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The history of nuclear weapons is frequently misunderstood, misused, or misapplied by policy practitioners. Additionally, much of it has been written almost exclusively from the position of international relations and political science, missing out on insights from the history of science and technology. What are some of the ways in which these other approaches can deepen our understanding of nuclear history and policy and how can they be applied in practice?
Alex Wellerstein, a historian of nuclear weapons, teaches at the Stevens Institute of Technology. His first book is scheduled for publication next month: Restricted Data: The History of Nuclear Secrecy in the United States. Wellerstein is also the creator of NukeMap, an interactive site that calculates the effects of varying nuclear detonations. More here Wellerstein Bio. He tweets @wellerstein.