Episode 13: Exploring Astronomy Through the Eyes of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering

Join host Pranet Sharma as he sits down for the first-ever double feature! Meet Dr. Thad Leister, a chemical engineer in the industry, and Dr. John Zino, a nuclear engineer in the industry and a professor at NC State University, as we discuss the intersection of astronomy and chemical/nuclear engineering. Topics include: how nuclear power is within society, medical and military applications of nuclear science, how nuclear science is essential for oncology, the applications of chemical engineering, how nuclear science laid the foundation for cosmology, fusion, and spacecraft, sustaining thermonuclear reactions, spectroscopy and element identification, the ethics of science redux, cosmic radiation and ionization, the interdisciplinary impacts of astronomy, how fission is critical for astronomy, how radiation is the biggest barrier to overcome for interplanetary travel, nuclear propulsion techniques, nuclear power in submarines vs. in spacecraft, surface and propulsion reactors, and why interdisciplinarity is the most important cornerstone of education. 

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