Here is a list of the books recommended in the video: 1. "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes 2. "Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb" by Richard Rhodes 3. "Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race" by Richard Rhodes 4. "Twilight of the Bombs: Recent Challenges, New Dangers, and the Prospects for a New World without Nuclear Weapons" by Richard Rhodes 5. "Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters" by James Mahaffey 6. "Atomic Adventures: Secret Islands, Forgotten N-Rays, and Isotopic Murder - A Journey into the Wild World of Nuclear Science" by James Mahaffey 7. "Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power" by James Mahaffey 8. "The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor" by Ken Silverstein 9. "Uranium: War, Energy, and the Rock That Shaped the World" by Tom Zoellner 10. "Living with Radiation: The First Hundred Years" by Raymond L. Murray 11. "Radiation Detection and Measurement" by Glenn F. Knoll 12. Books by Robert Loth on radioactive minerals, uranium, and thorium 13. "Nuclear Energy: An Introduction to the Concepts, Systems, and Applications of Nuclear Processes" by Raymond L. Murray 14. "Table of Isotopes" (older edition) 15. "Atomic Energy for Military Purposes" (Smith Report)
Another one I recommend adding to your list: The Plutonium Files by Eileen Welsome. It details a lot of the unethical radiation experiments on humans the US performed during the cold war including many occasions where patients in hospitals were injected with plutonium without their consent. It's a fascinating/depressing read, but it's out of print and a little hard to find. For those wanting a deeper dive into nuclear reactor physics, I recommend Nuclear Reactor Analysis by Duderstadt and Hamilton. It's kinda ancient, but a lot of people still use it to learn reactor physics.
I got the introduction to radioactive mineral collecting and mineralogy of uranium and thorium in hopes of learning how to identify different minerals but to be honest, I'm more confused after reading them than before 😅 Anyway, these are great books worth having a look at!
Haha, I completely agree! I was left with more questions after reading them, compared to before! I really liked the first parts, where they discussed locations of major deposits. But as far as the crystal structure of Albrechtschraufite goes, well, I have no clue whatsoever xD
Do you plan to make a novel device like applied science did when he made homemade electron microscope? If so it would be fantastic for the audience and your reach! It seems you do have a great taste for science and are disciplined enough to read so you must have an idea or two for such novel projects. Looking forward to it!!
Thanks, that is very kind of you. I have a few projects that I want to do, but most of them are outside of my current budget and expertise. I am also somewhat limited in my available time, so it always takes a while for me to get done.
@@aelaboratories2572 i do get it as I have the same story. Especially in nuclear science the vaccum equipment would cost a fortune. Luck for you that you live in USA or Canada (I assume xD) hence you can buy stuff off ebay for cheap. In india the heavy import and shipping cost combined with almost no auction of such equipment makes making such projects a far fetched dream as of now.
@@satviksharma1146 I actually live in Sweden, a country where radiation detectors and high vacuum equipment are also very rare, if not impossible, to find. So I can relate to your situation, shipping from the U.S. costs way too much! I wish science stuff was more common, just think of all the experiments one could do if diffusion pumps and geiger tubes were sold on every street corner, haha
Gee, I don't know. I don't have much experience with constructing nuclear weapons and I would not recommend trying. In addition, it is really not possible for an amateur scientist (like us) to do so. I suppose some countries have nuclear programs that employ people, but I would imagine it is difficult to get one of those jobs. Peaceful uses of nuclear engineering can be intriguing too. And less destructive.
Yes, you are correct, these are popular science books, not textbooks. However, I believe that both kinds of books are important. One does not rule out the other. Textbooks are informative and great for learning. Popular science are entertaining and great for implementing and conducting a mental discussion about the material that one has learnt. These popular science books are not as rigorous as the ones by your suggested authors, but they all look at the subject of nuclear physics from different perspectives. These perspectives result in a nuanced understanding, which I would argue is something worth striving for. Moreover, in my opinion, popular science books can sometimes be more fun to read. Even if they are less formal, the language and way of telling information can be easier to read and grasp. Thank you for your comment!
