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
Jan 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2026
Nuclear Technology
January 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The spark of the Super: Teller–Ulam and the birth of the H-bomb—rivalry, credit, and legacy at 75 years
In early 1951, Los Alamos scientists Edward Teller and Stanislaw Ulam devised a breakthrough that would lead to the hydrogen bomb [1]. Their design gave the United States an initial advantage in the Cold War, though comparable progress was soon achieved independently in the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom.
Plenary Session
Tuesday, September 10, 2024|9:00–10:00AM EDT|Colonial Ballroom
Session Chair:
Dawn Montgomery
Speaker Click on the photo to view the speaker's bio
Cameron Tracy(CISAC), Stanford University
Cameron Tracy will introduce the Environmental Chemistry sessions with a discussion of "The Sociotechnical Challenges of the Geologic Disposition of Weapons Plutonium." Permanent disposal of weapons plutonium in a geologic repository could reduce global nuclear risk, but burying plutonium—and ensuring that it stays buried—is a major technical and political challenge. This talk will outline obstacles to disposal, progress to date, and potential paths forward.
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In
The Sociotechnical Challenges of the Geologic Disposition of Weapons Plutonium
Cameron Tracy (Stanford Univ.)
Paper
To join the conversation, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.