Today I talk with my friend Ben who designs electrical propulsion systems at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA! We discuss his current work and what the future looks like for efficient space travel and then talk about the plans that the US government had for peaceful applications of nuclear weapons with Project Plowshare in the 1950s to 1970s. The Edward Teller paper can be found here (http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/1951-Teller-Ulam-LAMS1225.pdf) and the Ted Talk Ben mentions is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVGjQSnLg4Y). To read more about Project Plowshare I recommend this Wired article (http://www.wired.com/2009/04/yourfriendatom/).

http://sciencestorytime.podomatic.com/enclosure/2015-10-14T12_28_22-07_00.m4a