weapons
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.
West Point Chemists Re-Create Medieval Gunpowder Recipes
Following an antique manuscript, researchers mixed up (and then blew up) some early formulations to learn how explosive-making has evolved.
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.
The American Scientists Who Saved London From Nazi Drones
For months, German V-1s terrorized the city. To take them down, US physicists had to develop a “smart fuse”—a task they were told was practically impossible.
How Close Is Iran to a Nuclear Weapon? Here's What We Know
Iran is no longer abiding by many of the restrictions in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, but that doesn’t mean it’s about to build a bomb, either.
The Marines’ New Drone-Killer Aces Its First Real World Test
An energy weapon that blasts not artillery or lasers but radio signals could represent the future of warfare.
Rotating Detonation Engines Could Propel Hypersonic Flight
It runs on an endless shockwave, but, sadly, it’s still in the prototype stage.
The Ingredients Powering the DOD's New Nonlethal Weapons
A US Defense Department program is testing a new arsenal designed to subdue enemies without killing them.
North Korea's Missile Test Was Even Scarier Than It Seemed
Further analysis of North Korea's latest ICBM launch shows that the country can likely land a nuclear weapon anywhere in the continental United States.
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.
A Sonic Attack in Cuba Seems Unlikely. Here's Another Theory
It was either a new, sci-fi sound gun or something else. Here’s a hypothesis for the something else.
Gun Control Tech Exists. But It Won't Stop Mass Shootings
In the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting, a look at the tech that does—and doesn't—exist to make guns more secure.
How the Vegas Shooter Could've Gotten an Automatic Rifle
The killer shot his hundreds of victims with inhuman speed. Authorities have confirmed that he did so by using a "bump stock," which enables semi-automatic rifles to fire at nearly the rate of their fully automatic counterparts.
A Test of Anti-Drone Weapons, From Shotguns to Superdrones
From anti-drone shotgun shells to a drone-snagging megadrone, security researchers put the drone defense arsenal to the test.