The University of Pittsburgh's World History Center and Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Ryo Morimoto from Harvard University and his talk "'Our Robots Love the Dirty, Dull, and Dangerous!' An Ethno-Historiography of Human-Nuclear Relations and the technology of Distantiation" on September 4, part of the Industrial Heritage in Pittsburgh and Japan programming from September 3 through 5.
What is the ongoing global significance of the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima and its impact on Japan’s reputation as a leading robotics nation? Join anthropologist Dr. Ryo Morimoto (Harvard University) for a talk on the co-evolution of the international nuclear industry and robotics, from the development of gloveboxes and arm manipulators in the 1940s to modern applications of mobile robots—physical AIs—in the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) and other radioactive sites.The talk runs from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.
