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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
ANS webinar looks at radiation studies and living near nuclear plants
In February, a study published in Nature Communications found a correlation between proximity to nuclear power plants and rates of cancer mortality. While the authors acknowledged that causation could not be established, they nonetheless said that calculations supported evidence of 115,586 “cancer deaths attributable to nuclear power plants proximity.”
On its release, this study garnered significant media attention—sparking worry among the public and immediate pushback from radiation experts. ANS recently hosted a webinar taking a deeper look at what that study (and other similar proximity studies) got wrong, the science behind what we do and do not know, and why these conversations matter.
2020 ANS Virtual Winter Meeting Plenary Session Speaker
Dr. David Kropaczek of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the CASL Director and Deputy Technical Director for the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. He joined ORNL in 2018 after having served as CASL Chief Scientist and Professor of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University. Dr. Kropaczek has over 30 years of experience in the field of nuclear energy with a focus on computational methods development in the areas of nuclear fuel cycle optimization, reactor physics and thermal-hydraulics for both PWRs and BWRs. Previous experience included positions in both R&D and leadership within Westinghouse, General Electric, and most recently, Studsvik Scandpower as CEO. He is a newly elected Fellow of the American Nuclear Society.
Last modified October 21, 2020, 10:32am EDT