ITER Podcast
What is the best way to understand a complex, revolutionary and futuristic technology that has challenged, confounded, and inspired the human mind and spirit for generations? Want to learn more about life inside ITER? Listen to the people who are at the forefront of trying to master the energy source of the Sun in order to meet increasing demand for energy here on Earth. Hence, we bring you an inspiring yet extremely down to earth (pun intended) podcast where we speak to the heart of ITER: the scientists, engineers, technicians, managers, lawyers, interns, students, assistants and everyone in between who makes this massive undertaking tick. The ITER Podcast seeks to dig into the human side of ITER: what it's like to work on site, the multicultural environment, the challenges and more.
Season 3 will dive into the real science behind ITER. You don't need to be a scientist to know how fusion works. Stay tuned!
Future Stars at ITER's Private Fusion Workshop
How can ITER help?
This special 8-minute episode features the Private & Public Fusion Workshop that was held from May 27-29 at ITER. The episode interviews many players in the private & public fusion arena, including Andrew Holland from Fusion Industry Association, Melanie Windridge from Fusion Energy Insights, and Communications Director Laban Coblentz about their thoughts of the workshop, and also offers a sneak peak into Season 3.
Available to listen to on the ITER Website, Spotify, Podbean, Apple, and all your favorite podcast channels.
Listen in as ITER scientists, engineers, managers, and students share their experiences and challenges and their hopes for nuclear fusion energy.
The Women at ITER
Trailblazing
Season 2 of the ITER Podcast will focus on the people populating the "ITER planet." We begin with a focus on women at ITER. Host Kruti Mawani Fayot meets some of the women working at the ITER Organization in France to get their unique perspective on what it's like to be a part of this extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime global project.
Visiting Planet ITER
Stepping on site
Your ITER Stories host takes you into the beating heart of the ITER construction site as she follows a group of visitors to gather their hot-takes and first-hand impressions. About 25,000 people visit ITER annually; this group happens to hail from Thailand, the Netherlands and France...
Falling for Fusion
Thinking of the future
"Falling for Fusion" features interviews with two young fusion enthusiasts who explain how they came to find out about fusion science and technology, how they joined the effort to increase the visibility of this very active field of research, and where they think fusion fits into the future.
ITER Robots, Connecting as Humans
An ITER-themed competition
What do a 14-year-old in the south of France, a robot competition, and a scientist at a pioneering nuclear fusion experiment have in common? A love for coding and human collaboration in the service of society! In this episode, host Kruti Mawani Fayot follows middle and high school students to an annual competition in Provence known as ITER Robots, where 500 students compete on "ITER-like" robotic tasks.
The ITER Spouses, A Journey of Transformation
Expat tales
Meet some of the ITER spouses—five women and one man from India, China, Korea, Belgium and the Netherlands—as they share their personal journeys of transformation. Moving to Provence, adjusting to differences, discovering a new language and culture while supporting their families... This episode will interest anyone who is considering joining ITER, or the simply curious.
Narrating A Giant, with Laban Coblentz
Talking about ITER
As a project with complex layers of science, engineering, technology and politics, ITER is not always easy to understand and follow. Let's speak with the Head of Communications at ITER about his vision for bringing ITER into a broader circle of conversation...
We start off with six central topics to better understand the hows and whys of one of the largest scientific experiments in the world. This mini-series offers insightful interviews explaining the 101 of nuclear fusion and the inner workings of ITER.
The Big Black Box on the Hill
An introduction
Host Kruti Mawani Fayot starts off the new ITER Podcast with Season 1, Episode 1 "The Big Black Box on the Hill." She badges into the ITER site in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France, for a first contact with the ITER Project. In the course of her visit she meets members of the Communications team, who describe fusion and the ITER machine to her, before heading out to the worksite to experience the construction underway.
A Melting Pot of Cultures at Work
35 nations unite
Did you know that 35 countries are participating in the ITER Project? That creates quite a melting pot of cultures in the offices of the ITER Organization. What's it really like on the inside? Host Kruti Mawani Fayot chats with staff involved in the recruitment of staff from every ITER partner and learns how they are welcomed and integrated into the team.
The Sun is Our Model
A conversation with Monaco-ITER postdocs
How about the science of ITER? Let's speak with some of the younger members of the ITER science team—the Monaco-ITER postdocs currently working on site to prepare for the ITER operational program. They will be our guides in a first approach to plasma science and the goals of the ITER machine.
The History of ITER
Let's go back
The ITER Agreement may have been signed in 2006, launching practical implementation, but the real genesis of the project dates back to a Superpower Summit in 1985 and a conversation between General Secretary Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union and President Ronald Reagan of the United States. Host Kruti Mawani Fayot finds a guide who can narrate much of the story that follows because he knew the principal actors and has been personally involved for decades.
Piecing the Puzzle Together
A unique in-kind system
Where are the one-of-kind components and technologies of the ITER plant coming from? Well, all over the world. ITER has instituted an in-kind procurement system, meaning that participants in the project are contributing components and systems, and not just cash, to the project. Imagine the logistics...
Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
Why fusion energy?
The world is taking note of efforts around the world to realize fusion energy, including ITER. In 2021, fusion even made it into the discussions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26. Why the strong interest now?
