The American Nuclear Society Releases New Video Tour of the World’s Most Powerful Nuclear Test Reactor

The American Nuclear Society (ANS) is giving educators and students across the country a behind-the-scenes tour of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in a Virtual Field Trip (VFT) entitled, A World of Innovation: Nuclear Reimagined. The VFT will premiere during Engineers Week on February 18, at 1:00 pm EST. It was created as part of Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World^TM, the nuclear science and technology program created by ANS and Discovery Education in partnership with the Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy.

“Navigating Nuclear and the virtual field trip at INL are great opportunities to show students what the U.S. energy future will look like, as well as show them how they can play a role in it,” said Dr. Rita Baranwal, Assistant Secretary for DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. “DOE is a strong proponent of STEM education, and demonstrating nuclear energy capabilities to the next generation can teach them about the careers that can contribute to a cleaner global environment.”

The VFT was filmed on location at INL, the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. The 23-minute video tour showcases the varied, multifaceted applications for nuclear science in areas like energy, medicine, space exploration and more. Students will explore the powerful Advanced Test Reactor, see technicians use remote controls to manipulate radioactive samples in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility and visit the lab that is fueling and testing the generator for NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover mission.

“This unique virtual experience will give students the opportunity to see cutting-edge research into applications for nuclear processes and their role in our world today,” said Eric Loewen, ANS Past President and Chief Consulting Engineer of Advanced Nuclear Plants, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. “Along the way, students will witness the broad variety of rewarding careers available in the nuclear sectors. The VFT is just one of the ways ANS is educating young people on how nuclear science and technology contribute to the quality of our everyday lives."

ANS, a member-based technical society representing nuclear professionals, is encouraging its members to partner with schools in their areas to host viewing parties of the premiere. Information on conducting viewing parties can be found on ans.org. Society members will also be answering student questions posted on Twitter during the premiere on Tuesday, February 18 at 1:00 pm EST.

Navigating Nuclear debuted in August 2018 with middle school curriculum. To date, it has reached an estimated 613,000 students across the U.S. High school resources were added in October 2019. All Navigating Nuclear resources are available on navigatingnuclear.com.