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Atomic Washington: Our Nuclear Past, Present and Future

Brought to you by Humanities Washington, Harbor History Museum is excited to welcome science writer Steve Olson. This presentation is currently scheduled via Zoom. If the Covid-19 situation changes, we may have an in-person presentation. This will be decided closer to the event.

At the center of every nuclear weapon in the United States is a small pit of radioactive material manufactured at a top-secret facility in Eastern Washington, a facility which today remains the most radiologically contaminated site in the Western hemisphere.

But Washington State’s role in the nuclear era ranges far beyond the construction, operation, and ongoing cleanup of the Hanford nuclear reservation. Today, Washington has two operating nuclear reactors, one of which provides us with ten percent of our electricity. Radioactive substances are used in our state to cure diseases, build airplanes, detect pollutants, and power smoke detectors. Further, Naval Base Kitsap has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons deployed anywhere in the country.

Drawing from history, science, and popular culture, author Steve Olson reveals the many influences of nuclear materials on Washington State, and the many ways in which our state has been a pioneer in the atomic age.

Steve Olson (he/him) is a writer who most recently authored The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age. His books have been nominated in several local and national book awards. Since 1979, he has been a consultant writer for the National Academy of Sciences, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and other national scientific organizations.

Raised in Eastern Washington, Olson now lives in Seattle.

Humanities in the Harbor is held at Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, WA 98332 or via Zoom. Admission is FREE thanks to Humanities Washington! Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state.

Please RSVP to Robin Harrison, Operations and Marketing Manager at Harbor History Museum at operations@harborhistorymuseum.org for the Zoom link.

Earlier Event: July 6
Gig Harbor Literary Society July
Later Event: July 23
Korean Art Workshop # 1