Since 1993, the International Atomic Energy Agency has tracked 2,500 trafficking cases of nuclear material. While there has yet to be a detonation of a dirty bomb, the threat remains present. In the unlikely event of a nuclear attack on American soil, Notre Dame engineering professor Antonio Simonetti makes one thing clear: The perpetrator could and would be found.Simonetti is a geochemist who specializes in characterizing the chemical and isotopic composition of materials. Traditionally, that involves studying rocks and minerals, which Simonetti did for many years. In 2011 he pivoted to assess nuclear materials like trinitite at the request of National Nuclear Security Agency. In that role, he used laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to study blast melt from the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico in 1945 and precisely identified where remnants of plutonium fuel resided after the explosion.More: http://ntrda.me/FTProtectOurCountry
More from What Would You Fight For?
- 2:01Fighting for Shakespeare for AllWhen Christy Burgess started the Robinson Shakespeare Company at Notre Dame's Robinson Community Learning Center in 2008, skeptics told her the local kids - the children of professors, of police officers, of felons - would never willingly study or perform Shakespeare.Fast forward several years and the Robinson Shakespeare Company just returned from a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of the famous bard, and led a workshop at the Globe Theatre in London. Needless to say, their enthusiasm for Shakespeare is unparalleled.But perhaps even more success has come from how it has changed the performers. They've learned skills in communication, confidence, working as an ensemble, and stepping out of their comfort zones. As Notre Dame's international Shakespeare scholar Prof. Peter Holland believes, they've proven the lessons of Shakespeare transcend all barriers and that Shakespeare's messages of love, hate and division still ring true today.Learn more: https://fightingfor.nd.edu/2017/fighting-for-shakespeare-for-all/
- 1:31What Would You Fight For?: 10 Year AnniversaryFor ten years we've partnered with NBC to show you the people of Notre Dame who remind us what we stand for, what we strive for and what we fight for.Here's a look back at some of the causes we've fought for and people who have led the charge. See more at: http://ntrda.me/FightingForAnniversary
