In the 20th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co‑hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous mark their double‑digit milestone by tackling Europe’s sudden rethink on atomic energy. From Italy’s plan to end its 40‑year ban, to Germany’s flirtation with SMRs after a decade of phase‑outs, to Spain’s soul‑searching after the Iberian blackout, they ask what’s really driving the policy U‑turn: AI‑supercharged demand, the shock of Russian gas, or a belated recognition of grid physics? Along the way they spar over free‑market theory versus regulatory reality, debate whether large PWRs or factory‑built 300‑MW modules make more sense for Europe’s patchwork grids, and game‑out the labour, fuel‑cycle and supply‑chain bottlenecks that could stall a renaissance. There’s even room for golf handicaps, sleep‑apnea LSAT prep, and a lively dog‑versus‑cat detour. Tune in for a wide‑ranging, policy‑packed conversation on how (and whether) nuclear can truly anchor Europe’s next‑generation power mix—and why the clock is already ticking.

In the 19th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co‑hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous dissect President Trump’s four May 23rd executive orders—the most sweeping U.S. nuclear directives since Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace.” They break down the headline mandates: an 18‑month cap on every NRC license, Department of Defense and Energy fast‑tracking micro‑reactors for AI data centers and bases, a whole‑of‑government push to mine, convert, enrich and even recycle domestic fuel, and DOE loans to restart shut‑down plants while breaking ground on ten new gigawatt‑scale reactors by 2030.

Along the way they ask whether the NRC can really shrink multi‑year reviews to a year‑and‑a‑half without eroding its “gold‑standard” independence, debate the safety optics of letting the Pentagon self‑license reactors, and run the numbers on fuel‑cycle bottlenecks—HALEU, workforce, and state mining bans. Goran argues the orders finally level the regulatory playing field; Michael probes the risks of weaker transparency and public trust. They zoom out to the geopolitical stakes, weighing how Washington’s 400‑GW-by‑2050 ambition squares with China’s 150‑reactor sprint and what it means for AI‑driven electricity demand that’s already doubling data‑center loads every few years. Tune in for a spirited, data‑rich tour of America’s nascent nuclear renaissance—where policy meets engineering, markets meet megawatts, and the clock on U.S. energy dominance has officially started ticking.

In the 18th installment of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, co‑hosts Dr. Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous dissect China's headline plan to roll out 150 new reactors—at roughly US $2.5–3 billion per gigawatt—before 2035. They probe how dirt‑cheap state loans, a 700 000‑person nuclear workforce, and factory‑style repetition let China pour concrete in five‑year cycles, and why the same formula could prove harder for India the U.S. to replicate. Along the way they tackle looming uranium bottlenecks, Generation IV fast‑breeder ambitions, and the jaw‑dropping electricity appetite of AI data centers that’s pushing policymakers back to baseload realities. Tune in for a fast‑moving discussion that blends engineering detail with geopolitical stakes, asking whether the West can—or even should—match China’s nuclear sprint.