The price is right, and the future of energy might just be nuclear.
Trading Bob Barker’s traditional television studio for college campuses, collegians put a twist on one of America’s favorite game-show classics, by hosting Nuclear Plinko events at University of Arizona, Thomas College and University of Texas at Dallas.
CFACT Collegian Ashlee Mendola challenges a fellow University of Arizona student to test her nuclear energy knowledge with a game of Nuclear Plinko
Inspired by the iconic Price Is Right game, the challenge invited students to drop a chip down a peg-filled Plinko board. Wherever the chip landed determined their nuclear trivia question. Answer correctly, and they’d walk away with some candy. Unfortunately, a brand-new car was not in the prize budget.
At the University of Arizona, CFACT Collegian Ashlee Mendola invited students to come on down and take their chances. Questions challenged participants to identify which energy source operates at a capacity factor above 90%, surprising many of nuclear power’s reliability.
Collegian Robert-Joseph Reed gives a thumbs-up during his Nuclear Plinko event at Thomas College in Maine
A couple thousands of miles northeast, Robert-Joseph Reed at Thomas College introduced students to nuclear energy’s impressive power output and small land footprint. His eye-catching table set up gained lots of campus attention, with several dozens of students stopping by throughout the event. “This event was fairly popular,” he said. “Its simplicity lent itself well to the subject matter by encouraging participation from students who might not consider themselves knowledgeable about nuclear energy.”
Luke Swartz at the University of Texas at Dallas also had a successful Nuclear Plinko event, saying he was “surprised by how many students seemed genuinely interested” in learning about nuclear energy. “I even had a longer conversation with one student about nuclear fusion.”
CFACT Collegian Luke Swartz invites a student to come on down to put his nuclear energy knowledge to the test during a game of Nuclear Plinko at UT Dallas.
Students faced questions ranging from nuclear energy’s reliability to the management of used nuclear fuel. Perhaps the most surprising question of all? Which everyday food contains naturally occurring radioactive material? The answer: bananas. Turns out, nuclear trivia isn’t the only thing that’s a little radioactive.
While Plinko chips might bounce unpredictably from peg to peg, nuclear energy offers a great source of highly dependable power. Thanks to three CFACT collegians, dozens of their peers understand the role nuclear plays in what keeps America’s lights on.
And while nobody took home a brand-new car, we’d say that’s a pretty sweet prize.