2026 is the 80th anniversary of the establishment of "The Atomic", officially the "Atomic Energy Research Establishment" at Harwell.
Originally built in a "rural backwater" to develop UK leadership in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, "The Atomic" has transformed scientific understanding across the whole range of scales, from quarks to quasars and protons to proteins as well as altering local geography and society.
Today ATOM rightly celebrates Abingdon as the epicentre of big science. Not only did Harwell's early work lead to Calder Hall, the first commercial source of nuclear energy, but it developed the standards for nuclear safety, radiobiology, development of radioisotopes for medicine, and more. The Medical Research Council was one of its first clients.
Today the campus includes work ranging from vaccines and the structure of matter to the vastness of space and astronomy.
The talk will show how science and technology have changed our world in the last 80 years and how much of that change can be traced back to Harwell. Harwell @80 is time to celebrate our nuclear heritage.
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