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This week, we take a break from nuclear power to talk about larger systems: those of Planet Earth. Professor Andy Knoll, renowned Harvard geologist and author of "A Brief History of Earth," reveals how life itself has shaped Earth's chemistry, climate, and geology. From the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere to the potential colonization of Mars, we explore the constant and delicate dance between life and the planet. Order "A Brief History of Earth": https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-brief-history-of-earth-andrew-h-knoll?variant=40550396887074 Episode title on podcast players: "Cycles of Life" Read extended shownotes on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/decouple/p/cycles-of-life Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:16 The Great Oxygenation Event 09:20 The Nitrogen Cycle 16:52 Phosphate Cycles 22:12 Snowball Earth 29:32 The Carbon Cycle 41:40 Elemental Shortages 46:59 Colonizing Mars 50:34 Human Ingenuity, Action, and Inaction 55:36 Outro

This week, we talk High Temperature Gas Reactors, or HTGRs, with a Decouple favorite: reactor designer and nuclear historian Nick Touran. From the first conceptual sketch of an HTGR in wartime labs to today’s revival by players like X-energy and China’s fast-moving reactor fleet, we dissect what makes HTGRs unique—both in engineering promise and the difficulties that have long haunted their success. With helium cooling, TRISO fuel, and ambitions beyond electricity into process heat and industrial decarbonization, HTGRs may be poised for a comeback. But will history repeat itself, or finally break the cycle? Enjoy longer shownotes, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://www.decouple.media Episode title on podcast platforms: Hard Lessons with Hot Helium Follow Nick Touran @whatisnuclear : • What Is Nuclear: https://whatisnuclear.com/about.html • X: https://x.com/whatisnuclear Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:31 HTGR Basics 06:21 Low-temperature Gas Reactors 07:53 Farrington Daniels' brainchild 13:54 Why HTGRs are interesting 24:57 HTGRs in history 35:44 Technical challenges 43:33 The importance of just building 45:26 German HTGRs 51:28 Chinese HTGRs 55:24 Reactor lifespans 58:03 Process heat 1:07:09 Fuel challenges 1:10:08 The future of HTGRs: China v. the West

This week, we talk tools. With precision machinist Noah Rettberg, we explore a facet of modernity arguably as important as energy, for it is the technology that energy powers and the technology that makes that technology: machine tools. Noah draws from his professional knowledge and passion for history to take us from Roman metallurgy through the guild-protected craftsmanship of medieval Europe to the steam-powered revolution in machining to the cutting edge of modern metalworking tools. Riveting! Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media

This week, we talk radiation—the elephant in the room during many conversations about nuclear power. Nick Touran, a reactor designer and nuclear historian, helps us along. While nuclear advocates have made remarkable strides in dispelling public fears about radiation, Touran warns against the pendulum swinging too far toward complacency. We explore why maintaining a healthy respect for radiation remains crucial even as we champion nuclear power's expansion. Episode title on podcast players: Respect the Rads Read the extended show notes on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/decouple/p/respect-the-rads Links: Oh, My Darling Clementine: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=college_of_sciences_graduate_student_research What Is Nuclear: @whatisnuclear https://whatisnuclear.com/ Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 08:02 The hazards of overpromising on safety 11:50 Radiation isn't fun and games 21:13 Orders of magnitude of radiation 27:58 Geiger counter demonstration 33:03 Shielding radiation 41:53 Implications for advocates 46:54 How accidents changed reactor designs and regulation 56:26 Perceptions matter 1:08:11 Radioisotopic Thermal Generators 1:13:49 The Enron Egg 1:19:13 Outro

Molten Salt Reactors are often portrayed as nuclear’s great missed opportunity, promising unparalleled safety, efficiency, and fuel sustainability. But are these promises reality or hype? Nick Touran, reactor designer and nuclear historian, joins me to tell the complex story behind molten salt reactors—from their ambitious beginnings during Cold War nuclear airplane experiments to the realities of managing radioactive liquid fuels. This conversation clears the mist around one of nuclear's most intriguing yet misunderstood technologies. Read more in-depth show notes on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/decouple/p/pass-the-salt Remote Maintenance of Molten Salt Reactors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHT-w2x6dDg Thorium Myths: https://whatisnuclear.com/thorium-myths.html Episode title on podcast platforms: Pass the Salt Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:40 Historical Context of Molten Salt Reactors 04:15 The Aircraft Reactor Experiment 06:48 Challenges and Innovations in Reactor Design 20:25 Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) 36:55 Nuclear Waste Challenges in Molten Salt Reactors 37:46 Remote Maintenance and Operational Challenges 40:23 Thermal Stresses and Chemical Complexities 45:51 The Cultural Mystique of Molten Salt Reactors 47:36 Kirk Sorensen and Nuclear Advocacy 53:57 Debunking Thorium Myths 57:59 Global Developments and Future Prospects for Molten Salt Reactors

This week, we talk Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) with James Krellenstein, the CEO of Alva Energy. We dive into the engineering, history, and physics of these reactors, how they differ from other designs, and why the United States may have erred in not choosing the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) instead of the Westinghouse AP-1000 for the Vogtle nuclear power plant. Check out longer show notes, including the BORAX experiment video, on Substack: https://www.decouple.media/p/better-water-reactors For this episode, we’ve included a glossary below to help with unfamiliar terms: • ABWR: Advanced Boiling Water Reactor • ATWS: Anticipated Transient Without Scram • BORAX experiments: Historical experiments testing reactor limits through deliberate failures • BWR: Boiling Water Reactor • COPS: Containment Overpressure Protection System • CRDM: Control Rod Drive Mechanism • ESBWR: Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor • FLEX: Diverse and Flexible Coping Strategies (post-Fukushima enhancements) • FOAK: First of a kind • IGSCC: Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking • NOAK: N-nth of a kind • NRC: Nuclear Regulatory Commission • NSSS: Nuclear Steam Supply System (N Triple-S) • PRA: Probabilistic Risk Assessment • PWR: Pressurized Water Reactor • RCIC: Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System • RPV: Reactor Pressure Vessel • SLC: Standby Liquid Control System Episode title on podcast players: "Better Water Reactors" Learn more about Alva Energy: https://alvaenergy.io/ Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media

This week, we talk industrial policy. Economist and author Steve Keen joins me to shine light on the present moment by exploring the historical use of tariffs and industrial policy in the development of industrial powers from Britain to China. In his usual style, Keen aims to dismantle the myths of free-market economics, explaining how virtually every successful industrial nation began with protectionist policies. With the US now engaged in a trade war with Canada and other nations under Trump's renewed tariffs, we examine whether such measures can effectively rebuild American industry without the comprehensive industrial policies that powered China's meteoric rise. Hint: Keen believes this simplistic tariff solutions may create more chaos than revival for America's industrial base. Watch Steve Keen on Youtube: @ProfSteveKeen Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media Chapters: 00:00 Teaser: Impact of Tariffs 00:49 Introduction 05:03 History of Tariffs and Industrial Policy 19:36 China's Industrial Strategy and Global Trade 32:26 The Rise of Japanese Motorbikes and Cars 34:07 China's Industrial Policy vs. Trump's Tariffs 34:59 Globalization and Its Complexities 38:01 Challenges of Reindustrializing America 51:27 Public vs. Private Debt and Economic Predictions

Today, we talk uranium nuclear fuel. I spoke with MIT's Professor Koroush Shirvan, who rejoins me after our first interview on Small Modular Reactors. Now, we dive into the hidden complexities of nuclear fuels. From early fuel experiments that saw uranium rods turn into spaghetti-like structures under neutron bombardment to the intricate economics shaping the future of fuels like TRISO, Shirvan offers clear insights into the realities behind nuclear power’s remarkable yet challenging fuel technologies. Keep watching to discover how history shaped today's dominant fuel choices, why accident-tolerant innovations are critical, and about the economic realities that could either launch or limit the nuclear renaissance. Episode title on podcast platforms: "Fuel for Thought" Listen to Koroush's previous Decouple appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDzaSucDg7k Listen to Decouple on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PNr3ml8nEQotWWavE9kQz • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decouple/id1516526694?uo=4 • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516526694/decouple • Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ehbfrn44 • RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/23775178/podcast/rss Website: https://www.decouple.media Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:05 Historical Evolution and Energy Density 09:44 Chemistry and Complexity of Nuclear Fuel 14:15 Why Uranium Oxide Dominates 21:09 Fuel Cladding Explained 29:23 Accidents and Fuel Failures 35:24 Challenges in Fuel Development 40:41 TRISO Fuel: Past, Present, and Potential 50:30 Economics of HALEU 01:05:37 Comparative Costs and Future Realities