The myths and misinformation surrounding the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster will be discussed at a free public lecture at the University of Salford this Thursday.

The lecture, hosted by the university’s Professor Mike Wood and paired with a ‘virtual reality exhibit’, aims to clarify the misconceptions of the world’s worst nuclear disaster and give “a very different perspective to the perhaps classical perspective that people have gained through media.”

Taking place in the Chapman building on the university’s Peel Park Campus, the event also incorporates a digital element, similar to the TEDx University of Salford Event earlier this year, with the lecture segment being live streamed to a virtual audience in real time.

Professor Wood has been working in and around the Chernobyl exclusion zone since 2013 and is eager to share his experience with the public:

“I’ve been studying radiation and its impacts on wildlife for the past twenty years or so and since about 2013, I’ve been working in the Chernobyl exclusion zone,

“The event that I’ve got coming up on the 4th of November is one intended to allow people to learn more about Chernobyl, where I can share some of my experiences from working within Chernobyl and the surrounding area.”

Professor Wood also brought up how he hopes that his knowledge may offer an alternative perspective to the typical portrayal of radiation in media:
“There are a variety of myths that have grown up over time in relation to the Chernobyl accident,

“You’ll all be familiar with the ideas of things like the fact that those who are exposed to radiation glow green,

“These ideas have permeated popular culture and as part of the lecture, we’ll explore these and some of the other myths surrounding the Chernobyl accident and its aftermath.”

Tickets for the event are free and open to the public here; while in person tickets are sold out, there are still tickets available for the virtual livestream of the lecture that starts at 7pm.

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