On this episode of AMSEcast, host Alan Lowe sat down with Lawrence Townsend to discuss the past, present, and future of America's nuclear navy, including what our advancements in technology throughout the country might mean going forward.

On this episode of AMSEcast, host Alan Lowe welcomes Charles Oppenheimer, entrepreneur and grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer, for a wide-ranging conversation on nuclear energy, global security, and the legacy of one of the 20th century's most influential scientists.

Oppenheimer discusses the mission of the Oppenheimer Project, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing his grandfather's values through increased international cooperation on nuclear technology. He explains the organization's dual focus: expanding the beneficial uses of nuclear fission (especially clean energy) and reducing the risks posed by nuclear weapons. Emphasizing "energy abundance," he argues that nuclear power can play a major role in addressing climate change and global poverty if financing and project risks can be overcome.

The conversation explores persistent public misconceptions about nuclear safety, the challenges emerging economies face in adopting nuclear energy, and the growing appetite among investors to fund large-scale nuclear projects. Oppenheimer also outlines his advocacy for renewed international arms control dialogue, particularly among the United States, China, and Russia.

The episode concludes with reflections on the 2023 film Oppenheimer, including Oppenheimer's thoughts on Cillian Murphy's portrayal of his grandfather and recommended readings for those who want to continue pursuing historical understanding.

AMSEcast launches a new series exploring America's nuclear navy and Oak Ridge's vital role in its history and future.

From helping shape the legacy of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover to supplying nuclear fuel for today's fleet, Oak Ridge has long stood at the center of U.S. naval nuclear power. As the American Museum of Science and Energy prepares a new exhibit at the Wilcox K-25 Interpretive Center, this episode sets the stage.

Our inaugural guest, Geoffrey deBeauclair, is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a 30-year Navy veteran who commanded a ballistic missile submarine and later led the Newport Division of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. He shares his journey into the Navy's Nuclear Power Program, the demanding training and qualification process, and what it means to command a submarine at sea.

Geoff offers a rare look inside daily life underwater, from relentless drills and rotating watch schedules to crew traditions, leadership challenges, and staying connected with family during long patrols.

It's a compelling introduction to the people, discipline, and mission behind America's nuclear navy.

Author Michelle Shocklee discusses her novel The Women of Oak Ridge and the personal, historical, and emotional paths that led her to the story of the Secret City during the Manhattan Project. Growing up near Los Alamos and coming from a World War II family shaped her long-standing connection to the era, but a chance encounter with a reader ultimately sparked her discovery of Oak Ridge. Shocklee describes her deep research process, drawing on oral histories, archival photographs, museum resources, and firsthand accounts to authentically portray life inside a city built on secrecy. She explains how she weaves history into fiction by grounding the narrative in the lived experiences of her characters, particularly women whose wartime work reshaped their futures. The conversation highlights the challenges of secrecy, segregation, and stress faced by Oak Ridge residents, as well as the lasting impact of women entering the workforce during the war. Ultimately, Shocklee reflects on Oak Ridge as both a hidden chapter of history and a powerful source of human resilience and transformation.

In this episode of AMSEcast, host Alan Lowe welcomes back science journalist and NASA senior science writer James Riordon to discuss his new book Crush: Close Encounters With Gravity. Riordon explores the fascinating science of gravity, from Isaac Newton's groundbreaking laws to Albert Einstein's revolutionary theory of general relativity. The conversation dives into how gravity shapes everything from the structure of Earth to the behavior of black holes and gravitational waves. Riordon also explains the strange effects of weightlessness on the human body, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, and the possibility of exotic phenomena like wormholes. Blending history, physics, and cutting-edge discoveries, this episode offers an accessible look at one of the universe's most fundamental forces and the scientists who helped us understand it.

In this episode of AMSECast, Dr. Samantha Schrell explores the fascinating and often mysterious world of actinides—rare, radioactive elements with powerful applications in medicine, energy, space exploration, and national security. She explains what makes actinides unique, why they are difficult to study, and how elements like californium play a critical role in starting nuclear reactors and powering space missions. Dr. Schrell also discusses Oak Ridge National Laboratory's long-standing leadership in producing and researching heavy actinides through the High Flux Isotope Reactor. The conversation highlights the mission of the Glenn T. Seaborg Institute: building a pipeline of scientists and engineers trained to work in this highly specialized field. Through fellowships, collaboration across national labs, and cutting-edge research, the Institute is ensuring the future of actinide science. Ultimately, the episode reveals how curiosity, expertise, and education drive innovation at the atomic edge.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Ahmed El-Mokadem explores the deep ideas behind mathematics' most mysterious numbers, revealing how concepts like zero, infinity, irrational numbers, and imaginary numbers challenge both logic and philosophy. He traces how constants such as π, e, the golden ratio, and the Feigenbaum constants appear universally across nature, physics, biology, and technology—suggesting they are discovered features of reality rather than human inventions. El-Mokadem highlights how mathematics repeatedly expands its own boundaries, from accepting imaginary numbers to assigning meaning to divergent infinities through Ramanujan's work. He shows that even chaos follows hidden numerical order, and that numbers long viewed as paradoxical often turn out to be indispensable. Throughout, mathematics emerges not as cold abstraction, but as a living language that reveals structure, mystery, and beauty in the universe. The discussion ultimately invites listeners to see math as a bridge between human curiosity and the deep order of the cosmos.

• (1:34) The difference between a rock and a mineral
• (2:38) How minerals form rocks
• (4:51) How limestone and marble are formed
• (6:33) Identifying faults based on rock strata and surface landscapes
• (8:51) What rocks say about the structure and atmosphere of ancient Earth
• (10:43) How materials can survive millennia without changing
• (12:56) The ways animals and plants can affect the Earth's geology
• (15:28) How concrete and bricks are created
• (18:53) How hydrocarbons are formed
• (21:47) What we've learned about the Moon and Mars from their samples
• (25:15) What's next for Jan Zalasiewicz

• The Cosmic Oasis: The Remarkable Story of Earth's Biosphere https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Oasis-Remarkable-Earths-Biosphere/dp/0198845871/
• Discarded: How Technofossils Will be Our Ultimate Legacy https://www.amazon.com/Discarded-Technofossils-Will-Ultimate-Legacy/dp/0192869337/
• How to Read a Rock: Our Planet's Hidden Stories https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Rock-Planets-Stories/dp/1588347281