Nuclear is having a global moment and this season of Fissionary is taking you around the world to understand why. In the Season 6 premiere, Mary and Jordan sit down with former diplomat and nuclear policy expert, Justin Friedman, to unpack the rapidly changing international nuclear landscape. From Europe and Southeast Asia to Africa and Latin America, countries are rethinking energy security, economic prosperity, and what it takes to build reliable power systems for the future.

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

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Pack your bags because Season 6 is going global! This season, Mary and Jordan travel around the world to explore how different countries are approaching nuclear energy and why the conversation is accelerating everywhere from Japan and Poland to the UK and beyond. From energy security and climate goals to workforce development and innovation, every country has a different nuclear story to tell. So grab your passport, make sure you’re subscribed, and get ready for a season that’s officially cleared for takeoff.

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Music used in this trailer was created by Coma-Media

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Pack your bags, Fissionaries! Season 6 is going global. In this special kickoff episode, Mary and Jordan are joined by an international trade expert from the Nuclear Energy Institute, Stephanie Pronco, for a whirlwind tour of the countries shaping the future of nuclear energy. Through a trivia-style game packed with nuclear facts and surprisingly difficult clues, Steph breaks down how countries around the world are approaching nuclear in completely different ways.



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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

Sometimes wonder doesn’t come from discovering something new, but from realizing we misunderstood something all along. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with Dr. Tim Gregory, senior nuclear chemist at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory and author of Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World. Tim shares how his journey from cosmochemistry to nuclear science reshaped the way he thinks about energy, progress, and human flourishing. Together, they explore why nuclear power is often misunderstood, how fear of radiation has shaped public perception, and why energy abundance is foundational to everything from healthcare to economic growth.

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Read Tim’s Book: Going Nuclear: How Atomic Energy Will Save the World

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

What does nuclear energy have to do with your living room? More than you might think. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan talk with design historian Alessandra Wood about how the Atomic Age reshaped the visual language of the 20th century. From starburst clocks to Sputnik chandeliers, the shapes and symbols of atomic science made their way into furniture, architecture, and everyday objects, transforming fear of new technology into a sense of optimism about the future.

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

When a new technology changes the world overnight, culture feels it first.

In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with historian Alan Carr and archivist Patty Templeton from Los Alamos National Laboratory to explore how the Atomic Age reshaped not just science, but culture. From the birth of the phrase “Atomic Age” to Godzilla, Googie architecture, Star Trek, and the nuclear rocket engines that almost took us to Mars, this conversation traces how fear, optimism, and imagination collided in the mid-20th century.

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

What if turning on the lights wasn’t a given, but a daily question mark? 

In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan sit down with Gwen Holdmann, an engineer, energy researcher, and longtime off-grid Alaskan, about what energy access really means in some of the most remote places in the United States. Gwen shares what it was like to live for decades without reliable electricity, how fragile Alaska’s power systems really are, and why energy is about far more than convenience when heat can be a matter of survival. 

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Gwen’s Podcast: Closing The Gap

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

Mosquitoes might be small, but the science used to stop them is anything but. In this episode of Fissionary, Mary and Jordan talk with Dr. Zach Adelman, a geneticist and professor of entomology at Texas A&M, about how nuclear science is being used to fight some of the deadliest and most destructive insects on the planet. From malaria-spreading mosquitoes to flies that threaten the global food supply, Zach explains how sterile insect techniques work, why radiation is essential to the process, and how these tools have quietly protected human health and agriculture for decades. Along the way, we learn just how sophisticated insects really are, and why controlling them requires a mix of genetics and nuclear science on a serious scale. 



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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

What if a museum could change the way an entire generation thinks about nuclear?

In this episode, Mary and Jordan sit down with Jennifer Hayden, President and CEO of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, to explore how museums spark curiosity, reshape narratives, and make even the most complex topics feel accessible. Jennifer shares how her team brings nuclear to life through storytelling, hands-on learning, community events, and a bold new vision for the museum’s upcoming nuclear energy exhibit.

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National Museum of Nuclear Science and History: https://www.nuclearmuseum.org/

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

What if Walt Disney had actually built the city of the future—powered by nuclear energy?

In the Season 5 premiere of Fissionary, hosts Mary Carpenter and Jordan Houghton sit down with urban planner and author Sam Gennawey to uncover how Walt’s imagination extended far beyond theme parks. From Disneyland to his unrealized vision for Epcot, Walt dreamed of communities built around innovation, clean power, and human connection. Sam shares how those plans included a nuclear-powered city under a climate-controlled dome, what it reveals about Disney’s faith in technology, and why his “yes, if” philosophy still matters today.

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Sam’s Book: Sacred Landscapes 

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Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik