Nuclear Barbarians

On this episode, Andrew Kirima of the Texas Nuclear Alliance stops by to talk about his origins as a nuclear advocate, what’s been going on with nuclear in Texas, and how the TNA fits into the American nuclear scene.Register for the TNA Summit this October!Check out Andrew on X and LinkedIn.And also check out the other nuclear project Andrew is involved with: Exodys Energy.Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

In a special bonus episode, I speak with comic book writer Aubrey Sitterson about his new hard scifi geopolitical space opera, Free Planet. This comic has it all: energy literacy, questions of science and technology, the trials and tribulations of democracy, and some incredible layouts. I hope you guys enjoy this break from our usual programming. I encourage you to head down to your local comic shop and snatch up Issue 01, which you can read a sample of here. Also: check out Aubrey’s Substack, Atlantis Still Sunk, which is chalk full of behind the scenes deep dives into the making of and research behind Free Planet. Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

Benton Arnett, Director of Markets and Policy at the Nuclear Energy Institute, joined me to talk about nuclear’s prospects today and what makes it such a boon for energy security. Benton’s a great guy with a deep knowledge base. I had a lot of fun chatting with him and learned things about the nuclear supply chain construction that surprised me!Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

John and I are back with the first installment of our series on one of Galileo’s masterworks in the history of philosophy and science: Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems. We dive into the historical context in which the work was published and then discuss the book’s dedication to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

Film critic and writer Andrew Plimpton returns to the pod to talk about one of the greatest American films of all time—Chinatown—which also happens to be a canonical film about the politics of energy. We dive into the film’s themes, noir as a genre, Jack Nicholson as a writer, and much more. Nuclear Barbarians is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

Spencer Klavan, an author and editor known for his insights on the intersection of science and faith, discusses fascinating themes from his book, 'Light of the Mind, Light of the World.' He explores the tension between realism and nominalism in Christianity and critiques the trend of specialization in science. Klavan delves into the philosophical implications of quantum physics, the challenges of transhumanism, and the importance of questioning faith in a cynical world, weaving a compelling narrative about humanity's relationship with knowledge and the divine.

One of my favorite things about running this podcast is getting to talk to people with way more experience than me. Dr. Scott Tinker, a geologist and energy expert with decades of experience, joined me to talk about the breadth of his career, how our understanding of energy has changed over time, energy realism, teaching people the energy basics, and more!Check out the Switch Energy Alliance!And Scott’s show, Energy Switch! Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

John and I finish up our series on the esoteric origins of the Enlightenment by diving into romanticism, mesmerism, the forgotten aspects of Jung, American New Age stuff, and way more!Next up: Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

In our penultimate Hanegraaff episode, John and I take a look at how “magic,” “superstition,” and the “occult” became epithets divorced from critical reasoning, the uncomfortable overlap between occult and scientific practices, and I deliver a brief monologue on how all of this shows up in the work of HP Lovecraft. Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe

In our second episode on Hanegraff’s Esotericism and the Academy, John and I dive into the “history of error,” and how Protestantism and refinements in historical practices began to put pressure on the Renaissance conceptions of perennial philosophy and ancient wisdom. John also had some corrections for Hanegraff! Get full access to Nuclear Barbarians at www.nuclearbarbarians.com/subscribe