I Explored the World's First Nuclear Power Plant (and How It Works) - Smarter Every Day 306

Just so people know, EBR-1 is open to the public and its free to visit. It is kind of mind blowing when you stand on top of the actual reactor and realize it was the first to produce nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Make sure you hit up 1870 Subs and Sweets in nearby Arco, ID (the first town powered by nuclear power) for really good subs and ice cream.

Andrew, you stole the show! Great job. Destin, thanks for doing this series. My dad worked at INL for 35 years and was in a different area when they had a reactor explosion in SL-1 that killed 3 men. The Navy was in a land locked state learning how to run nuclear subs in a canal in the desert. 52 reactors ran at one time or another at this facility.

"I'm tying to get into (a currently working nuclear powerplant), and that's proving to be difficult."

With all of the chaos in the world today, I find this statement calmly re-assuring.

I have to admit, as a 52 year old man, the "Wheee!" with the fast moving electrons made me giggle or snicker every single time.

Thanks! I've always appreciated your videos. Informative, educational, inspirational, and entertaining.

I have enjoyed being a part of your journey and getting Smarter Every Day...

Destin, I’ve been watching your videos since I was 13 years old, I’m now 22 and about to complete my degree in computer engineering. Watching your videos has been such an impactful part of my life and I just had to leave a comment for you to know how much of a positive impact your videos have made on my life. Thank you so much for everything you have done for the older and the newer generation of potential scientists and engineers.

You could have bought a white board and markers for $40 but instead you took the time to cut out felt for a physical demonstration.. This is why I'll always support this channel.

I love that we all simultaneously and independently realized how awesome Andrew is.

Andrew is a PHENOMENAL story teller and tour guide. I could listen to him tell and teach forever.

Wow Andrew is a great tour guide!

Andrew never says "um" or "uh" and it's so appreciably noticeable, that dude is dialed in

40:21 Trust me, Destin, we don’t care if it’s an hour long, I was hoping there was more.

Andrew casually dropped an MTG reference in there with a knowing smile.

Fast Neutron: WEEEE!
French Neutron: OUI!

Let's all give Andrew a huge round of applause here for being a stellar tour guide. His knowledge and passion for the subject material is apparent from the first time he opens his mouth and I couldn't help but find his enthusiasm for the material to be contagious. That's a bright young man that's got an infinite future of possibilities before him and I wish him all the best!

This, to me, is the "good" internet. Really smart people that can explain complex subjects in a way that dummies like me can understand. Thank you so much for sharing your intelligence, your ability to communicate effectively and your personal passion for the material. You are doing good work and I appreciate you! Thanks.

Andrew is a national treasure. We must protect him at all costs, and keep him from being chained to a desk like the rest of us.

Andrew is incredible. You can tell that he has studied, learned, and knows exactly what he is talking about. He speaks so incredibly clearly, concisely and simply. The way he can be interrupted and pick up right where he left off is really impressive.

Please make people realize how safe it is

I loved giving you a tour Destin, you've done a fantastic job designing easy to understand prop examples to expound on the best details! Thank you for being a fantastic advocate for engineering and science, and for letting me be a part of that by showing you my favorite reactor :)

For years I've wanted to do a series exploring Nuclear Power. It's time. I recorded this video about a year ago in the wilderness of Idaho at Idaho National Labs. I'm VERY EXCITED about this series, and I hope you are as well. For the first video, my goal was to understand the fundamentals of how a nuclear power plant works. I believe EBR-1 (Experimental Breeder Reactor - 1) is an amazing place to start. If you'd like to get an old-school email when I upload the next videos (I won't spam you) in the series here's a link to receive email updates: www.smartereveryday.com/email

Thanks to everyone who supports on Patreon! If you'd like to consider supporting, here's the link: www.patreon.com/smartereveryday

Thank you! I'm grateful for your time and that you're willing to learn this stuff with me!
Second Channel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVzNPO1pZGo