Naked Nuclear
Stripping down nuclear energy so it actually makes sense. Interviews with engineers, educators, and advocates about nuclear careers, reactor tech, and the people building our clean energy future.
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33
June 16, 2025
Nuclear 101: How this Sold Out Course was Built for Beginners
In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Dr. Rebecca Steinman, PhD and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) to explore Nuclear 101—a hands-on, introductory course designed not just for engineers, but for anyone curious about the nuclear energy industry. Whether you're a welder, museum curator, communicator, or career changer, this episode reveals why now is the perfect time to step into nuclear. We also explore ANS's broader efforts in workforce development, including the Ce
38
Aug. 7, 2025
Build Your Next Career at BWXT: Job Talk with Bob Duffy
What makes someone stay at the same company for decades — or even generations? In this episode of Naked Nuclear, we sit down with Bob Duffy, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of BWX Technologies (BWXT), to explore what's behind the company's incredibly low attrition rate, its investment in early talent, and how it's preparing for the next generation of nuclear professionals. Bob shares how BWXT is going beyond traditional hiring — building weld schools in high schoo
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Aug. 18, 2025
Now Offering: Recruiting Services with Nuclear Talent Scout
Breaking into the nuclear industry can feel overwhelming, from specialized certifications and security clearances to jobs that never even make it to job boards. In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle shares an exciting new partnership with Nuclear Talent Scout, the premier recruiting firm focused exclusively on nuclear energy. Together, Naked Nuclear and Nuclear Talent Scout are planting the seeds for the next generation of the nuclear workforce. From free resources at nucleartalent
Recent Episodes
62
July 31, 2026
Follow The Friday: Nuclear Down Under with Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider accidentally became a nuclear professional at 17 when a sarcastic answer to a Navy recruiter — "only if you have nuclear power" — launched a 20-year career. He went on to serve as a nuclear electronics technician, make chief petty officer, earn his commission as a nuclear-powered limited-duty officer, and operate reactors on three submarines and an aircraft carrier. Now he's the Chief Nuclear Officer at UBH Group, and his current mission is one of the most unusual in the indust
61
July 20, 2026
Ukrainian War Refugee to Microreactor Entrepreneur: Building the N1 with Jonas Helwig
Jonas Helwig is Swedish-born, French-passport-holding, and was living in Ukraine when the war started. He fled with his wife and their newborn daughter, ended up in Buenos Aires by accident, and his neighbor turned out to be a nuclear energy manufacturer. Over dinner conversations with a pen and paper, they sketched out the N1, and Jonas joined the company. That's how Nuclearis Energy started. In this episode, Jonas walks us through the N1 micromodular reactor: what it is, how it solves the ef
1
July 13, 2026
Season 4 Sneak Peak! How to Scale Nuclear Energy with Ross-Matzkin-Bridger
SNEAK PEAK! Season 4 of Naked Nuclear is about the infrastructure underneath nuclear energy, the laws, regulations, economics, and institutions most people never think about. Ross Matzkin-Bridger is exactly the right person to open that conversation. As Senior Director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a senior advisor at the Nuclear Scaling Initiative, Ross has spent 11 years in U.S. government bouncing between nuclear nonproliferation and energy policy. He grew up near reactors in Michigan
60
June 22, 2026
After-Pop! Wait... Should We Recycle Used Nuclear Fuel? The History, Economics, and Proliferation concerns
Ed McGinnis said something in our last episode that's hard to shake: 96% of the energy in spent nuclear fuel has never been touched. The physics checks out. But what happens when countries actually try to get that energy back? This After Pop digs into the history of nuclear fuel recycling, not the theory, but the track record. France, the UK, Japan. Staggering sums of money. Complicated results. And a 1977 executive order that changed everything. We break down what PUREX actually does, why Jim
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June 15, 2026
It's Not Actually Waste: How CURIO is Tackling the Nuclear Waste Problem with Ed McGinnis
Imagine filling up your car at a gas station in Washington, DC, and heading toward Richmond. Twenty miles down the road, you pull over, call a tow truck, and scrap the car, with 96% of the fuel still in the tank. That's what we do with nuclear fuel in the United States right now. Ed McGinnis is the CEO of Curio and a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Energy. He's spent decades in nuclear policy and energy security, and he's now building something that could change how we think ab
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June 8, 2026
After-Pop! Megawatts Thermal vs Electric?
Dr. John Zino stood in front of a room of engineers, technicians, and career-changers and told them a nuclear reactor is "just boiling water." Jaws dropped. Really? That's it? Well, yes. And also, that little word "just" is hiding one of the most elegant chains in all of engineering. In this After Pop explainer, we follow a single uranium atom from the moment it splits to the moment your phone starts charging. Fission to heat. Heat to steam. Steam to a spinning shaft. Spinning shaft to electri
Recent Blog Posts
May 29, 2026
Follow Them Friday: How Nick Touran Built the Internet's Best Nuclear Energy Guide
Follow Them Friday: How Nick Touran Built the Internet's Best Nuclear Energy Guide If you have ever typed "what is nuclear" into a search engine, chances are good that Nick Touran already answered your question -- years ago, for free, with a level …
Aug. 6, 2025
Your Reference Guide to Scholarships in Nuclear (Engineering, Welding, Physics, & More)
The Ultimate Guide to Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships in Nuclear and STEM [Updated 8/6/25] Whether you're fresh out of high school, transitioning careers, or deep into a grad program, one thing is clear—school is expensive. But here's the goo…
May 26, 2025
Find Your Nuclear Fit: Career Exploration Tools for the Future of Energy
In our latest episode of Naked Nuclear, we sat down with Dr. Fiona Rayment, OBE—a global leader in nuclear energy and workforce development. From leading research at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory to advising international energy policy, Fiona…
About the Hosts
Danielle Allen
Podcast Host & Creator
Hey, I’m Danielle Allen—firefighter, paramedic, commercial pilot, and host of Naked Nuclear. I’ve taught physics in Vietnam, trained as a flight instructor, and was once cast for a Discovery Channel-affiliated spaceflight show (RIP). After years of chasing adrenaline and saving lives, I realized the next frontier wasn’t just the sky—it was energy.
Naked Nuclear is my mission to strip down nuclear energy so it actually makes sense. We break past the fear, jargon, and politics to explore what nuclear really is, why it matters, and how it’s shaping the future. I interview engineers, ethicists, and industry pioneers to open the doors for curious minds who want in—whether you're switching careers or just nuclear-curious.
Whether I’m free-diving with sea creatures, climbing Denali, or decoding reactor systems in my nuclear engineering classes, I’m all in. The future is electric—and nuclear is the quiet giant behind it. Let’s get you up to speed.
Jackson H.
Nature loving, nuclear enthusiast, just here to support the mission.