Please join Dr. Pete Pella, current holder of the W.K.T. Sahm Professorship in Physics, for his Inaugural Lecture entitled "The Case for U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty" to be held on Wednesday, October 26 @ 4 pm, Mara Auditorium.  Reception immediately following in Masters Hall Lobby.

The Case for U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

From 1945 until 1992 the United States conducted more than 1000 nuclear weapons tests. This is more than all the other Nuclear Weapon States combined. The United States signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1992 and since that time has not conducted any more nuclear weapons tests. However the U.S.  failed to ratify the treaty when in 1999 the Senate voted against ratification. The debate in 1999 was very limited with little or no input from the scientific community. The Obama administration is now making a concerted effort to educate those in the Senate about the importance of the CTBT and the safety and security of the current US nuclear stockpile. This talk will explore the history and current status of the CTBT and why ratification should be reconsidered.