Challenges in Energy Production: Is Nuclear a viable Option: Thomas E. Albrecht-Schmitt at TEDxFSU

This talk will cover humankinds' current inability to generate electricity without significant environmental impact. We will briefly touch on detrimental aspects of utilizing fossil fuels, solar, wind, and hydro. The focus of the talk will be on nuclear energy. We will address a variety of serious issues with nuclear power, some of which are only public perception, and some that represent real technological issues to profound societal impact. The talk will close with a discuss of my research group's effort to develop multifunctional materials that simultaneously allow one to recycle used nuclear fuel and prevent the release of radioactive material into the environment.

Professor Thomas E. Albrecht-Schmitt received his B.S. in chemistry from Southwest Minnesota State University in 1993. He earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at Northwestern University under the direction of James A. Ibers in 1997. After a short post-doc at the University of Illinois with John R. Shapley, he began his independent career at Auburn University where he rose through the ranks to full professor. Then occupied the Frank M. Freimann Chair at the University of Notre Dame. In 2012, he moved to Florida State University to take on the role of Gregory R. Choppin Chair in Chemistry. His research interests include all aspects of lanthanide and actinide chemistry, materials chemistry, crystallography, and nuclear energy.

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