Royal Institution Public Talk - Exploring space with nuclear waste
Monday 13th October 2025 from 19:00pm to 20:30pm
The Royal Institution
21 Albermarle Street, London, London, W1S 4BS
Nuclear waste has a bad name. But in the same way we give everyday waste a new life through household recycling, we can give nuclear waste a second life through chemical recycling.
In this talk, nuclear chemist Tim Gregory explores how exotic isotopes in nuclear waste — byproducts of nuclear power — are being transformed into remarkable tools. They can be concocted into nuclear medicines, used to cure and diagnose illnesses on the smallest scale possible: one radioactive atom at a time. And they can be fashioned into long-lasting power sources for spacecraft, enabling the exploration of the solar system and — in the not-too-distant future — thriving settlements on the Moon… and beyond.
Join Tim as he explores the amazing world of radioactive atoms and turns your perception of nuclear waste on its head.
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Mon 13th Oct
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