L04: Panel Discussion: Physicists and Arms Control - The Role of Science in Global Security

Fri. April 5, 10:45 a.m. – 11:12 a.m. PDT

Ballroom A5-6, Floor 2

The first discussions of nuclear arms control occurred amongst the physicists at Los Alamos even before the Trinity test had occurred. Many of these scientists went on to lead early arms control efforts. Indeed, nuclear weapons – the most physically powerful of a nation’s technologies – have long provided a domain in which science and policy are deeply intertwined, and in which scientists have played a key role in important international arms control agreements that have constrained nuclear weapons development and lead to reductions in nuclear arsenals.

Today, however, we find ourselves at a potential inflection point. The last remaining US-Russian arms control agreement will expire in 2026, and most nuclear weapons states are building new types of warheads and delivery systems or even expanding their nuclear arsenals. At the same time, the voice of the scientific community is diminished in today's debate on nuclear issues. This session brings together experts to explore the historical role that scientists have played in shaping arms control and defense policy, and prospects for re-invigorating the voice of scientists in shaping future policies.