NARAC
11/26/24 • 30 min
1 Listener
In the 1960s and 70s, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were pushing the boundaries of nuclear weapons technology. But these breakthroughs came with a daunting question: Now that nuclear technologies existed, how could the world manage their risks and keep people safe?
Enter NARAC, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center. Built on Livermore’s expertise in nuclear physics and supercomputing, NARAC was created to predict the spread of hazardous materials in the atmosphere during emergencies. From Chernobyl to Fukushima to Three Mile Island, NARAC’s scientists have worked on some of the hardest problems of our time—helping to assess risks, save lives, and inform critical decisions.
This episode dives into the origins of NARAC, its groundbreaking mission, and how it continues to prepare for the unthinkable.
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Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series.
Executive Produced and Written by Lacey Peace.
Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle.
Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle.
Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell.
Narrated by Matthew Powell.
Video Production by Levi Hanusch.
Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance):
- John Nasstrom, Chief Scientist for NARAC at LLNL
- Lydia Tai, Health Physicist at LLNL
- Lee Glascoe, Program Leader at LLNL for the Nuclear Emergency Support Team
- Katie Lundquist, Model Development Lead for NARAC at LLNL
Brought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
In the 1960s and 70s, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were pushing the boundaries of nuclear weapons technology. But these breakthroughs came with a daunting question: Now that nuclear technologies existed, how could the world manage their risks and keep people safe?
Enter NARAC, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center. Built on Livermore’s expertise in nuclear physics and supercomputing, NARAC was created to predict the spread of hazardous materials in the atmosphere during emergencies. From Chernobyl to Fukushima to Three Mile Island, NARAC’s scientists have worked on some of the hardest problems of our time—helping to assess risks, save lives, and inform critical decisions.
This episode dives into the origins of NARAC, its groundbreaking mission, and how it continues to prepare for the unthinkable.
--
Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series.
Executive Produced and Written by Lacey Peace.
Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle.
Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle.
Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell.
Narrated by Matthew Powell.
Video Production by Levi Hanusch.
Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance):
- John Nasstrom, Chief Scientist for NARAC at LLNL
- Lydia Tai, Health Physicist at LLNL
- Lee Glascoe, Program Leader at LLNL for the Nuclear Emergency Support Team
- Katie Lundquist, Model Development Lead for NARAC at LLNL
Brought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
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Site 300
After the first successful atomic bomb test in 1945, code-named Trinity, a new era in global politics began. Unlocking the power of the atom sparked a race among world governments—not just to build bigger weapons, but smaller, cheaper, and more agile ones. Achieving this would require rapid iteration to stay ahead.
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--
Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series.
Executive Produced and Written by Lacey Peace.
Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle.
Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle.
Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell.
Narrated by Matthew Powell.
Video Production by Levi Hanusch.
Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance):
- Valerie Dibley, Site 300 Manager at LLNL
- Brian Cracchiola, Explosive Operations Manager for the Strategic Deterrence Directorate at LLNL
- Jeff Florando, Associate Program Director for Hydrodynamic and Subcritical Experiments in the Weapons Physics and Design Program at LLNL
Brought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
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