Show Notes
How did we figure out that such a tiny particle—an atom—held all that power? For that matter, what is an atom? A primer on the basics of atomic energy—including its destructive capabilities—to help us better understand the events that unfolded roughly 20 years later at SL-1. We’ll get a (basic!) lesson in nuclear physics from scientists, and explore some of the history that brought atomic power to the Idaho desert. *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks. *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/
More from Wild Thing
The 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film has long been considered some of the best proof of Bigfoot's existence. But now, a new documentary provides evidence that the film might be a big fake. We hear from Marq Evans and Tamir Ardon—the director and producer of "Capturing Bigfoot" about what they learned and how this new information came to light.
In the 1990s, a teenager named David Hahn set out to earn his Atomic Energy Merit Badge. For a science whiz like him, the requirements were too easy, so he decided to make his own challenge: build a nuclear reactor in his own backyard. Journalist Ken Silverstein is the author of The Radioactive Boy Scout and he joins us to tell the tale. *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks. *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/
Most people consider Three Mile Island to be American’s worst nuclear accident. But the actual legacy of that incident is much more complex than than many of us realize, as historian Natasha Zaretsky, author of Radiation Nation, points out. *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks. *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/
In this bonus episode, we hear from author Richard Rhodes. His best known book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, won a Pulitzer Prize. It's about the Manhattan Project, but as Rhodes explains, there's a lot of history leading up to that moment, starting back in the 19th century. *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks. *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/
Transparency has always been something of a gray area in the history of nuclear fission. It made sense to keep this knowledge a secret during World War II. But afterwards, it seemed that citizens should have had the right to know what their country was involved in and how it affected them. Dr. Sarah Robey is the author of Atomic Americans: Citizens in a Nuclear State and she sits down with us to talk about transparency and trust in the nuclear age. *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks. *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/