Atomic Show #343 – Yasir Arafat, CTO Aalo Atomics
In this episode Rod Adams talks with Yasir Arafat, CTO and co‑founder of Allo Atomics, about the company’s mission to revolutionize nuclear power by building small modular reactors at factory speed and lower cost. Arafat explains their “speed of physics” culture—parallel development, extreme ownership, and rapid, factory‑based construction that let them design, fabricate, and commission a reactor in weeks, not years, while maintaining rigorous safety standards. He also details why Allo chose a liquid‑sodium coolant over traditional pressurized water reactors, citing dramatically shorter manufacturing times, thinner‑walled vessels, and superior thermal performance. The discussion highlights the broader industry challenge of reducing nuclear economics and deployment timelines, and how Allo’s approach aims to break those barriers.
Atomic Show #341 – Ho Nieh, Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
In this episode, NRC Chair Ho Nieh discusses his personal journey into nuclear—from a family legacy of welders to a Navy nuclear program and a career at the NRC—while outlining the agency’s shift toward an "enabling" regulatory approach. He emphasizes...
Atomic Show #340 – Zion Lights, Author of “Energy Is Life”
In this episode, host Rod Adams talks with Zion Lights, author of *Energy is Life* and former Extinction Rebellion spokesperson, about her dramatic shift from anti‑nuclear activism to championing nuclear power as a vital tool for decarbonisation. Lights recounts a...