Some atoms are stable, while others seem to fall apart. Lead-208 will probably last forever, while the synthetic isotope technetium-99 exists for just hours. The difference lies in the structure of ...

What’s going on with this silent threat that can stealthily damage your body in ways that can take years to reveal themselves ...

In this lesson, students will investigate the nature of radioactivity and the effect of both distance and shielding materials on different radioactive sources using a Geiger-Muller tube with a counter ...

Nuclear weapons tests are among the most violent events humans can trigger, and that violence leaves fingerprints in the ...

The origin of xenon in the containment of Fukushima Daiichi 2 is currently considered to be spontaneous fission, a process of radioactive decay not involving any chain reaction. The origin of xenon in ...

Scientists have gained insights into the weak nuclear force from new, more sensitive studies of the beta decays of the 'mirror' nuclei lithium-8 and boron-8. The weak nuclear force drives the process ...

Nuclear power is considered one of the ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but how to deal with nuclear waste products is a concern. Radioactive waste products can be turned into more stable ...

Powering spacecraft with solar energy may not seem like a challenge, given how intense the Sun’s light can feel on Earth. Spacecraft near the Earth use large solar panels to harness the Sun for the ...

Is nuclear power the world's best hope for slowing climate change—or a high-stakes gamble that risks radioactive disaster? What if it's both? As the world seeks cleaner energy sources, nuclear energy ...