A Better Way to Do Nuclear Energy?

This episode is sponsored by Wren, a website where you calculate your carbon footprint. Sign up to make a monthly contribution to offset your carbon footprint or support rainforest protection projects: https://www.wren.co/join/scishow Nuclear energy has a bit of a bad rap, but there's an element out there that might make them safer and more efficient. Hosted by: Rose Bear Don't Walk SciShow has a spinoff podcast! It's called SciShow Tangents. Check it out at http://www.scishowtangents.org ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: Chris Peters, Matt Curls, Kevin Bealer, Jeffrey Mckishen, Jacob, Christopher R Boucher, Nazara, charles george, Christoph Schwanke, Ash, Silas Emrys, KatieMarie Magnone, Eric Jensen, Adam Brainard, Piya Shedden, Alex Hackman, James Knight, GrowingViolet, Drew Hart, Sam Lutfi, Alisa Sherbow, Jason A Saslow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: Sources: https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/thorium.aspx https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/molten-salt-reactors.aspx https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jun/23/thorium-nuclear-uranium https://www.wired.com/story/andrew-yang-wants-a-thorium-reactor-by-2027-good-luck-buddy/ https://energyfromthorium.com/lftr-overview/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2012/02/16/the-thing-about-thorium-why-the-better-nuclear-fuel-may-not-get-a-chance/?sh=4fe006591d80 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032118305951 https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a11907/is-the-superfuel-thorium-riskier-than-we-thought-14821644/ https://energy.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/MITEI-The-Future-of-the-Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle.pdf https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0906/ML090630275.pdf https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/hinkley-point-c/about/reactor https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/nuclear-reactor-renaissance https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE_1450_web.pdf https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/molten-salt-reactors.aspx https://www.britannica.com/technology/breeder-reactor https://www.britannica.com/technology/fissile-material https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/03/bill-gates-warren-buffett-new-nuclear-reactor-wyoming-natrium https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/advanced-isnt-always-better#read-online-content https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2021-05/ucs-rpt-AR-3.21-web_Mayrev.pdf Images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greenhouse_George_Early_Fireball.ogv https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten-Salt_Reactor_Experiment#/media/File:MoltenSaltReactor.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor#/media/File:Molten_Salt_Reactor.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PWR_nuclear_power_plant_animation.ogv https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NTS_-_Low-level_radioactive_waste_storage_pit.jpg https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/periodic-table-thorium-gm466937217-34268288 https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/nuclear-fission-of-uranium-gm481061477-36774966 https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/nuclear-power-station-with-steaming-cooling-towers-and-canola-field-gm165773720-16584253 https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/tihange-nuclear-power-station-gm909474696-250499155