In the 14th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous dive into a newly published paper in Energy Policy titled “The Polarization of Energy Preferences: A Study on Social Acceptance of Wind and Nuclear Power in Sweden.” The study explores how public support for wind and nuclear energy is increasingly shaped not by safety or economics—but by political ideology and worldview. Goran and Michael unpack the findings, examine why nuclear tends to attract right-leaning supporters while wind appeals more to the political left, and discuss how gender and cultural values also factor into energy attitudes. They also explore broader questions about the future of energy engagement: Why are men more likely to support nuclear than women? Why do Swedes like wind power—just not in their own backyard? And what does it mean when energy decisions are driven more by identity than data? Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on politics, polarization, and the surprising ways our values shape our view of the grid.

In the 13th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous dissect a newly published paper in Energy Policy titled “Atomic rivers. The (Un)sustainability of nuclear power in an age of climate change.” The authors argue that nuclear plants relying on once-through cooling are environmentally unsustainable, legally problematic, and increasingly intermittent. But do the claims hold up? Goran and Michael break down why this study falls short—from its lack of quantitative analysis and misleading language to its sweeping conclusions based on narrow case studies. They explore the broader issue of bad science in energy policy, the dangers of taking academic research at face value, and the critical difference between presenting data and pushing a narrative. They also discuss why nuclear power is still one of the most reliable energy sources on the planet, how capacity factor data contradicts the study’s claims, and what needs to change in both academic publishing and public discourse to better inform decision-making. Tune in for a deep dive into thermal discharge, capacity myths, and the growing need for scientific literacy in climate and energy conversations.

In the 12th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous dive into the surprising results of Goran’s recent research talk at McMaster University—where he revealed that building the same nuclear reactor design over and over doesn’t make things faster. In fact, it may slow things down. They explore the concept of “codification creep,” a form of managerial over-optimization that can backfire in large infrastructure projects. Could the way we document and standardize knowledge actually be holding nuclear back? And what does this tell us about why megaprojects across the U.S. have slowed down over the past 40 years? The conversation then pivots to breaking news out of Colorado, where nuclear has officially been redefined as “green energy.” Michael and Goran unpack whether this signals real progress or just political convenience, and what it tells us about the shifting narratives around clean energy. Tune in for a sharp and timely analysis of nuclear's past, present, and future.