Tag: nuclear issues

Legacy of British nuclear tests lingers on idyllic islands in Western Australia

Narelle Towie The white ocean sands of Western Australia’s Montebello Islands may appear inviting, but 70 years ago they were the site of Britain’s first nuclear tests. Now researchers are working to uncover how much and what type of radioactive material persists in sediment on the ocean floor of the archipelago, made up of 265… Read More Legacy of British nuclear tests lingers on idyllic islands in Western Australia

Dilip

Vasili Arkhipov (1926-1998), the man who prevented nuclear war

First posted on October 27, 2012 The decision not to start world war three was not taken in the Kremlin or the White House, but in the sweltering control room of a submarine. The launch of the B-59’s nuclear torpedo required the consent of all three senior officers aboard. Arkhipov was alone in refusing permission.. … Read More Vasili Arkhipov (1926-1998), the man who prevented nuclear war

Dilip

Report that FBI sought nuclear documents sharpens Trump showdown with Justice Department

A report that FBI agents searched for classified documents related to nuclear weapons at Donald Trump’s Florida resort could explain the urgency of the unprecedented operation at the home of an ex-President and takes his showdown with the Justice Department to a grave new level. The account in The Washington Post could also undercut Republican lawmakers, who didn’t wait for details of the case… Read More Report that FBI sought nuclear documents sharpens Trump showdown with Justice Department

Dilip

August 6 & 9, Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Mythmaking and Atomic Destruction / Blinded by the Light: Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Jacques Pauwels: Mythmaking and the Atomic Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki    Truman and his advisors thus fell under the spell of what the renowned American historian William Appleman Williams has called a “vision of omnipotence”. They convinced themselves that the new weapon would enable them to force their will on the Soviet Union. The… Read More August 6 & 9, Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Mythmaking and Atomic Destruction / Blinded by the Light: Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Dilip

Radiation from atomic testing in Marshall Islands still too high for human habitation (2019 report)

A team of researchers from Columbia University has found that radiation levels from atomic testing in the Marshall Islands are still too high for human habitation. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes radiation readings of soil samples from four of the islands, and what they found. Over the… Read More Radiation from atomic testing in Marshall Islands still too high for human habitation (2019 report)

Dilip

France has underestimated impact of nuclear tests in French Polynesia, research finds

France has consistently underestimated the devastating impact of its nuclear tests in French Polynesia in the 1960s and 70s, according to groundbreaking new research that could allow more than 100,000 people to claim compensation. France conducted 193 nuclear tests from 1966 to 1996 at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in French Polynesia, including 41 atmospheric tests until 1974… Read More France has underestimated impact of nuclear tests in French Polynesia, research finds

Dilip

JUAN COLE: Was the assassination of a nuclear scientist a bid to kill a Biden return to Iran nuclear Deal?

Likely, the operation, whether by Israel or Saudi Arabia or both, was intended to spike tensions in US-Iranian relations so as to make it more difficult for Joe Biden to start back up the 2015 nuclear deal or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Israel does not acknowledge its covert operations, but it seems the… Read More JUAN COLE: Was the assassination of a nuclear scientist a bid to kill a Biden return to Iran nuclear Deal?

Dilip