Explaining the science, history, hazards, applications and latest advances in nuclear physics; the principles of radioactivity; how nuclear bombs and reactors work; the uses of radiation in medicine; what makes some forms of radiation dangerous.
EPISODE 1
A Tour of the Nucleus and Nuclear Forces
A whirlwind tour of nuclear physics; Professor Weinstein explains the constituents of the nucleus; what holds the nucleus together; its role in determining atomic identity; the nature of isotopes; introducing two key tools.
EPISODE 2
Curve of Binding Energy: Fission and Fusion
The forces that shape the nuclei of all atoms; focusing on the curve of binding energy, which explains why heavy nuclei are prone to fission while light nuclei release energy by fusing; exploring the principles that govern particle accelerators.
EPISODE 3
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Decay
Turning to unstable nuclei and the process of radioactive decay; tracing three types of decay; studying the particles involved; their charge; energy ranges; measuring radioactivity with a Geiger counter; shielding against each type of radiation.
EPISODE 4
Radiation Sources, Natural and Unnatural
Surveying the sources of radiation in the world, which include the sky, the ground, certain medical procedures and consumer goods; looking at some long-discontinued radiating products such as shoe fluoroscopy and the ill-advised tonic Radithor.
EPISODE 5
How Dangerous Is Radiation?
Probing the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; focusing on what high-energy emissions do to DNA; considering a host of radiation sources, from the innocuous to the explosive; what to do if one is ever exposed to nuclear fallout.
EPISODE 6
The Liquid-Drop Model of the Nucleus
How the nucleus works; starting with a hydrogen atom; adding neutrons and more protons; forging elements and their isotopes; how the nucleus behaves like a liquid drop; using the Fermi gas model to refine one's understanding of nuclear structure.
Lawrence Weinstein
