My Nuclear Life - podcast cover

My Nuclear Life

Shelly Leshermynuclearlife.com
On July 16, 1945, in a New Mexico desert, the Trinity Test ushered in the Nuclear Age. No other piece of technology has penetrated the American consciousness like the nuclear bomb and found a place in everything from culture to medicine. This podcast explores how nuclear science has impacted and changed our world in both beneficial and destructive ways. We explore the intersection of nuclear science and society using interviews with historians, policymakers, experts in their fields, and first-hand accounts to weave a picture of your nuclear life.
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Episodes

The ethics of human radiation experiments | The Uncover Up

Shelly meets up with Lee Kuhnle and Nathan Radke in Toronto to discuss the ethics behind human radiation experiments. We redefine what "fun" means, Nathan shows off his "ethics" knowledge, and Lee makes the Vatican proud.

Jun 24, 2025Ep. 68

Cold War Human Radiation Experiments | Eileen Welsome

“As all these stories do, it started with a radioactive animal dump in Albuquerque,” is the best first line of a story I have ever heard. Listen as Eileen Welsome and Shelly Lesher discuss some of the medical experiments the US government funded on its own citizens involving radiation without their consent over the decades.

Apr 08, 202554 minEp. 66

Cold War Kids | Ann Kordas

Ann Kordas joins Shelly to discuss the gendered roles of boys and girls during the Cold War and how children were taught to protect themselves from nuclear annihilation through toys, sitcoms, and government messaging.

Feb 25, 202549 minEp. 65

Nuclear Christmas List with Kelly Chipps

Ever wonder what to buy with your Christmas money? Need a nuclear themed gift for that nerd in your family? Look no further, Shelly and her friend and fellow nuke, Kelly Chipps found lots of items for you to purchase from eBay to Amazon.

Jan 07, 202548 minEp. 64

Was the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion inevitable? with Adam Higginbotham

If you were alive at the time, you remember an o-ring caused the January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion 73 seconds after take off. But was it that simple? Adam Higginbotham discusses his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space and see how much you really know about that day.

Nov 26, 202431 minEp. 63

Ray Cats Nuke the Moon

This episode was recorded in Toronto with Nathan Radke and Lee Kuhnle from the UnCover Up Podcast and special guest Nina Weston (a young person). We brainstorm some additional ideas on how to "hide" our nuclear waste far into the future.

Nov 06, 202441 minEp. 62

61. Threads turns 40 with Bob Mielke

Learn about the nuclear horror movie Threads with author Bob Mielke and his new book from Die Die books https://diediebooks.com/products/threads1984

Oct 03, 202439 min

Announcement - Contest & Free Documentary Premiere

Enter our contest to out crazy the crazy email: mynuclearlife@protonmail.com and join My Nuclear Life and The UnCoverUp at our Documentary Premiere. For free tickets email: podcast@theuncoverup.com

Sep 03, 20243 min

The Uranium Show with Lucy Santos

What role has Uranium played in our society? Who was "hotter than radioactive yams"? What do fashionable Uranium prospectors wear? Lucy Santos answers these questions and more when she joins Shelly on this episode.

Sep 03, 202450 minEp. 60

What should we do with all the ray cats? with Matt Caplan

What if you discovered warning signs of something very dangerous buried deep underground from an ancient civilization? Would you believe the item was dangerous or would you think it was valuable treasure? Would you continue exploring? Find out what could be buried and what Drs. Caplan and Lesher would do with the knowledge. Send an email us to My Nuclear Life or visit our website mynuclearlife.com . Please leave a 5-star review on iTunes and subscribe to My Nuclear Life wherever you listen to po...

Aug 01, 202452 minEp. 59

The journey of a citizen scientist with Frank von Hippel

Physicist and activist, Frank von Hippel discusses his career in arms control and what the future may hold for the world. Two corrections – 1) The Nuclear Weapons Freeze march was from the UN to Central park and 2) The banner in the Freeze march said 177 out of 195 towns voted for the Freeze in Vermont, not 193 out of 197.

May 28, 202451 minEp. 58

The Black Sea Experiment: Data taking and legacy

Our team returns to the Soviet Union to take data on the Slava. We hear about the spectroscopy of a nuclear weapon and the legacy of the Black Sea Experiment. Guests include: Steve Fetter, Frank von Hippel, and Tom Cochran

Apr 30, 202442 minEp. 57

Prelude to the Black Sea Experiment: Soviet Scientists Reach Out

This episode sets the stage for the Black Sea Experiment. We are introduced to Tom Cochran and Frank von Hippel, two people who had a hand in changing the way the US viewed arms control verification. This episode introduces seismic verification, used to verify nuclear tests for decades.

Apr 30, 202438 minEp. 56

Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction - Georgia Pt 2

Shelly continues her stay in Tbilisi, Georgia and speaks to two Physicists, Giorgia Japaridz (Illia State Univ.) and Revaz Shanidze (Tbilisi State Univ). They discuss what life as a physicist was like under Soviet rule and after Georgian independence. Along the way we learn about scientists who protected nuclear material when security fled, why the Institute’s reactor was unique, and find out how to survive in post-Soviet times. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for Peace ...

Mar 27, 202453 minEp. 55

Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction - Georgia Pt 1

Spend time with Shelly and two guest as she travels to Tbilsi, Georgia. First she discusses storytelling and Georgian’s atomic Odyssey with Shorena Lortkipanidze from the Civil Council on Defense and Security (Tbilsi, Georgia). Next, Mariam Chabashvidi explains her love for computer programming after Georgian independence and how she became an invaluable member of the nuclear science team at the Institute of Physics in Tbilsi, Georgia. This podcast is in collaboration with The Stanley Center for...

Feb 27, 202458 minEp. 54

For the love of lasers with Donna Strickland

Physics Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland talks about all things lasers, how lasers relate to nuclear physics, and explains why she had to pay the long-distance bill to Sweden.

Oct 31, 202342 minEp. 51

Are radiation limits based on a lie? with Ed Calabrese

Meet Dr. Ed Calabrese, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health & Health Sciences. Ed has spent years diving into the history of dose response and the Nobel Prize awarded to Hermann Muller for this work.

Sep 26, 202350 minEp. 50

How to identify Manhattan Project Plutonium with Cody Folden

How can you find the age of Plutonium? Why is it important? What are the applications? Find out the answer to these questions and more on this episode of My Nuclear Life when Cody Folden joins Shelly Lesher to discuss his paper in the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry.

Aug 29, 202349 minEp. 49

Trying to stay alive at the Diefenbunker with Nathan Radke & Lee Kuhnle

My Nuclear Life and The Uncover Up visit the Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum. Join Shelly, Nathan, and Lee as they journey 75 feet underground to compare how the Canadian Government planned to prepare for their survival versus the Civil Defense measured intended for their citizens.

Jul 25, 20231 hr 4 minEp. 48

J. Robert Oppenheimer with Kai Bird

Get ready for the summer movie by joining Oppenheimer biographer Kai Bird (author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer) as he discusses Oppie's life and science.

Jun 27, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 47

The 3rd Nuclear Age with Ankit Panda

What is the 3rd Nuclear Age? Wait, what about the 1st and 2nd? Join Shelly as she speaks to Stanton Senior Fellow Ankit Panda about how the world is grabbling with nuclear proliferation and what challenges we face.

May 30, 202351 minEp. 46

The Origin of the Elements with Artemis Spyrou

Chemical elements make up the matter we observe in the universe but how did they form? How did scientists figure this out and what is left to learn? Artemis Spyrou joins Shelly to discuss the evolution of the elements and the nuclear processes that govern stellar nucleosynthesis. Find the B2FH paper , Visit us at: mynuclearlife.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us...

Apr 25, 202341 minEp. 45

NIF fusion was a breakthrough, but what kind? with Bob Rosner

In December 2022, Lawrence Livermore's National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved ignition. Join Shelly as she speaks with Bob Rosner about what this milestone means to Stockpile Stewardship and to physics. Also - learn how cool it is to focus 192 lasers onto a tiny little capsule. Patreon: www.patreon.com/mynuclearlife email us Article: Bulletin Article...

Mar 28, 202344 minEp. 44

Witnessing the Starfish Prime nuclear test with Jim Burkhart

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to witness an above-ground nuclear weapons test? Shelly is joined by Jim Burkhart who was stationed on the Johnston Atoll in 1962 when the largest nuclear test in outer space was conducted. He will discuss this and other shots during his year "on island" as part of Operation Dominic. email us or visit our website mynuclearlife.com . Please leave a 5-star review on iTunes and subscribe to My Nuclear Life wherever you listen to podcasts....

Feb 28, 202339 minEp. 43
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