FAQ

What is the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War?
The Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War is a three-day gathering in Chicago of about 20 Nobel laureates and about 60 leading nuclear experts, aimed at creating recommendations for policymakers and leaders to reduce the threat of nuclear war. It takes place July 14-16, 2025, and is the first Nobel Assembly focused on nuclear threats.

Why is the Assembly being held now?
The last day of the Assembly, July 16, 2025, marks the 80 th anniversary of the Trinity Test. On July 16, 1945, the first nuclear bomb exploded in the New Mexico desert. The blast marked the beginning of the nuclear age. Beyond the significance of this particular date, the Assembly comes at a time when the risk of nuclear war, an existential threat to humanity, is growing.

Who is organizing the event?
A group of Nobel laureates, the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and the University of Chicago’s Existential Risk Laboratory (XLab) are the main organizers of the event.

What programs and activities will the Assembly include?
During the first two and a half days of the event, the laureates and other attendees will hold closed-door panel discussions and hear presentations from experts on a variety of nuclear-related topics, such as the effects of nuclear war, AI and nuclear risks, and legal frameworks for nonproliferation. They will then develop their recommendations for preventing nuclear war, which they will share with the media and public the final afternoon of the event.

In addition, the closing of the Assembly, the evening of Wednesday, July 16, will feature a special public performance by the Kronos Quartet, with a guest appearance from singer-songwriter Allison Russell. They will perform music interwoven with spoken-word stories of nuclear near-misses and moments that almost ended the world.

Can the public participate in the Assembly?
While the first two and a half days of the event is by invitation only, for Nobel laureates and nuclear experts, the public is invited to watch a livestream of the Wednesday afternoon program, starting at 2:30 p.m. Central Time. This will include: a “Remembrance and Reflection” for victims of nuclear weapons; a keynote address, “Remembering the Trinity Test on the 80th Anniversary,” by Dr. Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization; the release of the Assembly’s Declaration; and a news conference.

In addition, the performance by the Kronos Quartet on Wednesday evening, with a guest appearance from singer-songwriter Allison Russell, is free and open to the public (registration required).

What do the members of the Assembly plan to do with the Declaration after the event? How will they get it to leaders and policymakers?
Members of the Assembly plan to share their recommendations directly with leaders and policymakers around the world. They will discuss those plans during the Assembly and beyond.

Will I be able to read the Declaration?
Yes, it will be posted at this website, www.nobelassembly.org, after the Assembly. Is this event being held in response to a particular recent world event or actions by a particular country? The decision to hold the Assembly was not tied to any particular recent events. It has been planned since last fall. Recent international events have furthered the concerns about the growing risk of nuclear war.

Why is this event being held at the University of Chicago’s campus?
The Nobel Laureate Assembly’s organizing committee decided to hold the event at the University of Chicago because of several historical and symbolic connections the university has to the Assembly’s purpose and organizers: The world’s first nuclear reaction, which ultimately led to the development of the atomic bomb, took place at the University of Chicago in 1942. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, one of the Assembly organizers, is housed at the university. Cyrus Eaton, who in 1957 funded and helped plan the first of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, another Assembly organizer, was a University of Chicago trustee.

In addition, while the University of Chicago itself is not an organizer or sponsor of the Assembly, the university’s Existential Risk Laboratory (XLab) is among the Assembly’s main organizers.

How many people are participating in the Assembly? How many of them are Nobel laureates?
About 80 people are part of the Assembly; about 20 Nobel laureates are attending.

Who should members of the media contact to attend the news conference in-person or to
interview a member of the Assembly?

Please contact Mike Herbst, with UChicago media relations, at mikeherbst@uchicagio.edu or 708.381.9550.