Sorry, this event is over

Create an event

or

Search for another event

Symposium: The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction

The New York Academy of Medicine

1216 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA

This event has already passed by. Sorry.

Event Description

Symposium: The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction l February 28-March 1, 2015 at The New York Academy of Medicine

        

A unique, two-day symposium at which an international panel of leading experts in disarmament, political science, artificial intelligence, existential risk, anthropology, medicine, nuclear weapons and other nuclear issues will be held at The New York Academy of Medicine on Feb 28- March 1, 2015. The public is welcome.

A project of The Helen Caldicott Foundation

Important notice: Tickets will be on sale online until noon on Feb  27th, 2015. Register early to reserve your place. After the cut off date you will have to pay by CASH at the venue.

There will be NO FOOD OPTION for those who do not pre-register.

There is no bank machine in the building.


  • THE CUT OFF DATE FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOON on FEBRUARY 27th, 2015. Registering in advance online will include complimentary lunch.

  • Lunch will not be included if you register at the door.
  • NO OTHER LUNCH OPTION WILL BE AVAILABLE at the venue.

  • The doors will open at 8am for seating and late/day of  registration. The event will begin promptly at 9am on both days. 

The event will be live streamed, watch for link here...

  • Because of the live stream attendees will not be admitted while presenters are speaking. 

    Please arrive at 8am to check-in and/or buy tickets.

 

The Symposium: The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction. 

Russia and the U.S. possess 94% of the 16,400 nuclear weapons in the global nuclear arsenal. The U.S. maintains its first strike winnable nuclear war policy, and both countries have raised their nuclear arsenals to a higher state of alert because of the situation in the Ukraine. Furthermore it has just been announced that the administration has plans to replace every nuclear warhead and their delivery systems via ship, submarine, missile and plane, at a cost of one trillion dollars over the next thirty years.

 

This symposium to be held by The Helen Caldicott Foundation will address the following issues: 

.     What are the human and technological factors that could precipitate a nuclear war between Russia and the U.S., how many times have we come close to nuclear war and how long will our luck hold?

.      What are the ongoing technological and financial developments relevant to the nuclear weapons arsenals of the US and Russia?

.     What problems are associated with lateral proliferation of nuclear weapons via strenuous corporate marketing of nuclear technology?

.     What are the medical and environmental consequences of either a small or large scale nuclear war?

.     What are the underlying philosophical, political, and ideological dynamics that have brought life on earth to the brink of extinction?

.     How can we assess this situation from an anthropological perspective?

.     What is the pathology within the present political situation that could lead us to extinction?

.     How can this nuclear pathology be cured? 

 

Moderated by: 

DAY ONE:

 Kennette Benedict, Executive Director and Publisher, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Day Two: Ray Acheson, Director, Reaching Critical Will


The Presenters (confirmed speakers, speaking order may change):

                    

  • Theodore Postol - Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology, and National Security Policy, MIT – Striving for Armageddon    
  • Seth Baum- Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, will address the catastrophic risk of nuclear war
  • Max Tegmark -  Professor of physics at MIT and author of “Our Mathematical Universe”, will discuss artificial intelligence and the risk of  accidental nuclear war.
  • Hans Kristensen - Federation of American Scientists, will address the status and trends of the world's nuclear arsenals
  • Bill Hartung- Center for International Policy, will discuss the inordinate power and pathological dynamics exercised by the US military industrial complex
  • Greg Mello -Los Alamos Study Group, the role and funding of the nuclear weapons laboratories inherent within the US nuclear armament dilemma
  • John Feffer - Institute of Policy Studies will compare the money spent on the US military industrial complex compared with the paltry amount spent on the prevention of global warming
  • Robert Parry- Investigative Journalist, Consortium News- Ukraine and the Human Factor: How propaganda and passions can risk nuclear conflagration
  • Bruce Gagnon - Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, will elucidate the ongoing and dangerous militarization of space
  • Bob Alvarez - Institute of Policy Studies, will discuss lateral proliferation and describe how a small nuclear exchange could trigger a global holocaust
  • Steven Starr– Senior Scientist PSR, Associate Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Nuclear War: An Unrecognized Mass Extinction Event Waiting to Happen.
  • Holly Barker – Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Medical, Teratogenic and Genetic pathology related to US nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands.
  • Alan Robock – Distinguished Professor, Dept. of Environmental Sciences. Rutgers University, will outline his pioneering work on Nuclear Famine and Nuclear Winter.
  • Alex Wellerstein Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Stevens Institute of Technology will discuss Personalizing the Bomb, what this means to young people today
  • Janne Nolan - Elliott School of International Affairs - Hooligans at the Gate: The Checkered History of Arms Control  
  • Mike Lofgren – former congressional staffer and author of Anatomy of the Deep State, will describe the merger of corporations and the US government as an underlying cause of the current  nuclear situation
  • Susi Snyder- (PAX, the Netherlands), Author of the 2013 & 2014 DON’T BANK ON THE BOMB reports
  • Hugh Gusterson -    Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs, George Washington University will describe his anthropological research over many years studying the culture of nuclear weapons scientists at Livermore and Los Alamos.

  • Robert Sheer - author of STAR WARRIORS , The Madness Persists
  • Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor and Professor of Linguistics, MIT will present the pathology within the present political system that could lead to catastrophe if not cured
  • Dave Krieger – Nuclear Age Peace Foundation on what can we do? How the Marshall Islanders are speaking truth to power.
  • Tim Wright – Campaign Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) – some potential and exciting solutions
  • Helen Caldicott – President of The Helen Caldicott Foundation – An urgent prescription for survival

The program:

DAY ONE: Saturday, February 28

 Morning Session

 9am Opening Remarks- to be announced

 9.15 – 9.30 Moderator Kennette Benedict - Executive Editor and Publisher Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: It's 3 Minutes to Midnight.

 9.35 – 9.55 Theodore Postol - Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology, and National Security Policy, MIT – Striving for Armageddon

10.00 – 10.20 Max Tegmark – Professor of Physics, MIT – Artificial Intelligence and the Risk of Accidental Nuclear War

10.25 - 10.45 - Alan Robock – Distinguished Professor, Department Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University – Nuclear Famine and Nuclear Winter: Climatic Effects of Nuclear War, Catastrophic Threats to the Global Food Supply

 10.50 – 11.20 Q&A

 11.20 – 11:50 Tea and Coffee

11.55 – 12.15 - Steven Starr – Associate of Nuclear Age peace Foundation,  Board Member and Senior Scientist for Physicians for Social Responsibility – An Unrecognized Extinction Event Waiting to Happen

 12.20 – 12.40 Bruce Gagnon – Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power on Space – The Ongoing and Dangerous Militarization of Space Nuclear War

 12.45 – 1.05 - Bill Hartung – Center for International Policy – Inordinate Power and Pathological Dynamics of the US Military Industrial Complex

1:05- 1:30 Q&A

1:30 - 2:30 Lunch

Afternoon Session

 2:40 - 3:00  - Greg Mello – Los Alamos Study Group – The Role and Funding of the US Nuclear Weapons Labs

 3.05 – 3.25 - Seth Baum – Global Catastrophic Risk Institute – The Catastrophic Risk of Nuclear War

 3.30 – 3.50 – Bob Alvarez – Institute Of Policy Studies – Lateral Proliferation Could Trigger a Nuclear Holocaust

 3.55 – 4.15 - Robert Parry – Investigative Journalist, Consortium News – Ukraine and the Human Factor : How propaganda and passions can risk nuclear conflagration.

4.15 – 4.45 - Q&A

4.45 – 5.15 Tea and Coffee

5.00- 7.15 Film - On The Beach


DAY TWO: March 1

Morning Session

 9.00 – 9.15am Opening remarks: Moderator Ray Acheson – Director of Reaching Critical Will – Report on Vienna conference

 9.20 – 9.40 Holly Barker – Department of Anthropology, University of Washington – Medical, Teratogenic and Genetic Pathology Related to US Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands

 9.45 – 10.05 Hans Kristensen, Federation of American Scientists – The Status and Trends of the World’s Nuclear Arsenals

 10.10 – 10.30 John Feffer – Institute of Policy Studies – Comparison of Spending on US Military Industrial Complex and Prevention of Global Warming

 10.35 – 11.05 - Q&A

 11.05 – 11.35 - Tea and Coffee

 11.40– 12.00 Janne Nolan – Elliott School of International Affairs – Hooligans at the Gate: The Checkered History of Arms Control

12.05 – 12:25 Mike Lofgren – Former congressional staffer and author of Anatomy of the Deep State – The Merger of corporations and the US government as an Underlying Cause of the Current Nuclear Situation

 12.30 – 12.50 Susi Snyder - PAX, The Netherlands – Author of the 2013 & 2014 DON"T BANK ON THE BOMB REPORTS - Don’t Bank on the Bomb  

12.55– 1:25 - Q&A

 1.30– 2.30 – Lunch

 Afternoon Session

 2:35– 2.55 Alex Wellerstein- Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Stevens Institute of Technology – NukeMap: Personalizing the Bomb, what this means to young people

 3.00 – 3.20 - Hugh Gusterson – Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs, George Washington University will describe his anthropological research over many years of studying the culture of nuclear weapons scientists at Livermore and Los Alamos 

 3.25 – 3.45 - Robert Scheer – author of Star Warriors – The Madness Persists

 3.50 – 4.10 - Noam Chomsky – Institute Professor and Professor of Linguistics MIT – A Pathology That Could Yield to Catastrophe if Not Cured

 4.15 – 4.45 – Q&A

 4.45 – 5.15 - Tea and Coffee

 5.20 – 5.40 - David Krieger – President Nuclear Age Peace Foundation –Nuclear Zero Lawsuits Brought By the Marshall Islands Against the Nine Nuclear Nations

5.45 – 6.05 - Tim Wright – Campaign Director International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons ICAN – Some New and Exciting Solutions

6.10 – 6.30 – Dr. Helen Caldicott – President The Helen Caldicott Foundation– While There’s Life There’s Hope

More specific information about the event can be found at HelenCaldicottFoundation.org

Map of Event Location
February 28th, 2015  9:00 amMarch 1st, 2015  6:30 am