All Episodes

July 4, 2025 41 mins

Can nuclear waste solve the energy crisis caused by AI data centers? Maybe. And maybe much more, including providing rare elements we need like rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, krypto-85, Americium-241, and more.


Amazingly:


- 96% of nuclear fuel’s energy is left after it's "used"

- Recycling can reduce 10,000-year waste storage needs to just 300 years

- Curio’s new process avoids toxic nitric acid and extracts valuable isotopes

- 1 recycling plant could meet a third of America’s nuclear fuel needs

- Nuclear recycling could enable AI, space travel, and medical breakthroughs


In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier talks with Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio and former Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. McGinnis is on a mission to revolutionize how we think about nuclear waste, turning it into a powerful resource for energy, rare isotopes, and even precious metals like rhodium.


Watch now and subscribe for more deep tech insights.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.