The film 'Oppenheimer' reminds us that the nuclear age remains a fundamental fact of our lives -- even if its apocalyptic potential can seem too frightening to think about.

But that’s the very barrier to reducing the risk, according to long-time emergency room physician Ira Helfand. He has worked for decades to prevent the greatest emergency imaginable: use of these terrible weapons. As co-president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (past winner of the Nobel Peace Prize), Dr. Helfand warns that we simply must face up to this haunting specter, and take the leap to prohibit these weapons of mass destruction.

Features Everett Mendelsohn, who taught the history of science at Harvard; Dr. Mendelsohn passed away in June 2023.