Working Toward a Nuclear-Powered Africa With Princy Mthombeni

In much of Africa, the question isn't how to optimize the grid. It's how to build one at all. Princy Mthombeni grew up in a rural South African village without electricity until she was 14 and that experience shapes how she talks about energy today. As founder of Africa4Nuclear, Princy makes the case that nuclear isn't just a power source for the continent; it's a path to jobs, medicine, clean water, and so much more. Jordan talks with Princy about which African countries are moving fastest on nuclear, why the "just energy transition" framing misses the mark for developing nations, and why South Africa's own 40-year nuclear success story deserves way more attention than it gets.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Connect with Princy: LinkedIn | TikTok @princymthombeniMusic used in this episode was created by Beat MekanikFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener survey

A nuclear renaissance doesn't just happen on paper, it takes thousands of people to design, build, operate, and sustain it. In this episode, Jordan sits down with Callum Thomas, a workforce strategist and talent expert who works across the nuclear sector in the UK, Europe, and beyond, to explore one of the industry's most urgent and underappreciated challenges: building the human infrastructure behind the new era of nuclear growth. Callum breaks down what's actually happening across Europe right now and what it tells us when countries get serious about workforce planning. Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Thomas Thor Website: https://www.thomas-thor.com/Music used in this episode was created by Beat MekanikFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener survey

After Fukushima in 2011, Japan went from getting roughly a third of its electricity from nuclear power to running zero reactors for two full years- and spending $270 billion more on fossil fuel imports in the process. Today, Japan's government has reversed course, officially committing to maximize nuclear energy in its national strategic energy plan. Jane Nakano, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Jordan to unpack what actually drove that shift, from rising energy demand and AI-powered data centers to decades of careful, community-by-community rebuilding of trust. Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.CSIS Website: https://www.csis.org/Music used in this episode was created by Beat MekanikFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener survey

Germany shut down its last nuclear plants in 2023. Now, the country is asking whether that decision came at a cost. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan head to Germany to talk with educator and Mothers for Nuclear Deutschland co-founder, Britta Augustin, about the country’s changing nuclear conversation. From rising energy prices and economic pressure to shifting public opinion and growing political support, Britta explains why nuclear is once again becoming part of Germany’s energy debate.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Learn more about Nuklearia https://nuklearia.de/Music used in this episode was created by Beat MekanikFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener survey

Nuclear is having a global moment and this season of Fissionary is taking you around the world to understand why. In the Season 6 premiere, Mary and Jordan sit down with former diplomat and nuclear policy expert, Justin Friedman, to unpack the rapidly changing international nuclear landscape. From Europe and Southeast Asia to Africa and Latin America, countries are rethinking energy security, economic prosperity, and what it takes to build reliable power systems for the future.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Music used in this episode was created by Beat MekanikFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener survey

Pack your bags because Season 6 is going global! This season, Mary and Jordan travel around the world to explore how different countries are approaching nuclear energy and why the conversation is accelerating everywhere from Japan and Poland to the UK and beyond. From energy security and climate goals to workforce development and innovation, every country has a different nuclear story to tell. So grab your passport, make sure you’re subscribed, and get ready for a season that’s officially cleared for takeoff.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Music used in this trailer was created by Coma-MediaFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener survey

Pack your bags, Fissionaries! Season 6 is going global. In this special kickoff episode, Mary and Jordan are joined by an international trade expert from the Nuclear Energy Institute, Stephanie Pronco, for a whirlwind tour of the countries shaping the future of nuclear energy. Through a trivia-style game packed with nuclear facts and surprisingly difficult clues, Steph breaks down how countries around the world are approaching nuclear in completely different ways.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Fissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener surveyMusic used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

Sometimes wonder doesn’t come from discovering something new, but from realizing we misunderstood something all along. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with Dr. Tim Gregory, senior nuclear chemist at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory and author of Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World. Tim shares how his journey from cosmochemistry to nuclear science reshaped the way he thinks about energy, progress, and human flourishing. Together, they explore why nuclear power is often misunderstood, how fear of radiation has shaped public perception, and why energy abundance is foundational to everything from healthcare to economic growth.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Read Tim’s Book: Going Nuclear: How Atomic Energy Will Save the WorldFissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener surveyMusic used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

What does nuclear energy have to do with your living room? More than you might think. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan talk with design historian Alessandra Wood about how the Atomic Age reshaped the visual language of the 20th century. From starburst clocks to Sputnik chandeliers, the shapes and symbols of atomic science made their way into furniture, architecture, and everyday objects, transforming fear of new technology into a sense of optimism about the future.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Fissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener surveyMusic used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

When a new technology changes the world overnight, culture feels it first.In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with historian Alan Carr and archivist Patty Templeton from Los Alamos National Laboratory to explore how the Atomic Age reshaped not just science, but culture. From the birth of the phrase “Atomic Age” to Godzilla, Googie architecture, Star Trek, and the nuclear rocket engines that almost took us to Mars, this conversation traces how fear, optimism, and imagination collided in the mid-20th century.Visit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Fissionary Wants To Hear From You! Fill out our short listener surveyMusic used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik