This DeCal aims to educate curious students from a non-nuclear background on the fundamentals of nuclear science, and to discuss the impacts of nuclear innovation on society from the late 18th century to today and beyond. Topics will include: the discovery of radioactivity, the science of nuclear reactions, mass-energy equivalence, the development of nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, fission reactors, nuclear accidents and disasters, nuclear waste, nuclear medicine, international politics and diplomacy, the impact of nuclear energy on climate change, and ongoing research projects in nuclear engineering, including Thorium-fueled reactors, fusion reactors, and even space travel.

The course will include a component on UC Berkeley’s role in nuclear technology, from the Oppenheimer Project to the present-day development of the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR), and will discuss the contributions of well-known scientists like Marie Curie, Ernest Lawrence, Enrico Fermi, and even Albert Einstein to the field of nuclear science. This DeCal is mostly aimed towards freshmen, but anyone is welcome.

Due to the academic requirements of student-led courses, students will be asked to write 3 papers. There will be no minimum or maximum length. These papers will not be treated as rigorous tests of knowledge, but rather, as an easygoing learning opportunity. Students will be asked to submit a brief weekly reflection on what they have learned from the previous class, and what they would like to see covered in upcoming classes. They will also receive a weekly link to an educational YouTube video which will introduce them to the week’s topic.

Attendance will not be mandatory for every class but will count for 40% of the P/NP total, and will be recorded via sign-in sheet. There will be no exams, but there will be a fun Jeopardy competition at the end of the semester.

The class will be held on Wednesdays from 5-6 PM in 3109 Etcheverry Hall, beginning on August 28th.

Enrollment will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please sign up by going to CalCentral and signing up for Nuclear Engineering 198: Group 2 (Class #33517).