Date: | 3 March 2015 |
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Speaker: | Prof. Sidney Yip |
The global enterprise of nuclear science and technology is discussed from two contrasting perspectives, US leadership in nuclear energy and the role of an academic institution. The former entails examining the interplay of energy, environment, and national security issues, such as nuclear generation capacity, carbon emission, and nonproliferation initiatives, and calls for policies striking a balance between national interests and global uncertainties. The latter focuses on the aspirations of a single institution (MIT) and addresses scientific and technology assessment issues where expertise in nuclear materials and systems innovation provide training grounds for future leaders. The two scenarios share in common emphasis on strategic awareness of evolving world developments, and the need for community commitment.
Professor Sidney Yip received all his degrees at the University of Michigan. He has been on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty for 50 years, the last five years as emeritus. He has worked in theoretical studies of neutron and fluid transport, and atomistic modeling and simulation of materials. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and has received awards from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Nuclear Materials. He is the author of Nuclear Radiation Interactions, a text published in 2014.