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.
Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Oct 2024
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
November 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Engagement in nuclear science and technology
Lisa Marshallpresident@ans.org
My current position affords me the opportunity to travel across the nation and world, engaging with people and organizations. I am deliberately using the word engagement to stress the long-term relationship aspect of our endeavors. It is an opportunity to listen—not to respond, but to understand. It is also an opportunity to foster a collaborative connection where comfort in posing questions and developing solutions are achieved.
Pulling from engagement in the higher education literature:
Historically, in a different societal context, higher education reached out to communities in an expert model of knowledge delivery. That connection with communities has transitioned over the years to a more engaged model in which community and university partners cocreate solutions. This occurs at local, national, and global levels. Today and in the future, public universities need to build on their experience of university–community relationships and transition to making engagement more central to the core of the institution. Through such progress, higher education can continue to contribute fully to the advancement of the United States as a stronger, wealthier, and more equitable country.1
Nuclear science is the study of one of the smallest things we know—the atomic nucleus. But, even though it’s 100,000 times smaller than an atom, the tiny nucleus has a huge impact on our world. Nuclear science and technology bring us cancer treatments, power for space missions, new crop varieties, safer medical supplies, and some of the cleanest and greenest ways of generating electricity.
Come with us to explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Nuclear Science 101
The study of nuclear science begins when the atom was first imagined more than 2,000 years ago. But the nucleus, the foundation of nuclear science and technology, wasn't discovered until 1909. Learn about nuclear nuclear science, its history and the processes behind technologies from the past, present and into the future.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear binding energy holds the atoms that make up our universe together. This energy is released when atoms split apart, undergoing fission, and when smaller atoms combine together through fusion. Fission and fusion create abundant energy without releasing harmful pollutants--including carbon dioxide--into the atmosphere, making nuclear a clean, green solution for our energy future.
Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World
Engage students with curriculum for grades 3 through 12 backed by the expertise of leaders in nuclear science—the members of the American Nuclear Society and the Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy. Resources include STEM project starters, digital lesson plans, nuclear industry career profiles, and exciting Virtual Field Trips!
K-12 Programs
Our programs serves educators and students through a suite of resources, including classroom visits by nuclear science professionals and researchers, career exploration opportunities, teacher training and out-of-school programs for students.
K-12 Resources
Along with our Navigating Nuclear curriculum and activities, ANS has many other resources that help create engaging experiences in the classroom or out of school for students of all ages. Make sure to check out our Scouts Patch, 'Get to Know Nuclear'.
Browse our activities and other resources
Get to Know Nuclear
Last modified August 31, 2023, 9:31am CDT
