Wind And Solar Were Europe’s Top Energy Sources In 2022
The European Union reached a major renewable energy milestone in 2022. For the first time, wind and solar generated more energy in the European Union than any other power source. Ira talks with science writer Roxanne Khamsi about Europe’s energy future and other top science stories of the week, includin ... Show More
Mar 12
How Is AI Being Used In The Iran War?
The military use of AI is capturing headlines this month. After a dustup with the Pentagon, the AI company Anthropic is out, and OpenAI is in. Meanwhile, in the US war with Iran, AI is being deployed in ways we’ve never seen. To make sense of it all, Host Flora Lichtman talks wit ... Show More
14m 25s
Mar 11
Is There Science Behind The ‘Nervous System Reset’?
On social media, the vagus nerve often gets billed as the gateway to nervous system nirvana: It’s your ticket to better rest, relaxation, and health if you “stimulate” it correctly. Where did this idea come from, and what does the research say? Host Flora Lichtman talks with neur ... Show More
17m 50s
May 2022
Who Killed Nuclear Energy?
Emmet Penney, creator of Nuclear Barbarians, Grid Brief, and the ex.haust podcast, walks us through the rise, fall and future prospects of nuclear power in the United States. Emmet dives deep on the historical, regulatory, political, and environmentalist forces behind nuclear ene ... Show More
1h 15m
Nov 2021
Michael Shellenberger: A Heretic Among Heretics
<p>In this episode, I am joined by returning guest Michael Shellenberger. We briefly discuss his new book San Fransicko, which, like his best-seller Apocalypse Never, takes a heterodox stance on an issue that progressives feel they champion -- in this case, the drug and homelessn ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2023
Ontario’s Nuclear Advantage
Gary Rose, VP of New Nuclear Growth at Ontario Power Generation, builds our understand of the CANDU refurbishment program, whose successes have laid the foundation for deployment of the West’s 1st grid scale SMR, the GE Hitachi BWRX-300.
Gary and I explore the thesis that Ontar ... Show More
1h 13m
Aug 2025
Simon Goes Nuclear with nuclear energy influencer Isabelle Boemeke
<p>“Nuclear” might make you wince—but the real problem isn’t the energy, it’s the branding. Safe, low-carbon, and scalable, nuclear could be a climate hero—if only we told the story right.</p><p>Isabelle Boemeke is on a mission to change how we think about nuclear energy. A Brazi ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 2023
Satsuki Takahashi, "Fukushima Futures: Survival Stories in a Repeatedly Ruined Seascape" (U Washington Press, 2023)
Both before and after the 2011 "Triple Disaster" of earthquake, tidal wave, and consequent meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, anthropologist Satsuki Takahashi visited nearby communities, collecting accounts of life and livelihoods along the industrialized seas ... Show More
53m 1s
Aug 2023
Satsuki Takahashi, "Fukushima Futures: Survival Stories in a Repeatedly Ruined Seascape" (U Washington Press, 2023)
Both before and after the 2011 "Triple Disaster" of earthquake, tidal wave, and consequent meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, anthropologist Satsuki Takahashi visited nearby communities, collecting accounts of life and livelihoods along the industrialized seas ... Show More
53m 1s
Aug 2024
The not-so-secret life of plants
From the perspective of Western science, plants have long been considered unaware, passive life forms; essentially, rocks that happen to grow. But there’s something in the air in the world of plant science. New research suggests that plants are aware of the world around them to a ... Show More
39m 4s