What would you do if a nuclear weapon went off nearby today?

Is the possibility too much to contemplate? Maybe you think it could never happen. Or if it did happen, perhaps the result would be instant death for all, and so thinking about it is pointless.

The reality is far more complicated: many experts believe that the odds of a nuclear weapon being used is higher today than it has been since the Cold War.  And in many nuclear scenarios, your actions would determine whether you survived or not.

The Reinventing Civil Defense Project at the Stevens Institute of Technology invites YOU to participate in our free, public exposition and workshop on nuclear risk communication for the 21st century.

Over the last two years, we have seeded many new projects to explore what kinds of messaging and media would be effective for nuclear risk communication in the present moment. Gone are the days of fallout shelters and “Duck and Cover” drills. What sorts of messages, mediums, and methods would be effective in communicating the realities of these risks to the modern public? How can these messages be communicated to younger people, especially Millennials and Gen-Z?

We will be showcasing this research, and the researchers who made it, in the Babbio Center at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, on August 9-10, 2019. People of all ages and interests are encouraged to come by! Free food will be available.

What will be there?

Below is a list of some of the projects we will feature at the Expo. Several of these may only be proofs of concept because they are in active development and your feedback would be very useful!

• ILLUMINATING RADIOACTIVITY: A digital exhibition and guidebook that seeks to broaden knowledge and understanding of radiation among the public.
• CENTER SURROUND: A multi-dimensional art installation and performance that conveys the content and physical intensity of the 2000+ atomic bombs that have been tested since 1945. Uses martial arts and data visualization, consisting of three synchronized video projections plus an arrangement of martial arts mats that are periodically assembled for a live performance.
• NUKEMAPVR: Virtual environment that explores and simulates nuclear weapons effects. Allows the user to experience a 3D nuclear detonations from the vantage point of a nearby witness. This prototype will be developed to allow visualization of an nuclear detonation occurring in midtown Manhattan, as viewed from someone standing across the Hudson River at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.
• DRAWING DOOMSDAY: A brief graphic novel in comics form that uses the Department of Homeland Security’s National Planning Scenario #2 (a 10-kiloton nuclear device detonated in Times Square, New York City. The narrative varies (first person, third person, interviews, and public service announcement) to provide alternative framings that seek to move away from distant abstractions to make nuclear salience more concrete for young readers.
• MARK 17 USER MANUAL: A graphic-oriented publication created to mimic the manuals of the Civil Defense Program of the 1950s based on the first airborne hydrogen bomb in America, the Mark17. The manual is a graphic fictional operation and maintenance guide that offers instruction on maintaining such weapons and examines the impact.
• DUCK AND COVER PODCAST: Moving past caricatures of civil defense that have dominated the collective imagination of much of Western society, the Duck and Cover podcast will contrast the historic national security and public safety challenges to our current nuclear threat environment. In each episode, hosts Sarah Robey and Anthony Eames reexamine the case for civil defense as they welcome scholars, current emergency management practitioners, and expert witnesses. Together, Robey and Eames seek to revive the events of civil defense past in order to bring clarity to resolving the nuclear planning challenges of today.
• FALLOUT TOWN: A role-playing educational game simulating the local and communal aftermath of a nuclear blast. Modeled after Oregon-Trail, this game enables the user to customize a nuclear scenario and fill various roles within it. Then, they will navigate through a choose-your-adventure narrative wherein decisions they make affect the story and outcome.
• DOCTOR DASH: A video game developed by students at Stevens that seeks to elucidate the consequences a nuclear detonation could have on 21st century society. The description says, “The UCLA medical center is well-renowned, with many skilled doctors and nurses on its staff. Their skills, drive, and stamina will be put to the test as a devastating nuclear catastrophe strikes near their hospital, and wounded from miles around come seeking aid. How will the hospital spread its resources among the many who need treatment?”
• WELCOME TO RADIATION VALLEY: A video game developed by students at Stevens that seeks to elucidate the consequences a nuclear detonation could have on 21st century society. The description says, “Play as a farmer in the Midwest United States near a city that’s a potential nuclear target — do you live life as normal, or do you take every possible precaution against the inevitable?”
• Poster competition: A poster competition with entries from artists, designers, and other creative people will be displayed. The goal is bold, accurate, and potent visuals that can change how people see their role in the nuclear world. We will display the posters and seek input from workshop attendees.
• …plus, information about the quantitative, social science research that the Reinventing Civil Defense Project and our subcontract awardees have been doing into what types of messages and mediums “work.”

Note: During the Expo, we would like to collect feedback from all participants that can be used in helping to evaluate the effectiveness of these tools. You will be asked to participate but not required to do so.

What is the agenda?

Our current agenda is as follows. All of these activities take place in the Babbio Building at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Day 1: Friday, August 9th
9:00am – 10:00am
– Continental Breakfast (4th Floor Lounge)
– Registration (Atrium)

10:00am – 10:15am Welcome and Opening Remarks (Atrium)
– Kristyn L. Karl and Alex Wellerstein, Co-PIs

10:15am – 10:45am Project Updates I (Auditorium, Rm. 122)
– Doctor Dash, Radiation Valley (O’Brien, Wellerstein, & Pollack)
– Fallout Town (Matt, Glass, & Rega)
– NukeMap VR (Manzione & Wellerstein)

10:45am – 11:00am Projects I Q&A (Auditorium, Rm. 122)

11:00am – 11:15am Coffee Break (4th Floor Lounge)

11:15am – 12:00pm Project Updates II (Auditorium, Rm. 122)
– Center Surround (LoPresti)
– Drawing Doomsday (Fetter-Vorm)
– Illuminating Radioactivity (Umayam)
– Duck and Cover podcast (Robey & Eames)

12:00pm – 12:15pm Projects II Q&A (Auditorium, Rm. 122)

12:15pm – 1:45pm Lunchtime Press and Play: Storytelling Secrets Revealed (Auditorium, Rm. 122)
– Anna Sussman, Senior Producer and Managing Editor, WNYC’s Snap Judgment/ Professor of Advanced Audio at U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
– Jazmin Aguilera, Producer, New York Times

1:45pm – 2:00pm Coffee Break (4th Floor Lounge)

2:00pm – 4:00pm Showcase (Atrium)

4:00pm Conclude for Day 1

How do I register?

Send an e-mail to reinventingcivildefense@stevens.edu to register. Include your name, e-mail address, and affiliation (if available), please. Pre-registration is very appreciated! This event is FREE and OPEN to the public.

Where, exactly, is it?

The Babbio Center is on the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology, at 525 River Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. It is a walkable distance from Hoboken station, which connects to the PATH system, NY Waterway Ferry system, NJ Transit, and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. There is usually street parking available nearby, though because of construction on River Street, it is recommended you park outside of the immediate campus area.

From Hoboken Station, walk north along the waterfront (either River Street or Sinatra Drive), keeping the river (and Manhattan skyline) on your right. If you go up River Street, there are no stairs, and you can walk through Stevens park. If you go up Sinatra, go up the hill-side stairs (or take the elevator from the Babbio Garage) once you get to the Babbio Center (you can’t miss it).

What is the Reinventing Civil Defense Project?

The Reinventing Civil Defense is a project at the College of Arts and Letters at the Stevens Institute of Technology, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, running from 2017-2019.

Our goal is to develop new communication strategies regarding nuclear risk that have high potential to resonate with a public audience. Building on the prior history of Civil Defense, we will identify what an effective, non-partisan, level-headed approach to nuclear risk communication looks like in the 21st century.

You can read more about the project on its website.

What if I have more questions?

All questions about this event can be sent to reinventingcivildefense@stevens.edu.