YouTube videos looking at nuclear science

On his YouTube channel, T. Folse Nuclear, the self-described "nuclear nerd" creates educational-and often funny-content that covers a wide range of nuclear- and science-related topics. He currently has about 1,000 videos and 752,000 subscribers.

Nuclear Newswire recently spoke with Folse to learn more about his career and videos.

Newswire: Tell us about your background.

Folse: I received my bachelor's degree in nuclear and radiological engineering, with a minor in green energy, from Georgia Tech, and later earned my M.B.A. from the University of Texas-Tyler.

After completing undergraduate school, I began my career at STP Nuclear Operating Company, where I worked in several roles. I started out as an entry-level engineer, then went through licensed operator training to become a senior reactor operator, where I led a crew on-shift. I later became a program manager off-shift. This experience gave me a strong foundation in both the technical and leadership aspects of nuclear power.

Newswire: Describe your current professional position.

Folse: I currently work at a data center for Meta, where I apply my engineering background in a fast-evolving, high-reliability industry. While it's a different field from nuclear, many of the same principles of safety, redundancy, and systems thinking carry over.

Newswire: Tell us about your YouTube channel and social media presence on TikTok and Instagram.

Folse: I was inspired by "expert reacts" channels like LegalEagle and C.W. Lemoine and thought, "I could do that as a nuclear engineer." I started by reviewing movies and then expanded to popular science videos on YouTube.

My goal is to make nuclear topics more approachable by adding context, humor, and analogies while also clearing up common misconceptions. That said, my channel is primarily a passion project-I make the videos because they're fun to create and they connect me with a wide audience that's curious about science and engineering.

Newswire: How do you put the videos together?

Folse: For each video, I'll review the subject beforehand if it's highly technical and specific, like nuclear fusion with a tokamak, to refresh myself on the details. But most of my content is recorded as live, blind reactions, so the audience gets my authentic thought process as I work through the claims being made [in the other videos].

Newswire: What are a couple of your favorite videos?

Folse: One of my favorites was my reaction to a humorous video on radiation by BlueJay: "Nuclear engineer reacts to BlueJay 'Radiation in a nutshell'". That video was both funny and insightful, and it gave me a chance to highlight in my video how everyday "radiation" is often misunderstood. One of my favorite lines from the BlueJay video was when he joked that visible light is actually one of the most dangerous forms of radiation-because people see things that lead them to make bad decisions. It was a clever way of pointing out how perspective matters.

Another one of my favorites is my reaction to an animated video where a stick figure learns about physics, from kinematics to electromagnetism to nuclear. In my video "Nuclear engineer reacts to 'Animation vs. Physics' by Alan Becker", I explain his experiences.

Newswire: There is nuclear-related merchandise available through your web store, correct?

Folse: Yes. My merch is lovingly designed by my wife, which makes it special. A lot of it grew out of memes from my online community. In my videos, I often say, "We use this in nuclear plants," when pointing out surprising parallels-like how boric acid can be both a flame retardant and a neutron absorber. That phrase became a running joke in the comments and eventually made its way onto mugs and tumblers. It's been a fun way to share inside jokes with my viewers while supporting the channel.

Nuclear influencers: Folse is part of a growing online presence of scientists and advocates who use social media to spread awareness-and dispel misinformation-about nuclear science and technology.

"I greatly value the work that ANS does in advancing nuclear science and fostering community among professionals," he said. I try to use my channel to share that same spirit of outreach, showing the public the real-world side of nuclear engineering in a way that's accessible and engaging."

From "The Nuclear CATastrophe Caused by Kitty Litter" to "Nuclear Mutant Flies?," his videos get tens of thousands of views-showing that the content and the delivery have found an appreciative audience.