ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
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.
12th Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface Technologies (NPIC&HMIT 2021)
Technical Session
Tuesday, June 15, 2021|12:00–1:45PM EDT
Session Chair:
Michael Muhlheim (ORNL)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Derek Halverson (NRC)
Staff Producer:
Dan Goldberg (ANS)
To access the session recording, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Embedded Digital Device Considerations in Commercial Grade Dedication
John R. Hendricks (Curtiss-Wright Nuclear), Mike Wooldridge (Curtiss-Wright Nuclear)
Paper
Attachment
Software Reliability Testing of Digital Devices for Nuclear Power Applications
B.D. Shumaker (Analysis and Measurement Services Corp.), R.T. Wood (Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville), C. Elks (Virginia Commonwealth Univ.), C. Smidts (Ohio State Univ.)
EPRI Guidance on Designing and Managing Embedded Digital Components
Matt Gibson (EPRI)
Operating Experience and its Relationship to Embedded Digital Devices in Safety Systems
M. D. Muhlheim (ORNL), D. S. Halverson (U.S. NRC), W.P. Poore (ORNL)
The Role of Certification in the Safety Demonstration of COTS EDDs
Sofia Guerra (Adelard), Luke Hinde (Adelard)
To join the conversation, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
