You may think that you do not want to be a physicist, nuclear engineer, chemist, biologist so why should you bother considering a career in nuclear. You should know that not everyone who contributes to or utilizes nuclear science and technology is a university-trained scientist.
Nuclear science and technology fields, like other scientific disciplines, require the services of non-scientists. In fact, without the highly developed skills of these non-scientists, progress in scientific research could be delayed or prevented. The services of highly skilled trades people are required to build complex equipment. These people have extensive experience and skill in metal working, electronics, and other areas. Without them, construction would not be completed as quickly and efficiently. Students who want to contribute to scientific disciplines, but prefer a less intensely academic training or those who like manual work might be encouraged to explore skilled trade options. Opportunities exist for electronics technicians, metal workers, plumbers, and many other specialists.
Chris Cleary of the Central Shops Division at Brookhaven National Laboratory makes measurements on a snake magnet coil form. Each coil form is made from an aluminum tube with grooves machined into it in a spiral fashion. After additional parts and insulation are installed, the coil forms are incorporated into helical magnets to be used in BNL’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The magnets are integral to parts of the research conducted in the RHIC.
Courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.
