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
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES 2023)
December 10–14, 2023
New Orleans, LA|New Orleans Marriott
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!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
December 2023
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Latest News
Illinois lifts ban on some new nuclear construction
Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker returned to the good graces of the nuclear community last Friday, signing H.B. 2473, a bill that partially lifts the state’s decades-long moratorium on new nuclear power builds by permitting the construction of small modular reactors.
Pritzker had vetoed similar legislation, S.B. 76, in August, saying in a veto message that the bill included an overly broad definition of “advanced reactors,” which would “open the door to the proliferation of large-scale nuclear reactors that are so costly to build that they will cause exorbitant ratepayer-funded bailouts.” Pritzker had also asserted that S.B. 76 lacked “regulatory protections or updates to address the health and safety of Illinois residents who would live and work around these new reactors.”
Power up the learning in your classroom with digital lesson plans, project starters, career resources, and more that introduce students to nuclear processes and the surprising ways they benefit society!
Explore the vast world of nuclear science with your students to uncover the diverse applications of this field and debunk some common misconceptions about nuclear. From fission, to fusion, to building their own atoms, students will learn nuclear processes and applications while developing key STEM skills.
Video | 10 Minutes
Watch as Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar, Immediate Past President of the American Nuclear Society and Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Idaho State University, demonstrates ways to make this digital lesson bundle even more tangible and engaging for student scientists!
Lesson Bundle | 45 Minutes
In this digital lesson bundle, students will investigate the various types of radiation and the role that each plays in our lives. Students will discover how wave and particle radiation differ and what ionizing radiation is. They will learn about the radioactive decay of isotopes and use this information to balance nuclear decay equations.
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Download Educator Guide
Educator Lesson Plan | 45 Minutes
In this activity, students will summarize the unique characteristics of radiation and how it is used to treat cancer through a Think-Pair-Share activity.
In this activity, students will be introduced to the concepts of mass defect and nuclear binding energy. They will explore the idea of nuclear binding energies in the context of fusion as they calculate the amount of energy released in a fusion reaction using Einstein’s published E=mc2 equation.
Students will learn to use the periodic table as a tool to predict a nuclide’s properties. After a quick vocabulary refresher, students will engage in an interactive “Heads Up” game, working in groups to use the periodic table to correctly guess the term shown on a card.
Students first will watch a video explaining fission and fusion. Then, students will apply their knowledge of fission and fusion as they engage in a kinesthetic “Four Corners” activity, voting with their feet as they compare fission and fusion.
How does radiocarbon dating help detect art forgeries?
In this activity, students will investigate radioactive decay, half-life, and the process of radiocarbon dating.
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How are radioactive isotopes used in nuclear batteries?
Students will compare and contrast different types of nuclear processes and design a future prototype for a small-scale nuclear battery that will address one of three design problems.
How can radiation solve problems and benefit humans?
In this lesson, students will be introduced to how radiation, such as gamma radiation, can be used to help solve problems by examining the quest to eradicate Aedes mosquitoes using the Sterile Insect Technique: (SIT).
Last modified November 4, 2021, 1:35pm CDT
