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Fissionary

NEI

Have you found yourself searching for answers to some of today’s most pressing questions like how to solve the climate crisis and secure our energy independence? Luckily, we have an answer for you—nuclear energy. But don’t just take it from us. Hear from experts, researchers, and influencers (and even a pageant queen!) from a variety of backgrounds as they envision a world powered by clean nuclear energy.

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20 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 25 min
English

Episodes 20

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S6 · E8
October 15 · 27 min
Meeting Big Energy Demand on a Small Island With Low Xin Wei
Singapore imports nearly all of its natural gas. It has no wind, and its rooftops can generate enough solar power to meet less than 10% of national demand. For a country that has committed to net zero by 2050, that math falls dangerously short.Nucl...
S6 · E7
October 1 · 29 min
Poland: Out With the Coal, in With the Nuclear With Robert Rudich
Poland ran on coal for decades—in fact, more than 90% of its electricity came from it. Now the coal is running out, the grid needs replacing, and Poland is building its first commercial nuclear power plant. In this episode, Jordan talks with Robert...
S6 · E6
September 17 · 34 min
Nuclear Is the UK’s Cup of Tea With Millie Beaver
The UK once held the crown in nuclear development, and now they are eager to reclaim that title. In this episode, Jordan chats with Millie Beaver, the Public Affairs Director at the Nuclear Industry Association, to explore what’s shaping up to be o...
S6 · E5
September 3 · 33 min
Working Toward a Nuclear-Powered Africa With Princy Mthombeni
In much of Africa, the question isn't how to optimize the grid. It's how to build one at all. Princy Mthombeni grew up in a rural South African village without electricity until she was 14 and that experience shapes how she talks about energy today...
S6 · E4
August 20 · 26 min
Nuclear’s Got Talent With Callum Thomas
A nuclear renaissance doesn't just happen on paper, it takes thousands of people to design, build, operate, and sustain it. In this episode, Jordan sits down with Callum Thomas, a workforce strategist and talent expert who works across the nuclear ...
S6 · E3
August 5 · 27 min
Japan's Nuclear Reset With Jane Nakano
After Fukushima in 2011, Japan went from getting roughly a third of its electricity from nuclear power to running zero reactors for two full years- and spending $270 billion more on fossil fuel imports in the process. Today, Japan's government has ...
S6 · E2
July 23 · 23 min
Germany’s Nuclear Plot Twist With Britta Augustin
Germany shut down its last nuclear plants in 2023. Now, the country is asking whether that decision came at a cost. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan head to Germany to talk with educator and Mothers for Nuclear Deutschland co-founder,...
S6 · E1
July 9 · 29 min
Nuclear Energy’s Global Comeback With Justin Friedman
Nuclear is having a global moment and this season of Fissionary is taking you around the world to understand why. In the Season 6 premiere, Mary and Jordan sit down with former diplomat and nuclear policy expert, Justin Friedman, to unpack the rapi...
S6 · E0
June 25 · 1 min
Boarding Call for Season 6
Pack your bags because Season 6 is going global! This season, Mary and Jordan travel around the world to explore how different countries are approaching nuclear energy and why the conversation is accelerating everywhere from Japan and Poland to the...
S5 · E8
May 27 · 27 min
Nuclear Energy’s World Tour With Stephanie Pronco
Pack your bags, Fissionaries! Season 6 is going global. In this special kickoff episode, Mary and Jordan are joined by an international trade expert from the Nuclear Energy Institute, Stephanie Pronco, for a whirlwind tour of the countries shaping ...
S5 · E7
April 2 · 31 min
The Optimism of the Atom With Tim Gregory
Sometimes wonder doesn’t come from discovering something new, but from realizing we misunderstood something all along. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with Dr. Tim Gregory, senior nuclear chemist at the UK’s National Nuclear...
S5 · E6
March 19 · 33 min
How Nuclear Became a Design Trend With Alessandra Wood
What does nuclear energy have to do with your living room? More than you might think. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan talk with design historian Alessandra Wood about how the Atomic Age reshaped the visual language of the 20th centur...
S5 · E5
March 5 · 31 min
From Fallout to Futurism With Los Alamos National Lab
When a new technology changes the world overnight, culture feels it first.In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with historian Alan Carr and archivist Patty Templeton from Los Alamos National Laboratory to explore how the Atomic A...
S5 · E4
February 19 · 30 min
How the Arctic Could Run on Nuclear With Gwen Holdmann
What if turning on the lights wasn’t a given, but a daily question mark? In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with Gwen Holdmann, an engineer, energy researcher, and longtime off-grid Alaskan, about what energy access really mean...
S5 · E3
February 5 · 31 min
How Nuclear Is Stopping Bugs Before They Bite With Zach Adelman
Mosquitoes might be small, but the science used to stop them is anything but. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan talk with Dr. Zach Adelman, a geneticist and professor of entomology at Texas A&M, about how nuclear science is being used ...
S5 · E2
January 22 · 29 min
Night at the (Nuclear) Museum With Jennifer Hayden
What if a museum could change the way an entire generation thinks about nuclear? In this episode, Mary and Jordan sit down with Jennifer Hayden, President and CEO of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, to explore how museums spark...
S5 · E1
January 8 · 31 min
Walt Disney’s Wish Upon an Atom With Sam Gennawey
What if Walt Disney had actually built the city of the future—powered by nuclear energy?In the Season 5 premiere of Fissionary, hosts Mary Carpenter and Jordan Houghton sit down with urban planner and author Sam Gennawey to uncover how Walt’s imagi...
S5 · E0
Dec 18, 2025 · 1 min
Fissionary: What Powers Wonder?
Every era has its spark- a force that drives imagination, innovation, and the will to build something extraordinary. Fissionary returns with Season 5: What Powers Wonder, an exploration of how energy fuels creativity, culture, and progress. From li...
S5 · E0
Dec 4, 2025 · 1 min
Driving Curiosity With Fissionary
The world runs on energy, but the real power comes from curiosity. Fissionary is the podcast that uncovers how nuclear energy shapes our lives in ways you might never expect, from medicine and design to space exploration and climate solutions. Host...
S4 · E8
Aug 14, 2025 · 27 min
I Heart Nuclear: Going Viral on GameDay With Gabriel Ivory
Gabriel Ivory, one of the creative forces behind the "I Heart Nuclear" sign at College GameDay, joins us for the season finale of Fissionary to talk about how a bold move turned into a nationwide campaign. Gabriel shares the story behind the sign, ...

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