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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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
Dec 2024
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
December 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2024
Latest News
ANS standard updated for determining meteorological information at nuclear facilities
Following approval in October from the American National Standards Institute, ANSI/ANS-3.11-2024, Determining Meteorological Information at Nuclear Facilities, was published in late November. This standard provides criteria for gathering, assembling, processing, storing, and disseminating meteorological information at commercial nuclear power plants, U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration nuclear facilities, and other national or international nuclear facilities.
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.
Download Digital Lesson
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.
Download STEM Project Starter
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 January 19, 2024, 11:32am CST
