The Rare-Earth Problem Has a Thorium-Shaped Hole in It
I just returned from two days in Reno, Nevada, where the Army Research Office’s DEVCOM ARO had convened a workshop at the University of Nevada titled “Closing the Gap: Research Priorities for U.S. REE Supply Chain Resilience.” Researchers from Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore, Colorado School of Mines, the University of Minnesota, and the National…
Continue Reading The Rare-Earth Problem Has a Thorium-Shaped Hole in It
The Hidden Tragedy Inside the Medical Miracle at Oak Ridge
There’s a genuinely exciting story coming out of Oak Ridge right now. Isotek Systems — the contractor operating at Building 3019 and Building 2026 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory — has extracted more than 17 grams of thorium-229 (Th-229) from the uranium-233 (U-233) inventory stored there. That represents a 1,700% increase in the world’s supply…
Continue Reading The Hidden Tragedy Inside the Medical Miracle at Oak Ridge
Indian Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor attains criticality
Yesterday evening, at 8:25 PM Indian Standard Time, the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu achieved first criticality — the initiation of a self-sustaining, controlled nuclear fission chain reaction. It is a milestone that has been a long time coming: more than two decades in the making, marked by repeated delays,…
Continue Reading Indian Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor attains criticality
Alabama Legislature Resolves to Use Spent Nuclear Fuel
On March 17, 2026, the Alabama Senate adopted Senate Joint Resolution 89 by voice vote, and on March 31 it passed the full Legislature and was delivered to the Governor. SJR89 formally urges the Governor and relevant state agencies to recognize the value of spent nuclear fuel and take state actions toward its development. This…
Continue Reading Alabama Legislature Resolves to Use Spent Nuclear Fuel