nukes
75 Years On, the Doomsday Clock Keeps Ticking
The iconic graphic of a timepiece originated as a nuclear warning. It updates its time on Thursday amid threats like climate change and pandemics.
Donald Trump Could Still Launch Nuclear Weapons at Any Time
The president's responsibility for the US nuclear arsenal is a Cold War anachronism. The Trump era shows why it needs reform.
Neutrino Detectors Could Be Used to Spot Nuclear Rogues
In theory, the particles could reveal whether a reactor is building up plutonium for weapons. US energy experts are starting to take the idea seriously.
Nuclear Tests Have Changed, but They Never Really Stopped
75 years after the first explosive nuclear tests, now outlawed, sophisticated virtual testing allows American physicists to understand these weapons better than ever.
A History of Plans to Nuke Hurricanes (and Other Stuff Too)
If you think dropping a nuclear bomb into the eye of a hurricane is a bad idea, wait'll you see what they had in mind for the polar ice caps.
The Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer to Nuclear War
As the so-called Doomsday Clock ticks closer to midnight than it's been since 1953, a reminder that war is the default setting.
North Korea's Plenty Scary Without an Overhyped EMP Threat
While an electromagnetic pulse attack could cause plenty of trouble, don't expect one to come from North Korea.
Hacking North Korea Is Easy. Its Nukes? Not So Much
Security researchers say penetrating North Korea's hacking operations and even its domestic intranet is possible. But not enough to stop its nuclear threat.
Donald Trump and the 'Madman' Playbook
The ongoing war of words between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un echoes Richard Nixon's Vietnam rhetoric. It won't play out any better today than it did then.
You Can't Just Riff About Nukes
Donald Trump's loose rhetoric toward nuclear weapons and North Korea could spell major trouble.
North Korea Just Took the Nuclear Step Experts Have Dreaded
Now that North Korea can miniaturize a nuke, it's time to tread very, very carefully.
The Subtle Art of Watching North Korea Build Nukes
Experts are poring over satellite imagery for signals that the isolated nation is working on a new type of nuclear device.
Thank Goodness Nukes Are So Expensive and Complicated
Physics and economics have partly protected humans from weapons of mass destruction, but what if WMD of the future are both devastating and cheap?
The Real Reason the US Is Giving Bomb-Grade Uranium to Europe
Bomb-grade uranium is really useful---not just for nuclear weapons--but for perfectly peaceful scientific research.
Stopping Nuclear Terrorism Is a Game of Odds, Not Certainty
It’s prudent not only to keep potential bomb detonators away from bombs but also to keep bombs away from large groups of potential victims.
Eerie Photos Trace the Strange History of Nukes
Since the first plutonium bomb was detonated in 1945, photography has followed the development of nuclear warfare.
The US Tried to Stuxnet North Korea's Nuclear Program
Stuxnet had a fraternal twin that was designed to attack North Korea’s nuclear program.
Throwback Thursday: The Glowing Dawn of the Atomic Age, Seen From 1950s Los Angeles
These photos, taken in LA during the 1950s, show the pre-dawn luminescence caused by A-bomb tests carried out at the vast Nevada Test Site, just northwest of Las Vegas.
New Documents Reveal How a 1980s Nuclear War Scare Became a Full-Blown Crisis
Over 10 days in November 1983, the U.S. and the Soviet Union nearly started a nuclear war. Now newly declassified documents reveal just how close we reached a mutual destruction -- because of an exercise.
Top Docs' (Partial) Cure for Nuclear Radiation: Bone-Marrow Drugs
The U.S. government wants to find a cure for one the most vexing causes of radioactive death -- beginning with your bones.
Let's All Stop Saying 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' Forever
According to a new indictment, a rocket-propelled grenade is a weapon of mass destruction. Time to retire this misleading term.
Here's a Reminder Not To Tell Your Foreign Lover U.S. Nuke Secrets
Things defense wonks shouldn't do when they hook up: talk about the secret details of nuclear weapons, radar systems and war plans.
That's No Train! Air Force Eyes Subway for Nuclear Missiles
The Air Force wants to upgrade its aging nuclear missiles and the hundreds of underground silos that hold them. One idea it's exploring: the construction of a mobile doomsday train.
Darpa Wants to Help You Survive a Nuclear Disaster
If you're near a nuclear disaster -- either a detonated bomb or a malfunctioning reactor -- you are probably going to die, and die unpleasantly. Unless the Pentagon's mad scientists have anything to say about it.