If one scientist out of 100 decides to pursue biotechnology research that ought to be left alone, the consequences—theoretically—could be unconscionable. Is that what has happened with horsepox synthesis?

Scientific zeal blinded German physicists to the ethics of working for the Nazis. While research projects today are less fraught, the German scientists’ story bears on decisions facing those who now work to advance nuclear modernization, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology.

Fourteen facilities now create and research airborne-transmissible potential pandemic viruses. The risk that a virus from one of these facilities sparks a pandemic is far too high.

Nick Lemann’s most recent piece in the New Yorker, “John Hersey and the Art of Fact,” is in some sense a review of Jeremy Treglown’s new book on Hersey, “Mr. Straight Arrow.” But Lemann is certainly after (and achieves) more than one generally expects from a book review.

Policy makers seem to conflate nuclear weapons’ symbolic meaning with their utility as weapons, and that has made it harder to abolish them.

El callejón sin salida nuclear de Corea del Norte no podrá resolverse mientras la desnuclearización se considere la única solución aceptable. No hay duda de que quienes proponen sanciones y presión seguirán difundiendo sus argumentos durante los próximos años, e incluso décadas. Lo mismo harán quienes creen en una solución diplomática «al estilo de Irán». … Continued

Virtual Tour: Turn Back the Clock “] Working in secrecy and in great haste, an army of men and women raced to build the world’s first atomic bomb in the midst of World War II. The code name for their clandestine military assignment: the Manhattan Project. While most Manhattan Project scientists fully embraced the mission … Continued

Something more than journalism, something that approaches … poetry.

The May 1, 1946 edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists featured the declassified version of the June 1945 Franck Report, which argued for not bombing Japanese cities.

Just in time to defeat the COVID blues, a new species of firefly has been discovered. The fireflies’ glow draws visitors in, just like many natural wonders. But those same guests could unintentionally put these fragile species at risk, as could light pollution and other human-caused changes to the natural environment.

The American Bomb was the white men’s bomb. A secure future demands that everyone have a seat at the table.

This year marks the 36th anniversary of the termination of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project, a federally funded commercial demonstration effort. In the very early 1980s, it was the largest public-works project in the United States. Japan, South Korea, China, France, Russia, and the United States are now all again considering building similar plants. … Continued

Geothermal reservoirs are a promising source of renewable power, but can the planet’s heat be harnessed without risking extinction?

The Luddite struggle can help us understand how wealth and power can become concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of many.

North Korea claims that it has eradicated COVID within its borders. An outbreak starting in April may have infected nearly 5 million North Koreans. Experts are skeptical of the isolated country's claims, and some think other motivations are at play behind the announcement.