Features | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The struggle for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia

Togzhan Kassenova — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:33:11 -0800

When Kazakhstan's Parliament ratified a treaty establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia earlier this month, the effort to ban nuclear weapons from the region took its final step. Throughout the Cold War, Central Asia had been the epicenter of the Soviet nuclear testing program--with the Soviet military conducting 456 nuclear tests in Kazakhstan alone. Appropriately then, the treaty was signed by representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in September 2006 at Semipalatinsk, the main Soviet test site in Kazakhstan.

Restricting the role of biosecurity

Anna Zmorzynska — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:22:00 -0800

The list of issues that qualify as biosecurity concerns is expanding. Protecting against accidental disease outbreaks; the introduction of genetically modified crop plants, or foreign animal or plant diseases; food defense (formerly known as food safety); and controlling natural outbreaks of disease have all recently fallen under the biosecurity umbrella. This broadening scope has the potential to bring renewed attention to certain public health issues, but it also could tie public health too closely to national security agendas and may threaten the freedom of scientific research.

Making domestically produced medical isotopes a national priority

Edwin S. Lyman — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:04:48 -0800

Despite the clinical importance of medical isotopes, used in an estimated 18 million procedures per year in the United States alone, the world's supply is increasingly unreliable due to antiquated reactors. At one point in August, all five of the most important medical isotope-producing reactors, all located outside of the United States, were inoperable. The simultaneous shutdowns resulted in supply interruptions, causing a rationing of medical procedures in some areas. Problems are likely to persist for months because one of the largest reactors requires significant repairs.

The proliferation of space warfare technology

Matthew Hoey — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:00:43 -0800

The November 2007 National Nano Engineering conference in Boston on advanced nanotechnology applications for commercial and military space systems included dozens of speakers and presentations on cutting-edge space applications. Hundreds of people attended, with nearly every seat in the hotel's grand ballroom filled for the first session.

The Future of Nuclear Energy: Policy recommendations

Allison Macfarlane — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:59:26 -0800

Global warming necessitates the development of new forms of low-emissions, base-load power generating capacity. To assess the financial, regulatory, and proliferation concerns confronting nuclear energy and to develop strategies for addressing the barriers to the deployment of new reactors, in late September 2008, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists convened nearly 40 scientists, policy makers, industry representatives, and nongovernmental experts from around the world.

Brazil: Why go nuclear?

Odair Dias Gonçalves — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:31:14 -0800

Editor's note: In the September/October 2008 Bulletin, we asked governments from countries around the world to explain why they were considering nuclear power. That dialogue continues below, as the chairman of Brazil's nuclear energy commission explains his country's nuclear energy plans.

Tracking the spread of biological technologies

Robert Carlson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:58:37 -0800

It is often said that the coming century will be dominated by biological technologies. For that to be true, our ability to design and build synthetic biological systems will require substantial improvement. Most products resulting from genetic modification on the market today are a consequence of a mere handful of changes in genetic structure.

Joseph Rotblat's would-be advice to the new president

Sandra Ionno Butcher — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:49:21 -0800

November 4 marks the centenary of the birth of Nobel laureate Joseph Rotblat, the only scientist to walk away from the Manhattan Project on moral grounds and a man who held determined views on the kind of world we should try to create. He was an ardent advocate for dialogue across political divides, the elimination of nuclear weapons, the need ultimately for a world without war, and the social responsibility of scientists.

The security benefits of a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty

International Panel on Fissile Materials — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:44:53 -0700

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from the "Global Fissile Material Report 2008: Scope and Verification of a Fissile Material (Cutoff) Treaty." The complete report can be found here.

Can the U.S. military move to renewable fuels?

Sohbet Karbuz — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:30:39 -0700

In a 1906 planning document, the U.S. War Department imagined, "In 1950, the U.S. military [will be] a highly effective, mobile, and mutually supporting force, protecting all required American interests through dominant air, land, and sea operations powered by a petroleum energy standard that is reliably and economically produced from domestic sources."

Improving the Select Agent Program

Gigi Kwik Gronvall — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:37:50 -0700

Immediately following the 2001 anthrax attacks, U.S. officials didn't know how many U.S. research laboratories held stocks of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax disease. And they didn't know how many researchers within those labs that did have stocks had ready access to the strains. This complicated the investigation of the source of the material used in the attacks. In the seven intervening years, U.S. officials have improved this situation.

The need for an Arab presence in international negotiations with Iran

Tariq Khaitous — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:35:46 -0700

Since 2002, the Iranian nuclear program has been a major threat to stability and security in the Middle East. To curb it, many countries and international bodies have engaged Tehran diplomatically. The European Union (EU) has shown unity and solidarity in dealing with Iran. Russia, the largest supplier of nuclear technology to Tehran, is also involved in the negotiations. Another active party is China, which has a strong economic relationship with Iran.

In support of the Megatons to Megawatts program

Laura S. H. Holgate — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:08:47 -0700

"There will never be a 100 percent guarantee of security for our people, the economy, and our society. We must resist the urge to seek total security--it is not achievable and drains our attention from those things that can be accomplished." --Gilmore Commission, December 2003

The rebirth of Russia's closed cities

Dmitriy Nikonov — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:56:16 -0700

Almost upon developing the bomb, the Soviet Union enforced strict security measures within its nuclear weapons complex. In particular, it established so-called "closed cities"--one-employer settlements complete with travel restrictions and barb-wired perimeters that were tasked with designing, manufacturing, and servicing the most sensitive pieces of the Soviet nuclear weapons arsenal. For decades, the closed cities were the country's crown jewels, and as such, they had substantially better living conditions, infrastructure, and lower crime rates than the rest of the country.

China's strategies to combat climate change

Changhua Wu — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:50:41 -0700

Editor's note: The following article is drawn from findings published in the Climate Group's July report, "China's Clean Revolution."

How can we reduce the risk of human extinction?

Anders Sandberg — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:53:05 -0700

In the early morning of September 10, the Large Hadron Collider will be tested for the first time amid concern that the device could create a blackhole that will destroy the Earth. If you're reading this afterwards, the Earth survived. Still, the event provides an opportunity to reflect on the possibility of human extinction.

Japan's struggle to limit illegal dual-use exports

Masako Toki — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:45:32 -0700

Recent revelations of illegal transfers of sensitive materials by Japanese companies has again highlighted the fact that controlling the spread of dual-use materials remains a daunting challenge--even for a country with an advanced export-control system such as Japan.

Internationalizing the nuclear fuel cycle

James E. Goodby — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:06:29 -0700

The rising demand for energy, especially in Asia, has made it all but inevitable that a surge in the construction of new nuclear reactors will occur over the next 20 years. That will pose issues regarding the building of new uranium enrichment and reprocessing facilities or the expansion of existing facilities.¹

Cleaning up Serbia's nuclear legacy

Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:06:08 -0700

The Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, located 9 miles from Belgrade, is Yugoslavia's oldest nuclear research institute. Established in 1948 as the Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, its efforts supposedly included an attempt to build a Yugoslav nuclear bomb. For almost 45 years, it collected Yugoslavia's and Serbia's radioactive waste.

Mixing climate change with the war on terror

Lyle Hopkins — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:13:46 -0700

Climate change and the war on terror mix like oil and water. Our understanding of climate change and its implications is built on hard science, which continues to grow in volume and refinement. It's a singular challenge on an order of magnitude that we've never encountered and solving it requires an unprecedented level of involvement and cooperation from all nations and people.