EXHIBITS & COLLECTIONS

Think Thorium: The Future of Nuclear Energy

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History showcased a new permanent exhibit called Think Thorium: The Future of Nuclear Energy, opening to the public on Friday, October 14, 2022. Sponsored by the Thorium Energy Alliance, the exhibit looks at the past, present and future of using Thorium as fuel in a nuclear reactor and the development of a reactor technology significantly different from that used today.

Thorium was the second element discovered to be radioactive and has seen use in both industrial production and medicine. It has not, however, been used in nuclear energy production, since unlike uranium, it cannot sustain a fission reaction. Technology is currently being developed that would use thorium as part of both the fuel and the coolant for a new class of reactor. The molten salt reactor, when fully developed, would be safer, produce less waste and help reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy production.