Nuclear Barbarians

Episode 53: Energy Cinema: Oppenheimer ft. Andrew Plimpton

August 24th, 2023  |  1 hr 25 mins

Writer and film critic Andrew Plimpton joined me for a new running series we’re doing: Energy Cinema. For our inaugural episode, we decided to talk about the new Oppenheimer movie. Hope you enjoy it!

Episode 52: What's Up at Entergy? ft. Kimberly Cook-Nelson

August 8th, 2023  |  36 mins 3 secs

Entergy’s Chief Nuclear Officer Kimberly Cook-Nelson stopped by the pod to talk to me about Entergy’s nuclear fleet, her experience working in the nuclear industry, how utilities plan on changing nuclear comms, and more.

Episode 51: Brazil: Energy, Industry, and Politics ft. Juan David Rojas

July 18th, 2023  |  1 hr 4 mins

Juan David Rojas returns to Nuclear Barbarians to talk to me about Brazilian industrial history. We touch on Eletrobas, Petrobras, Brazil’s nuclear energy missteps, and a whole lot more.

Episode 50: What's Up With Holtec? Ft. Pat O'Brien

June 15th, 2023  |  43 mins 39 secs

Pat O’Brien, Holtec’s Director of Government Affairs and Communications, sat down with me to talk about his background in nuclear energy, Holtec’s attempts to save the Palisades plant in Michigan, its new SMR design, and more!

Episode 49: Hot Takes on Cold Fusion ft. Jonah Messinger

June 7th, 2023  |  41 mins

Jonah Messinger wrote a thoughtful piece on cold fusion for the Breakthrough Institute. I brought him on to talk about cold fusion, science as a process vs. science as an institution, and more!

Fusion Runs Hot And Cold by Jonah Messinger

Episode 48: CANDU Supremacy ft. Dr. Chris Keefer

May 31st, 2023  |  41 mins 25 secs

Dr. Chris Keefer of Decouple came on the pod to talk about Canadians for Nuclear Energy’s new report, The Case for CANDU: Why Ontario's Homegrown Nuclear Technology Is Its Best Option In A Time Of Rising Electricity Demand.

The Report: https://www.canfornuclearenergy.org/

Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Keefer

Check Out Decouple: https://www.decouplemedia.org/

Episode 47: Telling Better Energy Stories Ft. Collin McClellan

May 31st, 2023  |  52 mins 38 secs

Collin McClelland of Digital Wildcatters joined me to talk about oil and gas, telling better energy stories, and tons more. This is some of the most fun I’ve had hosting the show—hope you guys like it!

Episode 46: Nukes in the Rat Park ft. Jesse Freeston

May 16th, 2023  |  1 hr 2 mins

Cinematographer and documentarian Jesse Freeston joined me to talk about how he got nukepilled, his wonderful videos for Decouple Studios, the rat park, and how nuclear fits into his view of global flourishing.

Check out Jesse’s videos:

Inside the World’s BIGGEST Nuclear Plant (the one that got Ontario off coal)

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nuclear Waste

Episode 45: The Breakthruvian Turn ft. Alex Trembath

May 2nd, 2023  |  1 hr 2 mins

Alex Trembath, the Deputy Director of the Breakthrough Institute, joined me to talk about the deep contradictions in environmentalism, climate anxiety, the Jefferson/Hamilton divide, and much more!

Episode 44: Synthfuels Pt. III ft. Noah Rettberg

April 25th, 2023  |  1 hr 59 secs

Noah Rettberg returns to the pod to talk to me about synthfuels derived from carbon.

We also want Monster Energy to sponsor us. CALL ME MONSTER.

Anyone else interested in advertising on the podcast can reach me here: [email protected].

Nuclear Now.

Chicagoans! Get your ticket to see Nuclear Now at the Alamo Drafthouse in Wrigleyville on May 1. Say hey if you see me!

Episode 43: AMLO and Pemex ft. Juan David Rojas

April 18th, 2023  |  41 mins 20 secs

Juan David Rojas joined me to talk about AMLO, Pemex, and Mexican energy.

Episode 42: Texas Nuclear and Hopeful Vibes ft. Grant Dever

April 10th, 2023  |  46 mins 28 secs

Grant Dever, one of the brightest whippersnappers in the whole Lone Star state, joined me to talk about nuclear in Texas, but then the conversation ranged all over the place with a long meditation on hope.

Texas Should Continue to Lead in Nuclear Power by Grant Dever

Subscribe to Grid Brief.

Check out Nuclear Now!

Episode 41: What Now? ft. Ortiz-Wines

April 3rd, 2023  |  49 mins 24 secs

My good friend and all around nuclear energy badass Paris Ortiz-Wines of Stand Up for Nuclear swung by to talk about what’s changed in the nuclear narrative and what we can and should do about it. It ended up being on a far-ranging discussion about fear, hope, and how people change their minds.

Episode 40: Come On! Feel the Illinoize!

March 20th, 2023  |  1 hr 14 mins

Alan Medsker, the one man nuclear revolution in Illinois, joined me to talk about convincing politicians in the Prairie state to protects its nuclear plants and repeal its moratorium.

Episode 39: Feedstockland ft. Darius Mortazavi

March 12th, 2023  |  39 mins 28 secs

Darius Mortazavi of the new chemical engineering Substack, Feedstockland, joined me to talk about the industrial chemical processes, the newsletter game, industry comms, energy realities, and more!

Episode 38: Wind and Other Woes ft. Doomberg

March 1st, 2023  |  47 mins 57 secs

Doomberg, one of the best and most popular Substackers in the world, joined me to talk about the problems besetting the so-called energy transition, political decadence, and our quantum-pilled energy future.