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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
On moving fast and breaking things
Craig Piercycpiercy@ans.org
So much of what is happening in federal nuclear policy these days seems driven by a common approach popularized in the technology sector. Silicon Valley calls it “move fast and break things,” a phrase originally associated with Facebook’s early culture under Mark Zuckerberg. The idea emerged in the early 2000s as software companies discovered that rapid iteration, frequent experimentation, and a willingness to tolerate failure could dramatically accelerate innovation. This philosophy helped drive the growth of the social media, smartphones, cloud computing, and digital platforms that now underpin modern economic and social life.
Today, that mindset is also influencing federal nuclear policy. The Trump administration views accelerated nuclear deployment as part of a broader competition with China for technological and AI leadership. In that context, it seems willing to accept greater operational risk in pursuit of strategic advantage and long-term economic and security objectives.
April 16–18, 2026
ANS Student Conference 2026
Don’t Mess with Nuclear: Leading the Way
College Station, TX|Texas A&M University
April 27–30, 2026
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS 2026)
Dayton, OH|The Dayton Convention Center
Net Out and Power Up
Embedded Topicals:
August 16–20, 2026
Global 2026
Deploying Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycles
Chicago, IL|Westin Chicago River North
August 24–27, 2026
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
November 15–18, 2026
2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
Phoenix, AZ|Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
February 22–25, 2027
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2027)
Meeting the Moment, Transforming Nuclear Training and Education for a Changing World
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa
April 8–10, 2027
ANS Student Conference 2027
Berkeley, CA|University of California, Berkeley
April 18–22, 2027
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering 2027 (M&C 2027)
Columbus, OH|Hilton Columbus Downtown
May 2–5, 2027
Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS-2027)
Cleveland, OH|Cleveland Convention Center
May 9–13, 2027
NPIC&HMIT and ISOFIC 2027 (15th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, & Human-Machine Interface Technologies and the 9th International Symposium on Future I&C for Nuclear Power Plants 2027)
Salt Lake City, UT|Hilton Salt Lake City Center
June 13–16, 2027
2027 Annual Conference
Lake Buena Vista, FL|Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
August 22–27, 2027
22nd International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (Nureth 2027)
Denver, CO|Hilton Denver City Center
August 30–September 2, 2027
2027 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
New Orleans, LA
September 26–30, 2027
PSA 2027- 50th Anniversary Conference
Long Beach, CA|Marriott Long Beach Downtown
October 31–November 4, 2027
2027 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
Washington, DC|The Westin Washington, DC Downtown
Embedded Topical:
December 5–9, 2027
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES)
Santa Barbara, CA|Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
November 12–15, 2028
2028 ANS Annual Conference & Expo
Las Vegas, NV|The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
November 4–7, 2029
2029 ANS Annual Conference & Expo
November 16–19, 2031
2031 ANS Annual Conference & Expo
