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Intro to Nuclear Tech - Medicine, Power, Weapons, & Waste
Rating: 4.8 out of 5(7 ratings)
69 students

Intro to Nuclear Tech - Medicine, Power, Weapons, & Waste

Learn about the social benefits and ongoing challenges of nuclear technology with this enticing sample platter course
Created byWilliam Murray
Last updated 8/2023
English

What you'll learn

  • Learn the basics of radiation, nuclear fission, and nuclear fusion
  • Investigate how nuclear medicine is used to diagnose medical issues, fight breast cancer, and improve quality of life for patients
  • Discover how nuclear power provides 10% of the world's electricity without carbon emissions
  • See how nuclear weapons work and how world governments prevent their spread through the International Atomic Energy Agency
  • Define what exactly is inside nuclear waste and how it is managed by power plants, the US Department of Energy, and the US Department of Defense
  • See how space missions become powered with Radioisotope Thermal Generators and Advanced Nuclear Reactors

Course content

6 sections26 lectures1h 54m total length
  • Welcome to the Course!0:48

    Welcome to the course and I am happy you're here!

  • How to Learn in This Course1:03

    Students will learn the best practices needed to learn effectively in this course.

  • Basics of Radiation and Isotopes3:01

    Students will learn the fundamental vocabulary used by nuclear scientists and engineers and basic concepts about radiation.

  • Basics of Nuclear Fission and Fusion2:40

    Students will learn how nuclear fission and fusion works and how both processes produce energy.

  • Video Lecture - Chart of the Nuclides12:59

    Students will be introduced to the Chart of the Nuclides as a tool for navigating the list of known isotopes, stable and radioactive, and some physical properties associated with each isotope.

  • Join the Nuclear Learning Community on Discord0:24
  • Explore the Chart of the Nuclides

Requirements

  • No prerequisites are needed - the course is accessible to all adults with a high school level education.
  • No math will be required. Physics concepts will be explained at a basic level without math.

Description

What comes to your mind when you hear "nuclear"? The finale of World War II? Toxic waste that lasts for generations? Perhaps its something more positive - such as life saving medicine, or reliable carbon-free power that could be a major asset to fighting climate change?

I've been working in the nuclear industry for over 3 years now, and I get questions all the time from friends and family who want to know what my work is about. Not just my job as a Nuclear Engineer, but about my career - why do we use nuclear technology and why is there so much conflicting information about it? These questions are what led to the creation of this course - a simple and easy to understand introduction to the exciting world of nuclear technology.

In this self paced reading course, you'll discover:

  • Why radiation exists and how we can control it to our benefit

  • What causes nuclear fission and nuclear fission, and why splitting and fusing atoms both produce energy

  • How nuclear power fights climate change without generating carbon emissions

  • How doctors and cancer patients fight tumors with brachytherapy radiation treatments

  • How nuclear propulsion powers the US Navy's submarines and aircraft carriers

  • Who manages nuclear waste in the United States and how they plan to dispose of it in the long term

  • Who prevents nuclear weapons from falling into the wrong hands

Each section also has a simple assignment for you to complete to see how nuclear technology impacts your community - interview a patient who received radiation therapy, check out a research reactor at a university near you, or look up historical records about how the press responded to a nuclear weapon test done in your country. A new world will open up to you once you see how radiation is everywhere and that society is using nuclear technology to help improve everyone's lives!

By the end of this course, you'll become familiar enough with nuclear technology and vocabulary that you'll no longer be afraid when you see "nuclear" or "radiation" in the news or in your favorite video games - you'll know exactly what is going on and can proceed with confidence in what you know!

"I'm not good with science, there's no way I could understand something as crazy advanced as nuclear technology!"

Worry not! I wrote this course to be accessible for everyone without any of the confusing mathematics my college programs put me through. Each lesson will have helpful images to explain what you are reading, and there is an even more simplified summary at the end so you will know what is important to take away from the reading. I've also provided additional video and reading resources for you to check out in case my own explanations are too much! Still not sure? Check out some of the free previews of the course I've provided - they are a good way to see if you'll enjoy the type of learning I use to teach the fundamentals.

My name is William Roysdon Murray, and I got hooked on nuclear technology as a 15 year old high school student. I want this course to give you the same spark of hope and inspiration I felt when nuclear fission was first explained to me in my sophomore year chemistry class - if a high school student can eventually become a Nuclear Engineer, so can you!

Who this course is for:

  • This is an absolute beginner's course in nuclear science and engineering for the general public - all are welcome
  • High school students and young professionals curious about careers in nuclear science and engineering