable Nuclear: All about Breeder ReactorsIn the early days of nuclear power uranium was thought to be a critically rare mineral. Nuclear engineers sought to solve this problem with a special type of reactor that produced more fissile material than they consume. Nick Touran joins me to discuss and explore the long term sustainability of nuclear power.2024-04-2257 minWhere We Go Next97: Climate Change Comes for Small-Town America, with Jonathan VigliottiJonathan Vigliotti is an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award–winning CBS News national correspondent and the author of Before It's Gone: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America.Before It's Gone: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town AmericaIf You Liked This Conversation, You'll Probably Like These Episodes of Where We Go Next:13: Nuclear Energy Can Save the World, with Nick Touran17: The Conservative Case for Solving Climate Change, with Quill Robinson70: Making Extinction a Thing of the Past, with Ben Lamm & George Church71: Rescuing An...2024-04-021h 00
Unusual WhalesUnusual Whales Pod Ep. 37: Nuclear Energy, Mining, and the Outlook for Uranium in 2024This episode of Unusual Whales Pod with an #ad was recorded live on February 15, 2024. Sponsored by Skyharbour Resources, our host Nicholas is joined by experts in nuclear engineering, mining, and markets to discuss the Uranium supply and demand, the booming Nuclear energy sector, and all-around outlooks on nuclear energy and uranium as we delve deeper into 2024.Panel:SPONSORED BY SKYHARBOUR RESOURCES, #ad: https://twitter.com/Skyharbour_SYH Jordan Trimble, President and CEO of SkyHarbour: https://twitter.com/JordanPTrimbleNick Touran, PhD: https://twitter.c...2024-02-161h 12
DecoupleCracking the Nuclear Innovation NutHumanity went from inducing the first fissions of heavy elements in 1938 to a nuclear powered submarine in just 16 years. Why has that tremendous pace of nuclear innovation seemingly slowed down to a crawl? Nuclear historian Nick Touran joins me for an in depth analysis of the historic preconditions of nuclear innovation and its opportunities and limits going into the future.2023-12-221h 06
Deep FuturePrimer on Nuclear Reactors — Nick TouranToday we get to hang out with my buddy Nick Touran. Nick is a nuclear engineer who’s focused on the practical deployment of clean, renewable, carbon free energy. I met Nick when we were both working at the Intellectual Ventures Lab. He is on the TerraPower team, and even though we don’t discuss the TerraPower reactor, or any of that technology on this episode, Nick and I try to dig into history of nuclear a bit. trying to explain what’s possible with nuclear reactors, so people can really understand how that fits into our future...2023-12-151h 50Where We Go Next89: Harnessing the Revolutionary Power of Nuclear Energy, with Nick TouranNick Touran is a Ph.D. nuclear engineer with expertise in new nuclear reactor development and old reactor history. He's worked on new reactors professionally for over 15 years, and has run the public education website, whatisnuclear.com since 2006. He believes that nuclear energy can help the world decarbonize rapidly, and enjoys discussing this with anyone and everyone.whatisnuclear.com13: Nuclear Energy Can Save the World, with Nick Touran - Where We Go NextIf You Liked This Conversation, You May Also Enjoy:74: Going to Space, Reusing the Entire Rocket, and Flying Again...2023-11-211h 23
"Age of Miracles"Fission Founders, Part 1: Manufacturing NuclearWhat if we treated building nuclear more like a manufacturing challenge than a construction challenge? How could nuclear benefit from the tried-and-true methodologies of other large industrial industries like ship-building and oil and gas to make nuclear as cheap as solar and wind to produce?In this episode – the first of two with leading nuclear fission startup founders – Packy and Julia talk to a new crop of nuclear entrepreneurs who are focused on manufacturing small modular reactors at scale. Drawing on best practices from very different industries like building reactors in shipyards or adapting the...2023-11-1056 min
"Age of Miracles"The Untold History of Nuclear Energy“Nuclear fission is a miracle technology, and we've had it for 80 years. But we don't live in an energy abundant world. Because progress takes more than miracles.” Almost exactly 50 years ago, nuclear fission and large scale reactors were on track to deliver abundant, cheap energy to the globe. But instead, nuclear power declined even faster than it had scaled, becoming a pariah of the energy industry and relegated to a footnote. What actually happened? And how do we prevent it from happening again? From nuclear’s origins in small reactors for submarines and planes after W...2023-10-271h 00
Macro VoicesMacroVoices #355 Mark Nelson: Understanding All Things NuclearIn this first part of holiday special, MacroVoices welcomes nuclear engineer Mark Nelson to the show to discuss all things nuclear. Erik and Mark start with a brief history of the industry, then talk about both real and perceived problems with nuclear power, before moving on to discuss advanced nuclear technologies including small modular nuclear reactors, molten salt cooled reactors and Thorium-fuelled nuclear reactors. https://bit.ly/3Wg3q2J
Radiant Energy Group
Kirk Sorensen: Thorium, an alternative nuclear fuel
Mothers for Nuclear
Clean Core Thorium Energy
World...2022-12-222h 34
Nuclear BarbariansPreserving Nuclear History ft. Nick TouranNick Touran, creator of whatisnuclear.com, joins me to talk about stewarding our nuclear past and learning from our engineering forefathers. Nick’s a great guy and I’ve learned a lot from his work. We had a fun time chatting and I encourage everyone to consult his website for valuable information about the development of nuclear energy in America. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at nuclearbarbarians.substack.com/subscribe2022-01-0637 min
Nuclear BarbariansEpisode 12: Preserving Nuclear History ft. Nick TouranNick Touran, creator of whatisnuclear.com, joins me to talk about stewarding our nuclear past and learning from our engineering forefathers. Nick’s a great guy and I’ve learned a lot from his work. We had a fun time chatting and I encourage everyone to consult his website for valuable information about the development of nuclear energy in America.2022-01-0637 min
Yang Gang Round TableYang Gang Round Table Episode 181 - Karl Alex Pauls & Nick Touran on the Future of Energy ProductionYGRT, Yang Gang, Andrew Yang Youtube, Andrew Yang, Universal Basic Income, Andrew Yang, Round Table, Roundtable, Relief Bill, Unemployment, Democrats, direct cash payments, stimulus check, progressive politics, humanity first, MATH, third party, yanggang, Congress members, 2020 Election, poverty, electoral politics, basic income, stimulus, Biden first 100 days, PUA, Pandemic Unemployment Insurance, plus up, UI, UI plus up, plus-up, $600, $1200, $1000, $2000, $2k, Mayor, NYC
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yang-gang-round-table/message2021-04-241h 46Where We Go Next13: Nuclear Energy Can Save the World, with Nick TouranWhen we talk about ways to combat climate change and address our nation's energy needs, we consistently leave the safest, most reliable, and most efficient energy source out of the discussion altogether. Joining us this week is nuclear engineer Nick Touran, PhD, who happens to be an expert in that exact type of energy.whatisnuclear.comBicycles for Our Minds, with Steve JobsNuclear Power May Have Saved 1.8 Million Lives Otherwise Lost to Fossil Fuels, Scientific AmericanRadiation Dose Chart, XKCDSpontaneous Generation (Flies From Meat), Wikipedia3...2020-12-231h 25
DecoupleHope, Hype, Hubris, and Deep Decarbonisation feat. Nick TouranNick Touran is a Ph.D. nuclear engineer and advanced reactor designer who runs the science education website whatisnuclear.com. Advanced and Small Modular Reactors have become the only politically safe nuclear power that western politicians are willing to touch with a 10 foot pole. Meanwhile existing plants doing much of the heavy lifting of decarbonisation are facing politically motivated premature closures and new builds of existing designs are seen as politically and financially unfeasible. There is a lot of hype around thorium, molten salt reactors, breeders and burners. There are also a lot of unanswered questions these designs will face...2020-12-201h 13
Analytic EndeavorsEp. 21 - Dispelling Thorium Myths with Nick TouranIn this episode we interview reactor physicist and creator of whatisnuclear.com, Dr. Nick Touran, about thorium fueled nuclear reactors. Thorium reactors have garnered immense interest in recent years, particularly within certain online communities, as a "silver bullet" and borderline urban legend of nuclear technology. However, many of the claims of thorium fueled reactors are either not unique to thorium or simply false. Nick Touran goes through some of the myths, science, and pros/cons behind the internet's favorite reactor. Find articles Nick Touran has written at: https://whatisnuclear.com/ and check out his recent ap...2020-10-301h 00