Katie Mummah, PhD
@nuclearkatie.com
Nuclear engineer. nuclear: reactors, history, waste, nonproliferation, humor. "Tells uranium's life story". Lives in New Mexico. Formerly UW-Madison & UIUC. Outdoors when I'm not working. Views mine alone, likes/rt not endorsements. she/her
Pinned
German brain drain and allied collaborators coming to the US during WWII* was a crucial part of the US becoming a scientific powerhouse.
Not only is the administration lying about history, we're starting our own brain drain. Wonder how that will go this time...
*and after, especially for rocketry
Not only is the administration lying about history, we're starting our own brain drain. Wonder how that will go this time...
*and after, especially for rocketry
December 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
German brain drain and allied collaborators coming to the US during WWII* was a crucial part of the US becoming a scientific powerhouse.
Not only is the administration lying about history, we're starting our own brain drain. Wonder how that will go this time...
*and after, especially for rocketry
Not only is the administration lying about history, we're starting our own brain drain. Wonder how that will go this time...
*and after, especially for rocketry
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
If only Americans had a recent way to know how crucial immigrants were for the success of the Manhattan Project. A big Hollywood movie where a lot of the nuclear scientist characters speak with accents and talk about fleeing Europe that makes tons of money and wins a bunch of Oscars, perhaps.
Immigrant-hating Stephen Miller talks about Americans being "first to harness the atom." But the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was conducted by a team led by Italian immigrant Enrico Fermi, who didn't become a U.S. citizen until a year and a half later.
December 29, 2025 at 5:29 AM
If only Americans had a recent way to know how crucial immigrants were for the success of the Manhattan Project. A big Hollywood movie where a lot of the nuclear scientist characters speak with accents and talk about fleeing Europe that makes tons of money and wins a bunch of Oscars, perhaps.
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
[REDACTED]
Quote this with what you have accomplished in 2025, no matter how big or small
Reading & writing has kept me alive this year.
Somehow, it’s been my most productive year as an author.
Here’s a guide to what I’ve published in 2025, in case you’ve lost track.
Individual links below but it’s all on itch: danifinn.itch.io
And elsewhere: books2read.com/ap/nAApPp/Da...
1/
Somehow, it’s been my most productive year as an author.
Here’s a guide to what I’ve published in 2025, in case you’ve lost track.
Individual links below but it’s all on itch: danifinn.itch.io
And elsewhere: books2read.com/ap/nAApPp/Da...
1/
December 27, 2025 at 11:03 PM
[REDACTED]
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
and god I mean, more broadly - I resent this idea that someone has to look at me to follow what I'm saying, I like writing and I like talking on the radio and on podcasts, I have no professional interest in people looking at my face, leave me alone
December 27, 2025 at 10:25 AM
and god I mean, more broadly - I resent this idea that someone has to look at me to follow what I'm saying, I like writing and I like talking on the radio and on podcasts, I have no professional interest in people looking at my face, leave me alone
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
[breathing a sigh of relief as I carefully remove the poison, hammer, Geiger counter, and radioactive source before helping Tiny Tim out of the box]
December 25, 2025 at 6:07 AM
[breathing a sigh of relief as I carefully remove the poison, hammer, Geiger counter, and radioactive source before helping Tiny Tim out of the box]
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
@nuclearkatie.com [Scrooge voice] It's not too late! Katie, what day is this?
December 21, 2025 at 4:01 AM
@nuclearkatie.com [Scrooge voice] It's not too late! Katie, what day is this?
TAE (the fusion company formally known as Tri Alpha Energy) is merging with Trump Media I guess
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...
Truth Social Parent to Merge With Nuclear Fusion Firm in $6 Billion Deal
www.nytimes.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:23 AM
TAE (the fusion company formally known as Tri Alpha Energy) is merging with Trump Media I guess
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...
Truth Social Parent to Merge With Nuclear Fusion Firm in $6 Billion Deal
www.nytimes.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:21 AM
TAE (the fusion company formally known as Tri Alpha Energy) is merging with Trump Media I guess
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
This is what I was asking last week - the radiation levels around the Chernobyl shield are normal.
The problem is that the shield cannot protect against dust that would be raised if the reactor inside is disassembled.
The problem is that the shield cannot protect against dust that would be raised if the reactor inside is disassembled.
Russian Drone Strike on Chernobyl Hasn’t Led to Rise in Radiation Levels
www.nytimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 11:06 PM
This is what I was asking last week - the radiation levels around the Chernobyl shield are normal.
The problem is that the shield cannot protect against dust that would be raised if the reactor inside is disassembled.
The problem is that the shield cannot protect against dust that would be raised if the reactor inside is disassembled.
Northern NM is the wolf neutral zone. Every time a Mexican wolf travels up into the Jemez they capture and return them south, and now the same is happening with grey wolves from the north (CO)
Maybe someday we'll get wolves of our own
www.fws.gov/press-releas...
Maybe someday we'll get wolves of our own
www.fws.gov/press-releas...
December 13, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Northern NM is the wolf neutral zone. Every time a Mexican wolf travels up into the Jemez they capture and return them south, and now the same is happening with grey wolves from the north (CO)
Maybe someday we'll get wolves of our own
www.fws.gov/press-releas...
Maybe someday we'll get wolves of our own
www.fws.gov/press-releas...
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
For this week’s DOOMSDAY MACHINES, I interviewed my good friend @cherylrofer.bsky.social about her +30 year career at Los Alamos — topics discussed include gender, lasers, and much more — doomsdaymachines.net/p/working-at...
Working at Cold War Los Alamos
A conversation with the chemist Cheryl Rofer about her over thirty year career at Los Alamos
doomsdaymachines.net
December 12, 2025 at 7:20 PM
For this week’s DOOMSDAY MACHINES, I interviewed my good friend @cherylrofer.bsky.social about her +30 year career at Los Alamos — topics discussed include gender, lasers, and much more — doomsdaymachines.net/p/working-at...
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
LOL I got told not to print these out at work
December 8, 2025 at 12:25 AM
LOL I got told not to print these out at work
Opening an email to see "Due to a contagious horse virus that has entered New Mexico from neighboring states..."
Closing my email
Closing my email
December 9, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Opening an email to see "Due to a contagious horse virus that has entered New Mexico from neighboring states..."
Closing my email
Closing my email
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
Sorry, I have trouble taking this song seriously; every time I hear it, I picture the Ranger with, you know, a big iron on his hip.
December 4, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Sorry, I have trouble taking this song seriously; every time I hear it, I picture the Ranger with, you know, a big iron on his hip.
Lol on my Spotify Wrapped this year
December 3, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Lol on my Spotify Wrapped this year
Is this a threat?
December 1, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Is this a threat?
Me, visiting the ruins at chaco canyon: "Strong Floor, No Ceiling"
November 30, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Me, visiting the ruins at chaco canyon: "Strong Floor, No Ceiling"
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
Before there was Loss dot jpg, Loss dot jpg was there
Marlow Moss, Composition in Black and White Number 4, 1949
https://botfrens.com/collections/14377/contents/1135948
https://botfrens.com/collections/14377/contents/1135948
November 30, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Before there was Loss dot jpg, Loss dot jpg was there
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors
As Esau Lopez was asphyxiated for the first 17 minutes of his life on Earth, the atmosphere in the room remained serene, even ecstatic. Acoustic music crooned from a speaker in a modest two-bedroom apartment in a suburb of Pennsylvania. “You are a queen,” murmured one of three friends in the room.
Only Esau’s mother, Gabrielle Lopez, felt something was wrong. She was pushing hard, but her son would not be born. “Can you help [him] out?” she asked, as Esau crowned. “Baby is coming,” the friend replied. Four minutes later, Lopez asked again, “Can you grab [him]?” Another friend murmured, “Baby is safe.” Six minutes passed. Again, Lopez asked, “Can you grab [him]?” Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
You should only allowed to found a new nuclear startup if you're gonna design a reactor no one else is currently designing, like a supercritical water reactor or a vapor-core
If you're about to found another HALEU TRISO gas-cooled reactor startup, can I recommend not doing that???? I'm tired
November 25, 2025 at 5:19 PM
You should only allowed to found a new nuclear startup if you're gonna design a reactor no one else is currently designing, like a supercritical water reactor or a vapor-core
Every day I learn about another new nuclear startup (derogatory)
November 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Every day I learn about another new nuclear startup (derogatory)
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
rip to slotin but i'm different
November 24, 2025 at 4:06 AM
rip to slotin but i'm different
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
Beautiful color photo of Phoebus 1B Nuclear Rocket Engines developed by Los Alamos
November 23, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Beautiful color photo of Phoebus 1B Nuclear Rocket Engines developed by Los Alamos
Reposted by Katie Mummah, PhD
NERVA Nuclear Rocket Engine
November 23, 2025 at 12:12 AM
NERVA Nuclear Rocket Engine