Gold is mined at about one gram per tonne, which means every decision a gold mining company makes rests on somebody being able to measure a very small amount of gold, very accurately, in a very large amount of rock. Our guest in this episode replaced the century-old chemical method for doing that with an approach that draws from nuclear science.

Dr James Tickner is chief scientist and co-founder of Chrysos Corporation. In this wide ranging discussion, we talk about mining, entrepreneurship, and the sometimes tricky process involved in changing how things are done in a well-established industry like mining.

CREDITS

Guest: Dr James Tickner

Host: A/Prof Elizabeth Williams

Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

The usual end matter:

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at nuclearmatterspodcast@anu.edu.au.

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

Imagine a global network of sensor stations, ready to detect even the smallest nuclear weapons test. This network is in fact a reality. As we learned in our last episode, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation’s monitoring network is up, running, and ready for the Treaty to enter into force. One of the most important of those stations is located in Australia's remote Northern Territory – the Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Facility – and it's directed by Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, Head of Geophysics at the Australian National University.

In this episode, Professor Tkalčić joins our host, A/Prof Liz Williams, to talk about what seismology actually is – how waves generated by earthquakes, storms, and even whale calls can be used to see inside the earth – and how the extraordinary silence of the Australian outback makes it one of the best places on the planet to listen for nuclear tests.

Professor Tkalčić is also the author of a brand-new popular science book called, When Worlds Quake: The Quest to Understand the Interior of Earth and Beyond, which has just been released in the English language by Princeton University Press [link to publisher page here].

CREDITS

Guest: Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic

Host: A/Prof Elizabeth Williams

Audio Producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at nuclearmatterspodcast@anu.edu.au.

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.

When President Trump announced last year that the US might resume nuclear weapons testing, it raised a question the world hasn't had to seriously consider in decades: what happens if they do?

In this episode, Liz Williams sits down with Professor Trevor Findlay, a nuclear governance expert who was involved in the early diplomatic work that became the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The CTBT exists, the monitoring network is nearly complete, and the organisation behind it is operating, but the treaty never entered into force. What would states would actually do if testing resumes? In this conversation, Trevor shares insights into how the treaty and accompanying verification system was built, why it was designed the way it was, and what it all means now that nuclear testing is once again in the news.

CREDITS

Guest: Professor Trevor Findlay is an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne with expertise in nuclear governance. He has spent many years working on the issue of nuclear testing and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and its verification system.

Host: A/Prof Liz Williams is the Interim Director of the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network and Nuclear Systems Discipline Lead for the ANU School of Engineering.

Audio producer: Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio)

A note of correction: When posting this episode, Liz - who typically struggles with remembering names on a good day - realized she dropped 'Nuclear' from Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty consistently. This is incorrect. When stating the full treaty or organisation name, one should include the 'nuclear', just as Trevor does consistently throughout the episode. We'll work on correcting the audio, but for now, just remember the treaty / organisation acronym drops the N, but the full name does not.

The usual end matter

Nuclear Matters is a production of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society and the ANU Nuclear Stewardship Network. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which this podcast is being recorded on or listened to, and pay our respects to their Elders – and all First Nations people.

If you want to send us some feedback on an episode, email us at nuclearmatterspodcast@anu.edu.au.

Keep in mind that this podcast is intended for information and education only. In particular, nothing in this episode is intended to serve as medical advice - please consult a qualified medical practitioner.

The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the official policy or position of the Australian National University College of Systems and Society or the University as a whole.