The University of Chicago’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction will begin Oct. 1, with a conversation on the new nuclear landscape and its implications for international security.
The event at Mandel Hall will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Taking part in the discussion will be Michael Morell, former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency; U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a scientist and businessman who represents the 11th Congressional District of Illinois; Robert Rosner, the University of Chicago’s William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics; and Rachel Bronson, executive director and publisher for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
The event is free and open to the public. RSVP here.
The discussion is part of a series of events, titled “Nuclear Reactions—1942: A Historic Breakthrough, an Uncertain Future,” which will culminate in a two-day program on Dec. 1-2, marking the anniversary of the first nuclear reaction on Dec. 2, 1942.
The events will address the complex legacy of the experiment, which has had a far-reaching impact on nuclear physics, engineering, medicine and energy, in addition to its role in the development of nuclear weapons and the potential for destruction on a massive scale. Discussions will consider how the breakthrough led to the establishment of new, enormous power, which like all great power can be used for good or ill. Learn more about the series of events at http://nuclearreactions.uchicago.edu/.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
