My Nuclear Life

Join Shelly Lesher and Nathan Radke as they discuss how the Black Brant, Canadian designed, multi-stage rocket almost ended us in January 1995 (The Black Brant Scare). Did Boris Yeltsin have a heroic moment or was he full of vodka? Along the way we find out where Shelly & Nathan were in the 90s and what they were and were not doing.

In this episode, Nathan Radke and Shelly are joined by Lee Kuhnle to discuss the last few months of 1983. Today you should celebrate Stanislav Petrov Day (September 26) and not participate in a nuclear simulation.

It wasn't the mullets or shoulder pads but how close the world came to nuclear annihilation. Join Shelly and Nathan Radke as they discuss what happened in 1983 and why you should have been scared. Very, very scared.

Project Paperclip; or how the US gave citizenship to Nazi scientists so we could build rockets to get to the moon and defeat the Soviets. This episode will explore this project with Brian Crim, PhD, Professor for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College.

Who are the JASONS? What do they do and can Shelly ever fulfill her dream of becoming one? Find out on this episode with Ann Finkbeiner.

What is going on with all the missing scientists? Should we be worried? Should Shelly be worried? Is there a Mayor McCheese secret plot? Join Nathan & Lee from the Uncover Up as they check in on Shelly to make sure she is ok.

In this joint episode with The Uncover Up Nathan Radke and Shelly Lesher try to shock each other with the different ways humans have tried or will try to destroy us all. Watch the episode on Youtube at YouTube

Nathan Radke (The Uncover Up) and Shelly Lesher discuss the B-36. You can email us or support us on Patreon
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On the 40th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, we rerelease this episode with a new introduction to include Ron McNair articles from his home, N.C. A&T Physics.

See what happens when Shelly talks to smarty-pants Jim Gates, says she is not going to talk about String Theory and immediately asks questions about String Theory. Hear about String Theory’s Doppelganger, the history of black holes, fulfilling a dream of riding the Trans-Siberian Railroad, and how it all comes back to nuclear physics.

How likely is it that the US will restart nuclear testing? How much time would it take? You might be surprised by the answers. Join Shelly as she discusses this and other topics with Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. And we find out - things can get much worse.

Lee Kuhln and Nathan Radke join Shelly to talk about the No. 1 Netflix movie - House of Dynamite and answer the question, "Is the movie Dyn-o-mite"?

How close were the Germans to building an atomic bomb? What went wrong? Listen to the conversation with historian Mark Walker to find out more.

Not actually a bunker but a fallout shelter under the Greenbrier Hotel in the hills of West Virginia. Shelly visits the bunker and then speaks with the manager of bunker tours and historian Deanna Hylton.

James Patrick Thomas speaks to Shelly about his walk for nuclear disarmament in 1981 which lasted 20 months. Along with 18-19 other pilgrims, James left Washington and journeyed to Bethlehem, walking over 6,700 miles. We hear about his decision to undertake such a monumental task, how the group made a major decision, and if Shelly would do the same thing. >> The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the sponsoring agencies

Shelly meets up with Lee Kuhnle and Nathan Radke in Toronto to discuss the ethics behind human radiation experiments. We redefine what "fun" means, Nathan shows off his "ethics" knowledge, and Lee makes the Vatican proud.

What do you think a nuclear physicist does every day? Lone genius or social butterfly? Listen to find out how Dr Kelly Chipps of Oak Ridge National Laboratory fills her time.

“As all these stories do, it started with a radioactive animal dump in Albuquerque,” is the best first line of a story I have ever heard. Listen as Eileen Welsome and Shelly Lesher discuss some of the medical experiments the US government funded on its own citizens involving radiation without their consent over the decades.

Ann Kordas joins Shelly to discuss the gendered roles of boys and girls during the Cold War and how children were taught to protect themselves from nuclear annihilation through toys, sitcoms, and government messaging.

Ever wonder what to buy with your Christmas money? Need a nuclear themed gift for that nerd in your family? Look no further, Shelly and her friend and fellow nuke, Kelly Chipps found lots of items for you to purchase from eBay to Amazon.

On December 29, 2024 humanitarian, nuclear engineer, and the 39th president of the US passed away at 100 years old. Please enjoy this rerelease of Episode 35.

If you were alive at the time, you remember an o-ring caused the January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion 73 seconds after take off. But was it that simple? Adam Higginbotham discusses his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space and see how much you really know about that day.

This episode was recorded in Toronto with Nathan Radke and Lee Kuhnle from the UnCover Up Podcast and special guest Nina Weston (a young person). We brainstorm some additional ideas on how to "hide" our nuclear waste far into the future.

Find Matt Caplan's podcast where every you find us.

Learn about the nuclear horror movie Threads with author Bob Mielke and his new book from Die Die books https://diediebooks.com/products/threads1984

Enter our contest to out crazy the crazy email: [email protected] and join My Nuclear Life and The UnCoverUp at our Documentary Premiere. For free tickets email: [email protected]

What role has Uranium played in our society? Who was "hotter than radioactive yams"? What do fashionable Uranium prospectors wear? Lucy Santos answers these questions and more when she joins Shelly on this episode.

What if you discovered warning signs of something very dangerous buried deep underground from an ancient civilization? Would you believe the item was dangerous or would you think it was valuable treasure? Would you continue exploring? Find out what could be buried and what Drs. Caplan and Lesher would do with the knowledge. Send an email us to My Nuclear Life or visit our website mynuclearlife.com. Please leave a 5-star review on iTunes and subscribe to My Nuclear Life wherever you listen to podcasts.

Physicist and activist, Frank von Hippel discusses his career in arms control and what the future may hold for the world. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for Peace and Security.

Two corrections – 1) The Nuclear Weapons Freeze march was from the UN to Central park and 2) The banner in the Freeze march said 177 out of 195 towns voted for the Freeze in Vermont, not 193 out of 197.

Our team returns to the Soviet Union to take data on the Slava. We hear about the spectroscopy of a nuclear weapon and the legacy of the Black Sea Experiment.

Guests include: Steve Fetter, Frank von Hippel, and Tom Cochran

This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for Peace and Security.

This episode sets the stage for the Black Sea Experiment. We are introduced to Tom Cochran and Frank von Hippel, two people who had a hand in changing the way the US viewed arms control verification. This episode introduces seismic verification, used to verify nuclear tests for decades. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for Peace and Security.

Shelly continues her stay in Tbilisi, Georgia and speaks to two Physicists, Giorgia Japaridz (Illia State Univ.) and Revaz Shanidze (Tbilisi State Univ). They discuss what life as a physicist was like under Soviet rule and after Georgian independence. Along the way we learn about scientists who protected nuclear material when security fled, why the Institute’s reactor was unique, and find out how to survive in post-Soviet times. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for Peace and Security.

Spend time with Shelly and two guest as she travels to Tbilsi, Georgia. First she discusses storytelling and Georgian’s atomic Odyssey with Shorena Lortkipanidze from the Civil Council on Defense and Security (Tbilsi, Georgia). Next, Mariam Chabashvidi explains her love for computer programming after Georgian independence and how she became an invaluable member of the nuclear science team at the Institute of Physics in Tbilsi, Georgia. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for Peace and Security.

Start the New Year off with a bang. Join Shelly & Miss America 2023, nuclear engineer, and fellow Badger Grace Stanke to discuss a range of topics.

What makes Edward Teller tick? Find out with physical chemist and author Istvan Hargittai on this episode.

Physics Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland talks about all things lasers, how lasers relate to nuclear physics, and explains why she had to pay the long-distance bill to Sweden.