Revisiting Nuclear Regulation: Costs and Consequences

In this episode, Kyle talks with Sam Bowman, editor of Works in Progress and Head of Publishing at Stripe, about one of the most important but under-discussed ideas in energy policy: the regulatory science that made nuclear energy unaffordable. Sam unpacks the origins and impact of the Linear No Threshold (LNT) radiation model and the ALARA regulatory principle, and explains how they led to decades of cost overruns and stagnation in nuclear power.

They also dive into the editorial mission behind Works in Progress, how it surfaces “new and underrated ideas to improve the world,” and why optimism, practicality, and longform rigor are at the heart of the magazine’s approach. We also covered Salesforce’s Informatica acquisition, AI models sabotaging shutdown scripts, shrinking entry-level roles in tech, and Apple’s plans for smart glasses.