The reputation of the nuclear industry has had highs and lows during the career of Dr Fiona Rayment, the President of the Nuclear Institute. But nowadays the role of nuclear science and engineering has become more widely accepted in the quest for carbon net zero.
Growing up in Hamilton, Scotland during a time of energy insecurity, Fiona was determined to understand more about why her school lacked the energy to heat up all of the classrooms or why there were power cuts causing her to have to do her homework by candlelight - and in nuclear she knew there was a possible solution.
But it’s not just in clean energy that Fiona has spent her career, she’s also been involved in investigating how nuclear science can be used in treating cancer and space travel, as well as promoting gender diversity in the nuclear industry.
Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Fiona discusses how she’s always tried to keep close to the science during her career in order to keep her ‘spark’!
Produced by Jonathan Blackwell
Naomi Climer on engineering
Peter Piot on tackling ebola and HIV
Paul Younger on energy for the future
Kathy Willis on botany
Patrick Vallance on pharmaceuticals
Robert Plomin on the genetics of intelligence
Danielle George on electronics
Dame Carol Black on public health
Geoff Palmer on brewing
EO Wilson on ants and evolution
Niamh Nic Daeid on forensic science
Carlos Frenk on dark matter
Dorothy Bishop on language disorders
Henry Marsh on brain surgery
Kate Jones on bats and biodiversity
Anil Seth on consciousness
Susan Jebb on nutrition
Nigel Shadbolt on the worldwide web
Stephanie Shirley on computer coding
Jane Francis on Antarctica
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