For Symposium updates, the direct link is:  http://helencaldicottfoundation.org/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, 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

Venue: The New York Academy of Medicine. 1216 Fifth Ave @ 103rd St. NY, NY 10029

Location, Directions and Parking

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, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Day Two: To be announced

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

Session 1
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 automation accidentally triggering a nuclear war.

Session 2
Hans Kristensen – Federation of American Scientists, will address the current size of the global 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
Bruce Gagnon – Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, will elucidate the ongoing and dangerous militarization of space

Session 3
Bob Alvarez – Institute of Policy Studies, will discuss lateral proliferation and describe how a small nuclear exchange could trigger a global holocaust

Session 4
Steven Starr– Senior Scientist PSR, Clinical Laboratory Science Program Director, University of Missouri. 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 Autumn, Nuclear Famine, and Nuclear Winter.
Lynn Eden – author of Whole World on Fire, will discuss the enormous issue ignored by the Pentagon of the effect of the holocaust of firestorms following nuclear war.

Session 5
Janne Nolan – Elliott School of International Affairs will outline the underlying psychological pathology of the nuclear warriors
Mike Lofgren – author of Anatomy of the Deep State, will describe the underlying pathology of US capitalism leading to this current tenuous nuclear situation
Susi Snyder– (IKV Pax Christi, the Netherlands), Contributor to 2014 report DON’T BANK ON THE BOMB

Session 6
Hugh Gusterson – Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, George Mason University will describe his anthropological research after spending one year at the Los Alamos Labs.
Robert Sheer – author of STAR WARRIORS will describe his research into the young men who do the research on nuclear weapons development at Lawrence Livermore Labs

Session 7
Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor and Professor of Linguistics, MIT will present the pathology within the present political system that could induce extinction

Session 8
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

Watch http://nuclearfreeplanet.org/symposium-the-dynamics-of-possible-nuclear-extinction-l-february-28-march-1-2015-at-the-new-york-academy-of-medicine.html for information on how to register in advance- coming soon. Registering in advance will include complimentary lunch.
No other lunch option will be available at the venue.

Schedule to date

DAY ONE: Saturday, February 28

Morning Session

9am – opening (to be confirmed)
9.15 – 9.30 Moderator- Kennette Benedict

9.30 – 9.50 (to be confirmed)
9.50 – 10.10 Seth Baum – Global Catastrophic Risk Institute – The Catastrophic Risk of Nuclear War
10.10 – 10.30 Max Tegmark – Professor of Physics, MIT – Artificial Intelligence and the Risk of Accidental Nuclear War.

10.30 – 11.00 Q&A

11.00 – 11.30 Tea and Coffee

11.30 – 11.50 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
11.50 – 12.10 Bill Hartung – Center for International Policy – Inordinate Power and Pathological Dynamics of the Military Industrial Complex
12.10 – 12.30 Mike Lofgen – Author of Anatomy of the Deep State – US Capitalism Relating to the Tenuous Nuclear Situation

12.30 – 1.00 Q&A

1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

Afternoon Session

2.00 – 2.20 Greg Mello – Los Alamos Study Group – The Role and Funding of the US Nuclear Weapons Labs
2.20 – 2.40 Hans Kristensen – Federation of American Scientists – The Current Size of the World’s Nuclear Arsenals
2.40 – 3.00 Bruce Gagnon – Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space – The Ongoing and Dangerous Militarization of Space
3.00 – 3.20 Bob Alvarez – Institute of Policy Studies – Lateral Proliferation Could Trigger a Global Nuclear Holocaust

3.20 – 4.00 Q&A

4.00 – 6.00 On The Beach – film

DAY TWO: Sunday, March 1

Morning Session

9.00 – 9.15 Opening remarks– (to be confirmed)
8.15 – 9.35 Steven Starr – Associate of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a board member and senior scientist for Physicians for Social Responsibility – An Unrecognized Mass Extinction Event Waiting to Happen
9.35 – 9.55 Holly Barker – Department Anthropology, University of Washington –Medical, Teratogenic and Genetic Pathology Related to US Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands
9.55 – 10.15 John Feffer – Institute of Policy Studies – Comparison of Spending on US Military Industrial Complex ND Prevention of Global Warming

10.15 – 10.54 Q&A

10.45 – 11.15 Tea and Coffee

11.15 – 11.35 Lynn Eden – Author Whole World on Fire – Holocaust Firestorms Following Nuclear War, Ignored by Pentagon Calculations
11.35 – 11.55 Janne Nolan – Elliot School of International Affairs – Psychological Pathology of the Nuclear Warriors
11.55 – 12.15 Mike Lofgren – Author of Anatomy of the Deep State – US Capitalism Relating to the Tenuous Nuclear Situation

12.15 – 12.45 Q&A
12.45 – 1.45 Lunch

Afternoon Session

1.45 – 2.05 Susie Snyder – IKV Pax Christi, the Netherlands – Don’t Bank on the Bomb
2.05 – 2.25 Hugh Gusterson – Professor Anthropology at George Washington University – Anthropological Research at Los Alamos Labs
2.25 – 2.45 Robert Scheer – Author of Star Warriors – Data on Young Men Researchers at Lawrence Livermore Labs

2.45 – 3.15 Q&A

3.15 – 3.45 Tea and Coffee

3.45 – 4.05 Noam Chomsky – Institute Professor and Professor of Linguistics MIT – Pathology within the Existing Political System that could lead to Nuclear War
4.05 – 4.25 David Krieger – President Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – The Law Zero Lawsuits Brought by the Marshall Islands
4.25 – 4.45 Tim Wright – Campaign Director International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons ICAN – Some New and Exciting Solutions
4.45 – 5.00 Helen Caldicott – President Helen Caldicott Foundation – While There’s Life There’s Hope

http://nuclearfreeplanet.org/symposium-the-medical-and-ecological-consequences-of-the-fukushima-nuclear-accident-l-march-11-12-2013–online-archive-.html