The Magic of the Atom

If human activity moves into planetary bodies, the distances are daunting and challenges manifold. What type of energy sources will be needed to support a species capable of making journies to Mars or beyond? What sort of energy sources would open up new avenues of creativity on earth at the same time? Chemical fuel and gas/oil won’t cut it for the long haul, but what about the atom? Why are people so afraid of atomic power (fission and fusion)?

Cuautemoc Reale-Hernandez is a nuclear engineer working on a lead-cooled SMR (small modular reactor) that is intended to be deployed in the Canadian arctic (https://www.leadcold.com/sealer.html). He is currently pursuing his Phd at McMaster University and holds a Bachelors in engineering physics at école polytechnique