Nuclear Got Talent: Medical Radioisotope Video Wins ‘Nuclear Olympiad’

The first half of the morning event focused on the Nuclear Olympiad. This international competition challenged university students from around the world to use their imaginations to create 60-second videos illustrating nuclear techniques for global development. The competition was organized by the World Nuclear University with support from the IAEA, the World Nuclear Association, the Nuclear Energy Agency, and the World Association of Nuclear Operators.

“The Olympiad helps raise students’ awareness of nuclear areas, and to open them to future career opportunities,” said Patricia Wieland, Head of the World Nuclear University (WNU). “It is a unique opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, knowledge, and communication skills. We appreciate the fresh, young, new perspectives the students brought to nuclear technologies with their videos.”

The video that eventually won first prize, by a nuclear engineering student Alice Cunha da Silva from Rio de Janeiro University in Brazil, has already attracted 35,000 views on YouTube. Her video explored medical radioisotopes and how their use in nuclear medicine saves lives. Listen to our podcast to hear more from Alice about her experience.  

High School Science 

Following the Olympiad presentations, five groups of high school-aged students presented projects created during an IAEA-Vienna International School (VIS) pilot initiative held from April to August 2015. Their presentations explored the introduction of cancer treatment in Ethiopia, fast reactors and the hybrid loop-pool design, fusion confinement methods, the use of nuclear medicine in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and thorium as an alternative to uranium for sustainable energy.

Twenty-five students in grades 10 to 12 took part in the pilot initiative, which brought them together with experts from IAEA headquarters and the Agency’s laboratories, who mentored the students on scientific and technological applications. The students’ final projects reflected their interests in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as the skills they gained in project development and management over the course of the initiative.

Alexander Lazarev and Timon Kroell, both aged 17, who presented on fast reactors and the hybrid loop-pool design, were selected as the winning group of the IAEA-VIS initiative.

“You have a head start in an incredible field that has an incredible amount of potential to change our lives, to change the world, to make our lives better, to make us healthier, and make the environment better,” said Taylor Wilson. “It’s a tremendous field with tremendous possibilities and a lot of room for innovation,” added the 21-year-old nuclear physicist, known as the youngest person ever to work with nuclear fusion (at age 14). He was a speaker at the 2015 IAEA Scientific Forum on Tuesday and at the close of Thursday’s Olympiad event.