The world’s first atomic bomb test—code-named Trinity and conducted in New Mexico on July 16, 1945—had an unintended outcome that was only recently discovered.
Clementine—The world’s first fast neutron reactor
In March 1949—75 years ago this month—the 25-kilowatt reactor known as Clementine reached full power. As an experimental reactor, it had a rather long and successful run. It was the...
How is Cold War–era radiation shaping the nuclear conversation today?
The Manhattan Project may have begun more than 80 years ago, but it’s still in the news—and not just because of Oppenheimer’s recent haul at the Academy Awards. On March 7, the Senate...
DOE offers “Fact vs. Fiction” quiz about Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer won all sorts of awards last Sunday at the Oscars, but how much Manhattan Project history do you really know?Take the quiz now!...
Japanese gangster charged with trafficking nuclear materials
U.S. officials have brought charges of nuclear materials trafficking against a Japanese gangster who has been in federal custody since 2022.In a case filled with international espionage, along...
Radioisotopes target cancer, improve imaging, and have myriad other medical uses
On August 2, 1946, 1 millicurie of the isotope carbon-14 left Oak Ridge National Laboratory, bound for the Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.That tiny amount of the...
Richland critiques “home, safety, [and] whiteness” of proud nuclear company town
The documentary film Richland, which won awards at the Tribeca Festival and Sheffield (U.K.) DocFest last year, continues to gain exposure. Directed by Irene Lusztig, a self-described...
Atoms: Get more from your fuel
From the pages of the September 2023 issue of Nuclear News.For decades, more energy has meant more fuel: fossil fuels.But nuclear fuel—unlike coal, oil, or even natural uranium—is a feat...
Hi friends, I hope you had a good summer. Like many of you, I took a break from my summer vacation to watch Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. I’m an unabashed Nolan fan—Inception and...
DOE ramps up plutonium oxide production to fuel NASA’s deep space missions
The Department of Energy recently shipped half a kilogram of plutonium oxide pellets from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Los Alamos National Laboratory, the agency announced July 18, marking...
The National Organization of Test, Research, and Training Reactors
This year, the nuclear power industry is seeing a renewed mandate to innovate and supply carbon-free energy for a range of applications. These new reactor designs feature new fuel forms,...