Chernobyl at 40: physics, politics and the nuclear debate today
From Physics World Stories Podcast by Physics World
February 27, 2026 · 53 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the Chernobyl disaster's impact and the ongoing nuclear debate 40 years later.
Jim Smith reflects on the 1986 disaster and how it still shapes public perception of nuclear power
People in this episode
Host: Andrew Glester
Guest: Jim Smith
Topics covered
- Chernobyl disaster
- nuclear energy
- environmental physics
- radioactive material
- nuclear debate
- politics of nuclear power
Keywords
- Chernobyl
- nuclear accident
- radioactivity
- environmental issues
- Fukushima
- safety test
- nuclear power
- radiation
- Soviet system
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Portsmouth
Places: Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Lake District
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