Robert Hayes - NC State University - Is Tribalism Limiting Us In Faith And Science?

Robert Hayes is a nuclear engineering professor at North Carolina State University, a certified health physicist, and a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Robert was raised in Salt Lake City, UT by a single mother who had an atheist world view, and was exposed to Mormon religious beliefs through his father.

Robert explains Nuclear Energy and Engineering.

To many, that is a fairly difficult topic to digest, but he does so in a way that is fun and engaging via TikTok and social media channels, and has grown to over 41k followers during lockdown, bringing a new lease to people that may not have displayed an interest in Nuclear Science before.

But it hasn’t come without its pitfalls. Rob is a devout Christian, and went viral in one of his tiktoks about being a Christian who also believes in science.

We discuss the future of nuclear science, and why Americans have had trouble normalizing Nuclear Energy, His faith and how it has affected his interactions in the science community, and how tribalism is controlling narratives around the adoption of nuclear energy.

Robert Can be found online at

Tiktok:

The Misfit Heroes Podcast can be found online at www.misfit-heroes.com and www.beacons.ai/misfitheroes