Public engagement
The Making of ‘The Atom: A Love Affair’; A Long-Held Dream Becoming a Reality
In the mid-2000s, arts graduate Vicki Lesley was unhappy in TV; stuck creating morally grey TV programmes for the likes of Sky & Channel 4, such as ASBO Fever, which relied on taking advantage of the less fortunate. However, in 2006, she had an idea to make a real difference to the world, and thus […]
Myth Busting the Nuclear Industry
Author: Charley Nevin, University of Sheffield With the majority of the population getting the lion’s share of their information about nuclear power from The Simpsons, it is no wonder there is a great deal of misinformation out there about the industry. From green, glowing fish, to highly unskilled control room operators, there is plenty in […]
Nuclear Scientists Take Over Manchester Science + Industry Museum
Author: Abbie McCarrick, University of Liverpool. With thanks to Manchester Science + Industry Museum, Siemens & GREEN CDT. In September, a group of PhD students from GREEN CDT (Growing Reliable Economic Energy from nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training) visited Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum to deliver numerous exciting activities for young people and adults, themed […]
Taking nuclear research to primary school
Author: Megan Watters, PhD student, The University of Manchester. Earlier this month, a few of the Dalton Nuclear Institute researchers went on an outreach road trip to the leafy village of Rode Heath in Cheshire. We first had a great talk from James, introducing the topic of nuclear energy to the primary school students. It […]
An Introduction to Nuclear Regulation in the UK
On the surface, nuclear regulation within the UK appears to be a complicated web of acts, laws, regulatory bodies and acronyms. Hopefully, this breakdown will help to demystify this important aspect of our nuclear and radiological industries. In order to regulate an industry, there needs to be rules which govern the activities and there needs […]
Chernobyl Zone of Alienation
Having discussed the engineering and installation of the Chernobyl NSC, it is important to keep in mind the lasting impact of the accident on the local population and the surrounding environment. Ellis Rintoul examines the Chernobyl exclusion zone and the future of this vast area of contaminated land. The Zone of Alienation, commonly known as the […]
Chernobyl NSC: A Test of Time
The nuclear accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has been discussed previously on Hitchhiker, with features mainly focusing on the immediate history of the disaster. Today, the Chernobyl site remains a concern within the nuclear industry, and the containment of radioactive material is crucial when considering environmental and social impact. The Chernobyl New Safe Confinement (NFC) is designed […]
Introducing: Chernobyl New Safe Confinement
This month we will be discussing the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement and what impact the new construction might have on public and scientific opinion of the disaster. Mark Williams introduces the NSC with a short piece on why the arch is necessary. Many will have seen the time-lapse above and noticed an unusually positive response (for nuclear) to the […]
Five years since Fukushima: inconsistency, indecision and in-house fighting fuelling the media frenzy.
By Helena S Davies It is just over five years since the Fukushima Diiachi explosion, caused by the impact of the earthquake derived tsunami that devastated the east coast of Japan, on March 11th, 2011 and a question was posed to me with regards to reflecting on how the media responded to the disaster. After […]
Nuclear Power in Fiction
Nuclear power is emotive, some artists use this to produce some of the most pervasive and fascinating media. Daniel Cooper takes us through, and critiques, some of the media he’s been consuming lately. Occupied Occupied (or Okkupert) is a Norwegian TV series which aired recently in the UK on Sky Arts. In the near future, […]