This course is an introduction to the consideration of technology as the outcome of particular technical, historical, cultural, and political efforts, especially in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics include industrialization of production and consumption, development of engineering professions, the emergence of management and its role in shaping technological forms, the technological construction of gender roles, and the relationship between humans and machines.

This video segment adapted from FRONTLINE looks at nuclear fission as an energy source that can be used to generate electricity.

Problems in nuclear engineering often involve applying knowledge from many disciplines simultaneously in achieving satisfactory solutions. The course will focus on understanding the complete nuclear reactor system including the balance of plant, support systems and resulting interdependencies affecting the overall safety of the plant and regulatory oversight. Both the Seabrook and Pilgrim nuclear plant simulators will be used as part of the educational experience to provide as realistic as possible understanding of nuclear power systems short of being at the reactor.

This capstone course is a group design project involving integration of nuclear physics, particle transport, control, heat transfer, safety, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. It provides opportunities to synthesize knowledge acquired in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects and apply this knowledge to practical problems of current interest in nuclear applications design. Each year, the class takes on a different design project; this year, the project is a power plant design that ties together the creation of emission-free electricity with carbon sequestration and fossil fuel displacement. Students taking Graduate / Professional version complete additional assignments. This course is an elective subject in MIT’s underGraduate / Professional Energy Studies Minor. This Institute-wide program complements the deep expertise obtained in any major with a broad understanding of the interlinked realms of science, technology, and social sciences as they relate to energy and associated environmental challenges.

The MIT Nuclear Weapons Education Project aims to teach individuals, particularly those who grew up after the end of the Cold War, about what nuclear weapons are and their effects on the world. The project website provides materials for lectures or discussions at introductory course levels.

This course was designed to educate students about how nuclear weapons came into being, the physics of these weapons, how they are structured, how they have evolved over the past several decades, efforts to control them and limit the threats that they represent, and what the possibilities for the future are. Many people in our country and other countries are not aware of what an existential threat nuclear weapons represent, and this lack of awareness is an important part of the overall threat. 
The course was taught by an MIT Iterdisciplinary team coordinated by Robert P. Redwine, Professor of Physics Emeritus.  The full list of instructors is listed on the course page.

This class introduces students to the interdisciplinary nature of 21st-century engineering projects with three threads of learning: a technical toolkit, a social science toolkit, and a methodology for problem-based learning. Students encounter the social, political, economic, and technological challenges of engineering practice by participating in real engineering projects with faculty and industry; this semester’s major project focuses on the engineering and economics of solar cells. Student teams will create prototypes and mixed media reports with exercises in project planning, analysis, design, optimization, demonstration, reporting and team building.

Uranium is crucial for nuclear power generation, supplying 10% of global electricity. The largest recoverable uranium resources are held by Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Russia, and Namibia. Major uranium consumers rely on imports due to limited domestic production, leading to significant international trade in uranium products.

Visualizing Energy is an open access, interdisciplinary science communication project that aims to increase actionable knowledge about a sustainable and just energy transition. It uses engaging visualizations coupled with accessible data stories to communicate in clear, concise, jargon-free language. It is highly interdisciplinary and uses energy as an organizing principle to reveal logical connections across disciplines. Visualizing Energy knits data analysis, visualizations, and the written word into stories that promote critical thinking and communication. Its initial focus is on three interconnected areas: the connection between energy and human well-being; the history of energy transitions; and equity issues surrounding energy transitions (energy justice, energy burden, energy poverty, energy insecurity).

The project co-leaders are Cutler J. Cleveland, Professor of Earth and Environment, and Heather Clifford, data scientist in the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability.

Project web site: https://visualizingenergy.org/

The safety of nuclear reactors is a subject of debate. While incidents like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima have had impacts on human health and the environment, the overall risks of radiation exposure are considered small. Advancements in technology and regulations have significantly reduced the frequency of core damage incidents. Nuclear power is an important low-carbon energy source, but opinions differ on its safety compared to fossil fuels and renewables.

This presentation goes into detail the different kinds of energy there is in the world. While talking about mechanical, potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, and gravitational energy, it also goes into day-to-day relation between us and these types of energy.

Nuclear power plant construction has shifted to countries like China, India, Russia, and South Korea. Around 64 GW of new nuclear capacity is currently under construction, with China leading the way. An additional 177 GW has been announced globally. Some countries see nuclear power as a low-carbon option to meet climate goals. Factors such as economics and geopolitical considerations will determine how much new nuclear capacity actually gets built.