This episode of Nuclear Matters takes us to Montebello Island, a former UK nuclear weapons test site off the coast of Western Australia. Our guest is Madison Williams-Hoffman – or Maddy, for short. Maddy is a postdoctoral fellow at the Radinnovate ARC Training Centre for Radiation Innovation at ANU. She uses chemistry to explore how plutonium from the weapons tests carried out in that region have moved through the marine environment.

She has kindly joined us to talk us through what she’s found, and help us understand why it matters for our explorations of future uses of nuclear technologies.

Credits

Guest: Madison Williams-Hoffman

Host: Liz Williams

Audio producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Contacts

If you are interested in projects and wish to contact Maddy about collaborating or joining the group as a student, you can reach her via the email on this webpage.

Further reading

• The Guardian article on Maddy's work
• The paper mentioned in the article (with Maddy as lead author)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Nanda Dasgupta for introducing us to Maddy.

Errata

Maddy flagged that the Plutonium ratio they usually look at is 240Pu/239Pu, rather than 239Pu/240Pu.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at nuclearmatterspodcast@anu.edu.au.

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

What do you think about radioactive waste? This is a question that most nuclear professionals need to consider at some point in their careers. In today’s episode, Tellus CEO and Managing Director Nate Smith joins us to talk about what it’s like to establish a radioactive waste facility in Australia. We learn about what radioactive waste is, the many industrial processes –including clean energy technologies –that produce it, and some of the ways this waste is managed. Nate also shares insights into consent-based siting, community engagement with Traditional Owners, and the importance of building trust.

CREDITS

Guest: Nate Smith

Host: Elizabeth Williams

Producers: Julieanne Dougherty, Elizabeth Williams

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge the help of Ryan Bloxsom in the production of this episode.

Article on the Deep Borehole Disposal method: Available here

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at nuclearmatterspodcast@anu.edu.au.

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

In this episode, we explore how education in nuclear science can serve as a bridge between nations.

I’ve invited Dr AJ Mitchell, an experimental nuclear physicist here at the ANU, to help us with this exploration.

AJ’s journey into international nuclear education began with a simple email—an unexpected opportunity that led to meaningful collaborations with Myanmar and Cambodia that supported nuclear research and education in contexts very different from his own.

Credits:

Guest: AJ Mitchell

Host: Liz Williams

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at nuclearmatterspodcast@anu.edu.au.

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.