The 129th weekly Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers is up at Next Big Future.

Albert Einstein's famous equation E=mc² explains, of course, why a nuclear power reactor can generate so much electricity in such a relatively tiny space, while using such a relatively tiny amount of fuel. Electricity from other forms of energy, say tidal or wind motion, sunlight, chemical bonds (burning things)... well, nuclear fission and fusion, thanks to E=mc², are definitely in their very own league.

Nuclear Nonproliferation, International Safeguards, and Nuclear Security Challenges in the Middle East

Scroll down to hurricane graphic for resources and links.

The Davis-Besse nuclear power plant, operated by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, is located on the shores of Lake Erie about 20 miles east of Toledo, Ohio. The 908-MWe pressurized water reactor came online on July 31, 1978.

The ANS Nuclear Cafe Matinee presents loyal readers-and loyal viewers-with an all-time great video: "Large Hadron Rap"!

Sunday, October 21, 2012 finds the 127th edition of the Carnival of Nuclear Bloggers hosted again here at the American Nuclear Society's ANS Nuclear Cafe blog.  The Carnival is a rotating weekly feature among the pro-nuclear blogs and presents the best and most important posts of the week.

America's first new commercial nuclear energy reactors in 30 years are currently under construction at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Burke County, Georgia, and the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station in Fairfield County, South Carolina.

The October 2012 issue of the technical journal Nuclear Science and Engineering is available electronically and in hard copy for American Nuclear Society member subscribers and others.  Non-subscribers click here to learn how to subscribe to NSE and other ANS titles.

A free college-level internet course surveying the theory, design, and operation of commercial nuclear power reactors is starting soon! This course will be taught by Larry Foulke, PhD, PE, former president of the American Nuclear Society.

From the American Nuclear Society to teachers interested in the nuclear sciences

Note: The NRC public meeting on San Onofre steam generator issues has now adjourned. The webcast will soon be available in archived form at http://video.nrc.gov/. The twitter feed featuring participation by groups on all sides of the issue can be viewed HERE (tweets will eventually expire).

AMERICAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY (ANS)

The October 2012 issue of the technical journal Nuclear Technology is available electronically and in hard copy for American Nuclear Society member subscribers and others.  Non-subscribers click here to learn how to subscribe to NT and other ANS titles.

Today's ANS Nuclear Matinee shows viewers a time-lapse film of a steel superstructure being built on top of the dome of Sequoyah-2's reactor containment building. The work is being done to ready the site for a large maintenance project scheduled at the plant. When complete, the superstructure will support the removal of parts of the dome along with the reactor containment vessel and steam generator enclosures.

The October 2012 issue of the technical journal Fusion Science and Technology is available electronically and in hard copy for American Nuclear Society member subscribers and others.  Non-subscribers click here to learn how to subscribe to FST and other ANS titles.

Voting season is upon us!  The Wall Street Journal has an online poll underway:

An International Forum for the Discussion of Issues Facing

Science historian Alex Wellerstein recently wrote of a series of nuclear weapons tests conducted in 1955 at the Nevada Test Site, known as Operation Teapot. Among the important civil defense questions explored at the time was: What will the survivors drink after a nuclear apocalypse?

The Higgs boson caused quite a stir earlier this year when its discovery was announced on July 4. After all, the Higgs field, as proven by the existence of the Higgs boson, is basically the reason that matter has "mass" in our universe.