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Surprise Nuclear Strike? Here's How We'll Figure Out Who Did It (sciencemag.org)

Posted by BeauHD on from the unmasking-the-perpetrator dept.

sciencehabit writes: Many experts believe that a nuclear attack on U.S. soil is more likely than ever; a bomb set off in a city street is seen as the most likely scenario. The conceivable need to unmask a perpetrator, and mount an effective response, is propelling the emerging area of post-detonation forensics. Scientists are devising new sensors, manufacturing artificial fallout to hone analytical techniques, and studying how the glass formed in the furnace of an atomic blast would vary depending on the nature of the bomb and the city where it detonated. Discreet Oculus, a sensor array that would collect data during a nuclear attack on a U.S. city, was tested in the first exercise of its kind last summer.

8 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. We've always been at war with... by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    >> Many experts believe that a nuclear attack on U.S. soil is more likely than ever

    No, that's just the vendor speaking. Time to Google something called the "Cold War" I think...

    1. Re:We've always been at war with... by The+Real+Dr+John · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And now the "vendors" want to upgrade the arsenal to the tune of at least a trillion tax dollars. Not to "make us safer", but to make them richer. Your tax dollars, not at work.

      --
      A brain is a terrible thing to waste... Mind? That's debatable.
    2. Re:We've always been at war with... by Obfuscant · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Time to Google something called the "Cold War" I think...

      As someone who was alive when the cold war was going on, I can tell you that the Cold War did not include small independent states, it was a stand-off between the major nuclear powers and the use of missile and bomber delivered weapons. It involved two large countries who knew they had everything to lose by starting a nuclear war. A nuclear attack would garner a nuclear response.

      The modern environment includes dirty weapons delivered in a suitcase, by groups that know a nuclear response is impossible. They have little to lose in such an attack, and much to gain. So yes, the chances of a nuclear attack on US soil are greater now.

    3. Re:We've always been at war with... by Time_Ngler · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So the solution to a terrorist blowing up a bunch of innocents is to blow up more innocents? Why don't we respond that way to the terrorist attacks today, then? Should we have blown up the tower of Dubai in response to 9/11?

    4. Re:We've always been at war with... by swb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A dirty bomb may lack widespread damage, but think of the terror side of it. It would be major news.

      Even if the real toxic range was only a Manhattan city street, you just know that they would end up cordoning off 20+ square blocks, evacuating everyone and make it an exclusion zone for weeks. The economic clusterfuckery would be enormous. There would be lawsuits forever. Entire blocks would get razed due to fears of long term contamination.

  2. Uh. by tnk1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm guessing that anyone who surprises us with a nuclear detonation, or more probably a radiological attack like a dirty bomb, is going to *tell us that they did it*, because you don't just set off nuclear bombs or dirty bombs and run away and go "tee hee".

    It's not like someone had to figure out who flew the planes into the WTC towers, right?

    1. Re:Uh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The Sou-dies flew the planes into the WTC. Right? They got away scott free!!!

  3. Meanwhile.... by sugarmatic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Autonomous vehicles turned into car bombs...Guy with a home wet lab and a lot of savvy creates a serious disease and releases it, someone poisons an an entire metro areas water system....

    These things are several orders of magnitude easier, more damaging, and likely than a nuke. I'm not worried about those things, so how am I going to find the time and motivation to be worried about rogue nukes? Anything can happen, but I can also stub my toe.