This is John Batcher, a conversation about nuclear power with my colleague Henry Sikalsky, the Executive

Director of the Non-Proliferation Policy Education Center.

Bill Gates, a new company he founded in 2008 called Terra Power, is building a new reactor in

Wyoming called a Natrium reactor because it uses sodium rather than water for coolant.

What is significant here is it's for export and what does that mean for bomb-making?

Henry Sikalski explains on Natrium and bomb-making and proliferation.

More of this later, thank you.

I think the problem there is the same problem

we have with the Chinese fast reactors which is that they're a terrific

way to make super weapons grade plutonium now these plants they claim oh well we won't

fuel them with fuel that will do that.

But you can change the fuel very quickly.

And if you put mixed-oxide fuel instead of, you know, 20% enriched uranium in there and you have a blanket, there you are.

You got a super duper weapons production reaction that the Chinese are perfecting.

We fear.

The Indians are perfecting and saying so and the French used.

So it's not like this is theoretical.