About this episode
What the if there was a nuclear reactor on the moon? NASA wants to launch a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor to the lunar surface before 2030, powerful enough to run about 80 households. From the terrifying "tickling the dragon's tail" experiments at Los Alamos where scientists held uranium chunks apart with just a screwdriver, to the reality that plutonium feels "like holding a rabbit" when you touch it, explore how chain reactions work and why control rods keep reactors from exploding. Because nothing says "home sweet home" like splitting atoms 240,000 miles from Earth.
Based on "NASA Is Getting Fired Up About a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon" by Kenneth Chang, published in The New York Times on Aug. 6, 2025 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/science/nasa-nuclear-reactor-moon.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ck8.Dvm_.ld6cKROnhA6r&smid=url-share
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Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story!
Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention
The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention
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