For the first time in seven years, the Idaho National Laboratory and Idaho Falls hosted National Nuclear Science Week, which occurs annually the third week of October.
Any U.S. city with a strong connection to the atom can apply to host the national Nuclear Science Week event. A lot has changed since 2017, the last time Idaho Falls was chosen, but the goal of Nuclear Science Week remains the same: to educate young people about nuclear energy, in particular.
Nuclear Science Week began in 2010 after the Smithsonian-affiliated National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque and industry partners decided that a special week was a good way to communicate the message of the museum to a greater number of people. While smaller celebrations take place across the country, each year a different city hosts the national event. Recent events have taken place in Washington, DC (2021), Ann Arbor, Michigan (2022), and San Diego (2023).
“When we received Idaho’s application, it was a perfect fit, especially since it’s INL’s 75th anniversary,” said Jennifer Hayden, president and CEO of the museum.
Idaho Falls’ list of activities began with a reception Oct. 21 at the INL Meeting Center. Local officials, business people and students were invited to meet with Hayden, INL leaders and staff, as well as Maddox Turner, an Arizona State University student who won a trip to the national event as a finalist in a multimedia competition sponsored by the INL.
A materials science engineering major, Turner said he became interested in nuclear power after visiting the University of Maryland Training Reactor, a water-cooled pool-style nuclear reactor used to research and education.
“I was able to see Cherenkov radiation for the first time and found it incredible,” he said. Cherenkov radiation is the blue glow that occurs electromagnetically when charged particles move faster than light in a transparent medium such as water.
Turner’s video, “5 Misconceptions About Nuclear Power,” addresses questions like whether it’s legal to own uranium (if it’s just ore, yes; it is enriched, no); if nuclear power creates more pollution than other sources (no); whether a melting nuclear power plant can explode like a nuclear bomb (again, no); if it is unreliable and dangerous (it is one of the safest forms of electricity generation with the highest capacity all year round); and whether radioactive materials glow on their own (no, uranium glows under black light, just like peanut butter).
“Nuclear power has so much stigma,” he said. “In reviewing the facts, I found many things to be unjustified. »
On Tuesday, October 23, the spotlight shifted to the Idaho Museum, where the Idaho Chapter of the American Nuclear Society welcomed STEM to the museum. IANS is not affiliated with INL, but its membership includes many INL employees and the laboratory is a strong supporter. The museum event aimed to make science, technology, engineering and math fun for younger students. About 500 young people, many from more rural communities outside of Idaho Falls, attended the event.
“It exposes kids to things they might not otherwise be exposed to,” said Bernadette Robin, communications director for the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. “They are the workforce of the future, and if this can inspire them to pursue STEM-related careers, that’s what we’re aiming for.”
“They love it,” said Kristi Corless, who teaches third and fourth grade at AW Johnson Elementary School in Firth.
Corless watched his students touch a Van de Graaff generator and listened to them laugh as it made a classmate’s hair stand up. “We don’t have anything like this at our school,” she said. “It’s fun to see them engaged and listening.”
To conclude the week, the INL organized two family evenings on nuclear science, on Thursday October 24 and Friday October 25. Launched in 2015, the event became so popular that a second evening was added for this year’s Nuclear Science Week festivities. It provides families with the opportunity to meet scientists and engineers, participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations, and meet others in the nuclear industry. Activities and events include building atoms, learning about radiological monitoring, making chromatography butterflies, exploring INL’s interactive STEM trailer, and visiting information booths. Activities are led by INL researchers and representatives of the nuclear industry, universities and other public organizations.
“This is precisely what Nuclear Science Week was created for: to bring nuclear power to people outside of the lab,” Hayden said. “INL does an incredible job reaching out to the community.”
During her visit, she was able to see the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I and the Advanced Test Reactor for the first time. The magnitude of what she saw was not lost on her. “This is where it all started, and it’s so inspiring,” she said.
