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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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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.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by NCSD
Tuesday, November 19, 2024|3:15–5:00PM EST|Fantail
Session Chair:
Douglas G. Bowen
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Kevin H. Reynolds
The ANS-8 Forum allows the Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) community to learn about the consensus standards that are under development and what kinds of work items are being considered by the ANS-8 Subcommittee. ANS-8 working groups will also provide discussions about working group tasks and opportunities for stakeholders and volunteers to learn more about ANS-8 standards. Students and early-career individuals interested in standards are welcome to participate.
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