Abstract

Atomic Junction is a nexus of roadways leading to the offices of the Ghana Atomic Energy Association. Buses plying the road announce “Atomic, Atomic, Atomic” to let passengers know their direction of travel. But what are scientists actually doing behind the gates of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission? In this film, director Abena Dove Osseo-Asare speaks with scientists, neighborhood entrepreneurs, and traditional leaders for their perspectives on the past, present, and future of life on the Atomic-Haatso road. Central to their discussions are the inherent dangers of radiation, the value of land in the area, and the promise of nuclear power. Come to a screening and presentation on the research behind the film with Professor Osseo-Asare. She will discuss strategies for using visual documentary to collect oral histories of scientific life in Ghana, Afrofuturism and the prospects of nuclear technology in African countries, and the ongoing risks along the Atomic-Haatso road including a recent explosion.

Abena Dove Osseo-Asare is Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin where she teaches courses in the history of science and African studies. She also holds a courtesy appointment in Population Health at the Dell Medical School. Professor Osseo-Asare received her PhD and AB from the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University. Her first book, Bitter Roots: The Search for Healing Plants in Africa received several awards including the Herskovits Prize from the African Studies Association. She is completing a study of Ghana’s civilian nuclear program, Atomic Junction: Nuclear Power after Independence (under contract with Cambridge University Press). Professor Osseo-Asare’s research has been funded by the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, National Science Foundation, Fulbright Foundation, and Hellman Foundation. She serves on the editorial boards of Endeavour and Social History of Medicine.