Atomic Pasts, Atomic Futures

A conversation about the legacy of nuclear weapons use in Japan and Kazachstan.

When and Where

Tuesday 13 May, 17:00-19:00 (conversation begins at 17:30)

Accelerator, Frescativägen 26A, Stockholm University (Underground station Universitetet)

Background

Our world seems to be changing at a faster pace than we can fully grasp. Many are concerned that recent geopolitical tensions and the erosion of the international non-proliferation framework are increasing the risk of nuclear warfare.

The year 2025 is, in many respects, a pivotal one. It marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is also the 25th anniversary of Paul Crutzen’s proposal that humanity has entered a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. Looking ahead, 2026 will mark the 35th anniversary of the closure of the Soviet nuclear testing site, the Polygon, in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.

What is the political legacy of the horrifying bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? What does life look like today in the Polygon and its surroundings? And finally, what can we in Sweden learn from their histories as we grapple with a future marked by increasing geopolitical tensions and the growing risk of nuclear weapons use?

Participants

Dr. Togzhan Kassenova (Center for Policy Research, SUNY-Albany). An expert on nuclear politics and financial crime prevention and author of the book Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan gave up the bomb.

Dr. Keiko Nakamura (Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University)

Prof. Henrik Österblom (the Anthropocene Laboratory, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences)

Moderator: Victor Galaz (Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University and Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences)

This event is free of charge and open to the public, and organised by the Anthropocene Laboratory at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Beijer Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University