As of right now, we have the following items scheduled for the coming few weeks :
Tuesday, 20 October / 27 October, 8—10 PM, Lecture Hall Nuclear and Radiological Accidents (in two parts)
Saturday, 24 October, 2—8 PM, Common Area Nuclear Science Day at DMS
Bring in your Geiger counters and isotope sources!
Tuesday, 3 November, 8—10 PM, Lecture Hall Nuclear Breeder Reactors
I’ve left some of these around the Space, in a further attempt to advertise. I would have printed up something for the frames in the front hallway, but these are now occupied by photo-collages, I guess because nobody besides me was really using them!
Well, last night’s class went pretty OK, even though I wasn’t able to use my slides (for a personal-stupidity reason). I’ll make sure to review the material at the beginning of next Tuesday’s class.
Two major thoughts.
(1) I have had some interest expressed in the topic of nuclear explosives. While I don’t really want to deal with “weapons” topics, I could present on “nuclear and thermonuclear explosives and their civilian applications”. I’m also thinking that a program on “portable, mobile, and vehicle nuclear powerplants”. Any response?
I’m on the fence as to whether to do this before or after a new series of “Introduction to Atomic Energy”.
(2) In response to a request, I have added some links to the Wiki pages on classes : some YouTube videos on related topics, & a sample document from the Department of Energy’s OSTI server.
OK, I have submitted “Portable, Mobile, and Vehicle Atomic Power” for Tuesday the 24th at 8 PM, and “Nuclear and Thermonuclear Explosives and their Peaceful Uses” for December 8th.
I will have to think a little while longer about scheduling a new series of “Introduction to Atomic Energy”. I had done it as 2-hour lectures at 4 PM on Saturdays, but I suppose I could do 8 PM if that is a better option.
I guess my efforts to keep this thread useful are bound to fail.
Perhaps one of you Clever Charlies can come up with an answer to the question of what a thread to actually discuss upcoming Atomic Energy Interest Group events or activities should be called.
I guess my efforts to keep this thread useful are bound to fail.
No they are not - you are doing a good job.
Perhaps one of you Clever Charlies can come up with an answer to the question of what a thread to actually discuss upcoming Atomic Energy Interest Group events or activities should be called.
“Atomic Energy Interest Group: Nothing Nuclear Related Is Off-Topic - If You Are Offended Then Mute the Thread.”
I started this thread in order to provide information, and solicit input and feedback, about Atomic Energy Interest Group programs and activities. Cluttering it up with posts not relevant to that topic defeats the purpose. I’d start a new thread with a different title if I didn’t think the same thing would happen again.
Introduction to Atomic Energy
There have been some requests for a re-run of this lecture series, which I have been meaning to do. Looking at what I already have scheduled, & the upcoming holidays, I don’t consider it practical until January. (@Terrence)
Other Activities
I think there might be interest in a couple of things. Autoradiography — we could grow a plant hydroponically in a bed of those Japanese radium balls, so that it takes up radioactive material, & then press cuttings up against photographic film. When developed, these pictures would show the distribution of the radioactive material in the plant. Isotope Fingerprinting — Josh Baptist has told me he is going to bring me a multichannel pulse-height analyzer. With this & a scintillator, it is possible to identify specific radioactive materials by their characteristic gamma energies. I think this would make a very interesting demonstration, possibly in combination with the autoradiography (to give an idea of what radioactives are present in the beads, & which of those are taken up by the plant).
Membership
Is there anybody besides me willing to be listed under “Interest Group Members” on the Wiki?
I’m not sure whether any of our DMS Committees charge dues, but an Interest Group cannot in reason do so. So the only cost is whatever value you might put on not being on some NSA list somewhere…
