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
Lucie Green on the sun
Tracey Rogers on leopard seals and Antarctica
Jennifer Doudna
Tamsin Mather on what volcanic plumes reveal about our planet
Tim O'Brien on transient stars and science and music festivals
Ottoline Leyser on how plants decide what to do
Fay Dowker on a new theory of space-time
Ann Clarke on The Frozen Ark
Graham MacGregor on tackling the demons in our diet
Liz Sockett on friendly killer bacteria
Nick Fraser on Triassic reptiles
Daniel Dennett on the evolution of the human brain
Alison Woollard on what she has learnt from mutant worms
Alan Winfield on robot ethics
Simon Wessely on unexplained medical syndromes
Sean Carroll on how time and space began
Alison Smith on algae
Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat
Jan Zalasiewicz on the Age of Man
Michele Dougherty on Saturn
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Global News Podcast
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
You’re Dead to Me
Elis James and John Robins