About this video

• Video Title: Nuclear Historian Answers Nuclear War Questions | Tech Support | WIRED
• Channel: WIRED
• Speakers: Alex Wellerstein
• Duration: 00:32:07

Overview

In this WIRED video, nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein answers a variety of questions about nuclear weapons, their history, and their implications. He addresses topics such as which countries possess nuclear weapons, the decision-making process for proliferation, the rationale behind the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the concept of the nuclear football, and the science behind radiation and enriched uranium.

Key takeaways

• Nine countries possess nuclear weapons: The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, France, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
• The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, allowing only five countries (those who tested before 1967) to possess them. Countries like India, Pakistan, and Israel never signed, while North Korea withdrew.
• Iran's nuclear program: While not actively building a bomb, Iran has been exceeding the limits of the Iran deal, which some interpret as preparation for a quick build-up if desired, or as a negotiation tactic.
• The "nuclear football" is a briefcase carried by a military aide to allow the U.S. President to order a nuclear strike from anywhere.
• "Lost" nuclear weapons refer to those lost in accidents like plane crashes or submarine sinkings, where recovery was not possible.
• The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen due to a shift in targeting strategy towards cities, the bomb's design maximizing aerial detonation, and a desire for psychological impact to force surrender. Kyoto was initially considered but removed due to its cultural significance.
• "Duck and Cover" tactics offered minimal protection, primarily against broken glass and collapsing structures in specific zones, not direct impact.
• Enriched uranium is processed to increase the concentration of uranium-235, which is fissile and necessary for nuclear weapons or reactors.
• Einstein's role in the Manhattan Project was limited to an early letter warning President Roosevelt about the possibility of atomic weapons, not direct involvement in the project's technical development.
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not significantly radioactive today due to the high-altitude detonation of the bombs, which minimized fallout.
• The theoretical upper limit of nuclear weapon power is immense, but practical limitations related to size, weight, and deployability, as well as diminishing returns, make extremely large weapons impractical. The Tsar Bomba was the largest tested.
• Nazi Germany was far from developing an atomic bomb by the end of WWII, having only reached the stage of developing a prototype nuclear reactor and deciding against pursuing atomic weapons due to the war's perceived timeline.