Nuclear Matters

For the nuclear sector, social license as a term that applies to all things nuclear is a relatively new thing, but in discussions about AUKUS, it is one that is often discussed as something we ‘need to get’. But what that even mean for this context? And is social license even a useful thing to seek?

Our guest today, Dr Cathy Moloney, has been thinking about this topic for some time, so we invited her in to share her thoughts.

Cathy is is an independent strategic adviser with more than two decades’ experience across academia, government and industry. She specialises in defence; national security; foreign, nuclear and strategic policy; and critical minerals. Cathy provides senior leaders with independent strategic counsel, geopolitical analysis, red-team insight, and stakeholder and market-entry guidance for Australia’s strategic environment.

Formerly the Vice President in The Asia Group’s Australia practice, she has held senior roles including Deputy Director of the Defence Strategy and National Security Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute; Director and Senior Adviser at the Centre for Defence Research, Australian Defence College; and subject-matter expert to the Australian Defence Force’s Joint Warfare Development Branch and the Office of the Chief of the Defence Force.

A published researcher and former Editor of the Australian Journal of Defence and Strategic Studies, Cathy holds a PhD in Australian nuclear policy and international relations. She also serves on the Executive Committee of Women in Nuclear Australia and is a member of the Asia Pacific Leadership Network for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

CREDITS

Guest: Dr Cathy Moloney

Host: A/Prof Elizabeth Williams

Assistant Producer: Dr Julieanne Dougherty

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

The usual end matter:

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

In this episode, our host, Liz Williams, chats with Mark Schneider about nuclear supply chains and workforce readiness. Mark is the Chief Nuclear Officer for UBH Group, and he's spent much of his adult life in the nuclear industry. He was invited to join us for an episode because of his work on helping companies meet a standard called ISO 19443, which was designed to help companies internationally contribute safely to a nuclear supply chain. Over the course of the episode, we learn why this standard is being discussed in Australia, what it’s meant to do, and how that fits into the broader picture of Australia’s contribution to AUKUS.

CREDITS

Guest: Mark Schneider, UBH Group

Host / Producer: Liz Williams, ANU School of Engineering

Assistant Producer: Julieanne Dougherty (ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network)

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Thanks to Ashley Schneider, who originally introduced Liz to Mark.

Links to organisations / information mentioned in the show:

IAEA

Framatome

ISO 19443

DuraTec

UBH Group

The usual end matter:

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

Gold is mined at about one gram per tonne, which means every decision a gold mining company makes rests on somebody being able to measure a very small amount of gold, very accurately, in a very large amount of rock. Our guest in this episode replaced the century-old chemical method for doing that with an approach that draws from nuclear science.

Dr James Tickner is chief scientist and co-founder of Chrysos Corporation. In this wide ranging discussion, we talk about mining, entrepreneurship, and the sometimes tricky process involved in changing how things are done in a well-established industry like mining.

CREDITS

Guest: Dr James Tickner

Host: A/Prof Elizabeth Williams

Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

The usual end matter:

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

Imagine a global network of sensor stations, ready to detect even the smallest nuclear weapons test. This network is in fact a reality. As we learned in our last episode, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation’s monitoring network is up, running, and ready for the Treaty to enter into force. One of the most important of those stations is located in Australia's remote Northern Territory – the Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Facility – and it's directed by Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, Head of Geophysics at the Australian National University.

In this episode, Professor Tkalčić joins our host, A/Prof Liz Williams, to talk about what seismology actually is – how waves generated by earthquakes, storms, and even whale calls can be used to see inside the earth – and how the extraordinary silence of the Australian outback makes it one of the best places on the planet to listen for nuclear tests.

Professor Tkalčić is also the author of a brand-new popular science book called, When Worlds Quake: The Quest to Understand the Interior of Earth and Beyond, which has just been released in the English language by Princeton University Press [link to publisher page here].

CREDITS

Guest: Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic

Host: A/Prof Elizabeth Williams

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

When President Trump announced last year that the US might resume nuclear weapons testing, it raised a question the world hasn't had to seriously consider in decades: what happens if they do?

In this episode, Liz Williams sits down with Professor Trevor Findlay, a nuclear governance expert who was involved in the early diplomatic work that became the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The CTBT exists, the monitoring network is nearly complete, and the organisation behind it is operating, but the treaty never entered into force. What would states would actually do if testing resumes? In this conversation, Trevor shares insights into how the treaty and accompanying verification system was built, why it was designed the way it was, and what it all means now that nuclear testing is once again in the news.

CREDITS

Guest: Professor Trevor Findlay is an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne with expertise in nuclear governance. He has spent many years working on the issue of nuclear testing and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and its verification system.

Host: A/Prof Liz Williams is the Interim Director of the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network and Nuclear Systems Discipline Lead for the ANU School of Engineering.

Audio producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

A note of correction: When posting this episode, Liz - who typically struggles with remembering names on a good day - realized she dropped 'Nuclear' from Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty consistently. This is incorrect. When stating the full treaty or organisation name, one should include the 'nuclear', just as Trevor does consistently throughout the episode. We'll work on correcting the audio, but for now, just remember the treaty / organisation acronym drops the N, but the full name does not.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

In this episode, Dr Ashleigh Hull and Dr Stephen Tronchin join host Liz Williams to explore theranostics — a cutting-edge approach to cancer treatment that uses radiopharmaceuticals to both detect and treat cancers from within the body. They cover the science behind how these treatments are designed to target cancer cells, which cancers theranostics is already being used for, and the real-world supply chain challenges that determine how many patients can access these therapies. The episode closes with a look at what's on the horizon for the field in Australia and globally.

Dr Ashleigh Hull is a nuclear medicine technologist and lecturer in medical physics, and Dr Stephen Tronchin is a post-doctoral research fellow. Both work at Adelaide University and are part of Radinnovate, an Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Center focused on developing the next generation of nuclear and radiation science researchers for Australia.

Credits

Guests: Ashleigh Hull, Stephen Tronchin

Host: Elizabeth Williams

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Show notes

Stephen wanted to clarify that beta particles have a range of 1-10 mm in tissue.

Places to study to become a nuclear medicine technologist in Australia

Mines to Medicines

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Eva Bezak for introducing me to Ash and Stephen. ANU is one of the university partners involved in Radinnovate.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

We thought we'd share a sneak peek of the new season of Nuclear Matters. The first full episode is coming at the end of April. If you haven't already subscribed to the feed, what are you waiting for? The Apple Podcasts link is here if that's where you prefer to find us (and while you're at it, please leave us a review or some feedback - it helps us keep this going!).

While you wait, you can keep up with Australian National University's work on all things nuclear by following the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network on LinkedIn.

Thanks to Martin Franklin from East Coast Studio for the audio production of this teaser.

As always, the views shared on this podcast are for your education and enjoyment only, and are the speakers' own. They should not be taken as representative of the views of the Australian National University or any of its business units.

What roles can citizen science play in the governance of nuclear technologies? In this episode, I explore this topic with Michiel Van Oudheusden, Associate Professor of Public Participation in Science and Democracy at VU Amsterdam. Michiel previously worked at the Nuclear Research Centre in Belgium, and had the opportunity to study citizen science initiatives focused on managing nuclear technologies in both Japan and the European Union. We explore what he found in this work, and discuss how these lessons might apply to the Australian context – particularly given the growth in our involvement with nuclear technology due to AUKUS.

This is our final episode for this season. Stay tuned for Season 2 in March 2026.

CREDITS

Guest: Michiel Van Oudheusden

Host: Liz Williams

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Acknowledgements

Thank you to A/Prof Fabien Medvecky for recommending Michiel's work to me.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Trevor Findlay, honorary professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne and author of Transforming Nuclear Safeguards Culture: The IAEA, Iraq, and the Future of Non-proliferation.

With the world’s growing interest in nuclear technologies—especially in the context of AUKUS and the global push for clean energy—understanding how nuclear safeguards work to support non-proliferation is crucial. But beyond the technicalities lies a deeper, often overlooked dimension: culture. What assumptions shape the way nuclear inspectors operate? How do values, habits, and institutional norms influence the effectiveness of global non-proliferation efforts? We'll explore these questions (and more) in the episode, so listen in.

Credits

Guest: Trevor Findlay

Host: Liz Williams

Audio producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dr Russell Leslie for recommending Trevor's book to me.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

This episode of Nuclear Matters takes us to Montebello Island, a former UK nuclear weapons test site off the coast of Western Australia. Our guest is Madison Williams-Hoffman – or Maddy, for short. Maddy is a postdoctoral fellow at the Radinnovate ARC Training Centre for Radiation Innovation at ANU. She uses chemistry to explore how plutonium from the weapons tests carried out in that region have moved through the marine environment.

She has kindly joined us to talk us through what she’s found, and help us understand why it matters for our explorations of future uses of nuclear technologies.

Credits

Guest: Madison Williams-Hoffman

Host: Liz Williams

Audio producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

Contacts

If you are interested in projects and wish to contact Maddy about collaborating or joining the group as a student, you can reach her via the email on this webpage.

Further reading

• The Guardian article on Maddy's work
• The paper mentioned in the article (with Maddy as lead author)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Nanda Dasgupta for introducing us to Maddy.

Errata

Maddy flagged that the Plutonium ratio they usually look at is 240Pu/239Pu, rather than 239Pu/240Pu.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at [email protected].

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.