In the 22nd installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous open with a surprising PSA: radon gas, not reactors, is the deadliest radiation risk most people face—linked to roughly 21 000 lung-cancer deaths a year in North America—yet few homeowners even test for it. From cheap basement monitors to Canada’s uranium-rich soils, they lay out what listeners can do today. The conversation then shifts underground—literally—to deep-geological repositories. Finland’s Onkalo vault may soon become the world’s first “forever” dump, but Goran argues its tidy economics hinge on having just two nearby plants, nothing like the sprawl of ninety U.S. reactors. Michael counters that America’s stalled Yucca Mountain project shows one national site is politically impossible, while hauling fuel across state lines or Indigenous lands would likely push costs from today’s US $0.1–2 per MWh (on-site dry casks) to four-plus cents. Together they ask: if decades of safe, cheap on-site storage already exist, are DGRs solving a real safety gap or simply buying expensive peace of mind? Tune in for a brisk, number-driven debate that challenges nuclear orthodoxy and reminds us sometimes the safest place for waste is right where it sits.

In the 21st installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous debrief day one of MIT & CATF’s “Nuclear Energy: Key Facts & Figures” summit. They break down why levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) misses the true system price tag, compare the wildly different financing models behind Olkiluoto-3, Hinkley Point C, Barakah, and Turkey’s Akkuyu plant, and marvel at uranium’s 50-million-to-1 energy-density edge over coal. The conversation then turns to small-modular reactors: how venture capital might finally enter the game, whether water-cooled LEU designs will crowd out exotic sodium- or lead-cooled concepts, and why a handful of winners could dominate an “SMR buffet” of 900 possible variants. Along the way they swap first impressions of D.C. and wrestle with industry pessimism on whether this moment really is the last nuclear renaissance. Tune in for a conference-floor download packed with numbers, nuance, and a dash of travelogue.

In the 20th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co‑hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous mark their double‑digit milestone by tackling Europe’s sudden rethink on atomic energy. From Italy’s plan to end its 40‑year ban, to Germany’s flirtation with SMRs after a decade of phase‑outs, to Spain’s soul‑searching after the Iberian blackout, they ask what’s really driving the policy U‑turn: AI‑supercharged demand, the shock of Russian gas, or a belated recognition of grid physics? Along the way they spar over free‑market theory versus regulatory reality, debate whether large PWRs or factory‑built 300‑MW modules make more sense for Europe’s patchwork grids, and game‑out the labour, fuel‑cycle and supply‑chain bottlenecks that could stall a renaissance. There’s even room for golf handicaps, sleep‑apnea LSAT prep, and a lively dog‑versus‑cat detour. Tune in for a wide‑ranging, policy‑packed conversation on how (and whether) nuclear can truly anchor Europe’s next‑generation power mix—and why the clock is already ticking.