8.S30 The History and Dangers of Nuclear Weapons
Spring 2024
The existential threat posed by the existence and deployment of large numbers of nuclear weapons is understood and appreciated by some members of our society, but certainly not by all. The presenters of this subject, all of whom have considerable relevant knowledge concerning nuclear weapons, plan to discuss important issues about the history and future prospects for the deployment of nuclear weapons that will help students understand options for reducing this existential threat. We hope that the subject will be attractive to a wide range of students, both undergraduate and graduate students, from Departments across MIT. In addition to the material presented in lectures, there will be important reading and writing assignments, as well as in-class group activities. After completing this subject, students should be very knowledgeable about the history and current threats of nuclear weapons as well as about realistic ways to reduce or eliminate these threats.
Please, check the links below for class description:
| Class Topics | Teachers |
|---|---|
| The History of Nuclear Weapons Development | Robert P. Redwine, Michael V. Hynes, |
| The Physics of Nuclear Weapon Effects | Jean Mongu Bele |
| Nuclear Testing | Michael V. Hynes, |
| Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Warfare Planning, and the Cold War [Multilayer Defense] | William A. Barletta |
| Arms Control and Disarmament | James J. Walsh, Ron Lehman |
| Nuclear Nonproliferation and Forensics | Richard Lanza & David Chichester, Michael V. Hynes, |
| Current Status of Nuclear Weapons | William A. Barletta, Charlie McMillan |
| Future of Nuclear Weapons | Robert P. Redwine, John Harvey |
| Emerging Topics | William A. Barletta, Francesca Giovannini |