Katy Huff
@katyhuff.bsky.social
Into bikes, nuclear energy, vegetables, coffee, scientific computing, & public radio. Currently a professor at UIUC NPRE . Former NE-1. (she/her)
Pinned
Loosening Radiation Rules Won’t Help Us Get Nuclear Power Any Faster
Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues
www.scientificamerican.com
Happy Friday, folks! I authored a piece that appeared in Scientific American this afternoon. Some folks will see the title of this piece and worry I have turned against nuclear energy. I assure you I have not.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
Reposted by Katy Huff
Happening soon! Register to watch online (or attend in person) at 0900 this morning. carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/...
Bluff or Death? How to Assess Nuclear “Threats”
In turbulent times, the less precise our nuclear discourse, the more fear nuclear manipulators can elicit.
carnegieendowment.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Happening soon! Register to watch online (or attend in person) at 0900 this morning. carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/...
And even if they're drug traffickers, it's not a capital offense.
And even capital offenses deserve due process.
And even capital offenses deserve due process.
There’s no war.
The US wasn’t attacked, and isn’t under imminent threat.
Congress didn’t authorize it.
Treaties don’t allow it.
Drugs aren’t armaments.
Drug traffickers aren’t terrorists.
Even with all that, we don’t know these were all drug traffickers.
And even if they were, they’re low level.
The US wasn’t attacked, and isn’t under imminent threat.
Congress didn’t authorize it.
Treaties don’t allow it.
Drugs aren’t armaments.
Drug traffickers aren’t terrorists.
Even with all that, we don’t know these were all drug traffickers.
And even if they were, they’re low level.
We are murdering people and it is basically just background noise at this point. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/u...
February 10, 2026 at 12:58 PM
And even if they're drug traffickers, it's not a capital offense.
And even capital offenses deserve due process.
And even capital offenses deserve due process.
This nice clear summary from John Fabian at @americannuclear.bsky.social on the last few years of shifting nuclear energy policy in Illinois is going straight into next week's reading list for my undergrad nuclear power economics and fuel cycle class! www.ans.org/news/2026-02...
From uncertainty to vitality: The future of nuclear energy in Illinois
www.ans.org
February 7, 2026 at 2:42 PM
This nice clear summary from John Fabian at @americannuclear.bsky.social on the last few years of shifting nuclear energy policy in Illinois is going straight into next week's reading list for my undergrad nuclear power economics and fuel cycle class! www.ans.org/news/2026-02...
Reposted by Katy Huff
It's Friday night.
I did enough this week.
You did enough this week.
I did enough this week.
You did enough this week.
February 7, 2026 at 12:15 AM
It's Friday night.
I did enough this week.
You did enough this week.
I did enough this week.
You did enough this week.
Reposted by Katy Huff
If Congress doesn’t act, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire. It would pointlessly wipe out decades of diplomacy, and could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe. This piece is worth the read.
Opinion | Let the Arms Race Begin
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM
If Congress doesn’t act, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire. It would pointlessly wipe out decades of diplomacy, and could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe. This piece is worth the read.
My favorite burrito truck guy gave me a free horchata today. The juxtaposition against the state of the world was just too much.
I nearly wept right there in the burrito line.
I nearly wept right there in the burrito line.
February 2, 2026 at 7:33 PM
My favorite burrito truck guy gave me a free horchata today. The juxtaposition against the state of the world was just too much.
I nearly wept right there in the burrito line.
I nearly wept right there in the burrito line.
Reposted by Katy Huff
One of the best feelings as a writer is seeing your work in print for the first time. This book was a labour of love; I poured many hours of research and reflection into it, and I can’t wait for it to land in bookstores around the world tomorrow. If you read it, let me know what you think! 📚 ⚛️ 🌱
February 2, 2026 at 11:21 AM
One of the best feelings as a writer is seeing your work in print for the first time. This book was a labour of love; I poured many hours of research and reflection into it, and I can’t wait for it to land in bookstores around the world tomorrow. If you read it, let me know what you think! 📚 ⚛️ 🌱
Reposted by Katy Huff
It's Friday night.
I've done enouuuuuuugh this week.
You've done enough this week.
I've done enouuuuuuugh this week.
You've done enough this week.
January 30, 2026 at 11:05 PM
It's Friday night.
I've done enouuuuuuugh this week.
You've done enough this week.
I've done enouuuuuuugh this week.
You've done enough this week.
Reposted by Katy Huff
January 30, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Reposted by Katy Huff
Golly, we haven't had a nuclear agreement with Iran since (checks notes) Trump's last term.
January 28, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Golly, we haven't had a nuclear agreement with Iran since (checks notes) Trump's last term.
Reposted by Katy Huff
EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available.
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules
The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.
www.npr.org
January 28, 2026 at 10:23 AM
EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available.
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.
www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
Reposted by Katy Huff
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the more than 6 million Jews — and millions of others — who were murdered by the brutal Nazi regime.
May their memory be a reminder that we must fight antisemitism, hatred, & bigotry in all their forms.
Never Again.
May their memory be a reminder that we must fight antisemitism, hatred, & bigotry in all their forms.
Never Again.
January 27, 2026 at 10:58 PM
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the more than 6 million Jews — and millions of others — who were murdered by the brutal Nazi regime.
May their memory be a reminder that we must fight antisemitism, hatred, & bigotry in all their forms.
Never Again.
May their memory be a reminder that we must fight antisemitism, hatred, & bigotry in all their forms.
Never Again.
Reposted by Katy Huff
A high of -11 and thousands in the streets. So proud of Minnesota. #minnesota #democracy
January 23, 2026 at 11:47 PM
A high of -11 and thousands in the streets. So proud of Minnesota. #minnesota #democracy
Reposted by Katy Huff
FYI Everyone if you want the joke cover sheets as a PDF here they are from The Federation of American Scientists. web.archive.org/web/20051216...
web.archive.org
January 24, 2026 at 3:44 AM
FYI Everyone if you want the joke cover sheets as a PDF here they are from The Federation of American Scientists. web.archive.org/web/20051216...
Reposted by Katy Huff
It's Friday night.
I've done enough this week.
YOU'VE done enough this week.
Stay safe!
I've done enough this week.
YOU'VE done enough this week.
Stay safe!
January 24, 2026 at 12:13 AM
It's Friday night.
I've done enough this week.
YOU'VE done enough this week.
Stay safe!
I've done enough this week.
YOU'VE done enough this week.
Stay safe!
Happy Friday, folks! I authored a piece that appeared in Scientific American this afternoon. Some folks will see the title of this piece and worry I have turned against nuclear energy. I assure you I have not.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
Loosening Radiation Rules Won’t Help Us Get Nuclear Power Any Faster
Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues
www.scientificamerican.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:38 AM
Happy Friday, folks! I authored a piece that appeared in Scientific American this afternoon. Some folks will see the title of this piece and worry I have turned against nuclear energy. I assure you I have not.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
Happy Friday, folks! I authored a piece that appeared in Scientific American this afternoon. Some folks will see the title of this piece and worry I have turned against nuclear energy. I assure you I have not.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
Loosening Radiation Rules Won’t Help Us Get Nuclear Power Any Faster
Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues
www.scientificamerican.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Happy Friday, folks! I authored a piece that appeared in Scientific American this afternoon. Some folks will see the title of this piece and worry I have turned against nuclear energy. I assure you I have not.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
Reposted by Katy Huff
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
January 20, 2026 at 10:53 PM
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Reposted by Katy Huff
What if lots of nuclear power plants melt down at the same time?
January 22, 2026 at 12:26 PM
What if lots of nuclear power plants melt down at the same time?
I'm not sure if it's me or the world that's changed... but I find, recently, that publishing my opinion makes me oddly nervous, even if my opinions are even-keeled, pragmatic defenses of international scientific consensus.
Am I losing my nerve or has the world become too divided to reason with?
Am I losing my nerve or has the world become too divided to reason with?
a cartoon character in a suit and tie stands in front of a fire escape
Alt: A cartoon character from the Simpsons in a suit and tie stands in front of a building and says "am I so out of touch? No. It's the kids who are wrong ."
media.tenor.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:15 AM
I'm not sure if it's me or the world that's changed... but I find, recently, that publishing my opinion makes me oddly nervous, even if my opinions are even-keeled, pragmatic defenses of international scientific consensus.
Am I losing my nerve or has the world become too divided to reason with?
Am I losing my nerve or has the world become too divided to reason with?
Reposted by Katy Huff
If they said this memo was "pre-decisional", they are likely trying to shield it from FOIA, because deliberative pre-decisional processes are generally exempted, however pre-decisional doesn't seem to be written on this memo. @chrislhayes.bsky.social www.ecfr.gov/current/titl...
January 22, 2026 at 3:04 AM
If they said this memo was "pre-decisional", they are likely trying to shield it from FOIA, because deliberative pre-decisional processes are generally exempted, however pre-decisional doesn't seem to be written on this memo. @chrislhayes.bsky.social www.ecfr.gov/current/titl...
Reposted by Katy Huff
🍿⚛️ Today we have: "Managing Radioactive Waste At the Nevada Test Site", a 1980 film from DOE, freshly scanned off of U-matic video cassette kindly provided to me by Prof. Ron Knief. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Jd...
Managing Radioactive Wastes At The Nevada Test Site (1980)
YouTube video by What is Nuclear?
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:50 AM
🍿⚛️ Today we have: "Managing Radioactive Waste At the Nevada Test Site", a 1980 film from DOE, freshly scanned off of U-matic video cassette kindly provided to me by Prof. Ron Knief. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Jd...
The vibes we need.
I felt like making some art last night/today and could have made something beautiful and/or meaningful but I made this instead.
It's a Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut.
No regrets. Can't defeat fascism without joy.
It's a Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut.
No regrets. Can't defeat fascism without joy.
January 17, 2026 at 3:13 PM
The vibes we need.
Reposted by Katy Huff
NSF needs to hear from you. Among other points, I suggested: keep politics out of science; stop using the threat of cancelling scientific grants to try to control universities; increase NSF funding for fundamental research. Pls send around. Deadline is January 27. Thanks
www.nsf.gov/od/updates/n...
www.nsf.gov/od/updates/n...
NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan
www.nsf.gov
January 17, 2026 at 2:41 AM
NSF needs to hear from you. Among other points, I suggested: keep politics out of science; stop using the threat of cancelling scientific grants to try to control universities; increase NSF funding for fundamental research. Pls send around. Deadline is January 27. Thanks
www.nsf.gov/od/updates/n...
www.nsf.gov/od/updates/n...
Go get it! It's good!
Energy is Life, out 3rd Feb. Order your copy > www.unicornpublishing.org/page/detail/...
January 8, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Go get it! It's good!