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Articles on Nuclear war

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Visitors to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima view a large-scale panoramic photograph of the destruction following the 1945 bombing. Carl Court/Getty Images

Hiroshima attack marks its 78th anniversary – its lessons of unnecessary mass destruction could help guide future nuclear arms talks

The United States and Russia, the two biggest nuclear powers, have no imminent plans for talks on a nuclear deal. That should change, writes a former US diplomat.
AI isn’t likely to enslave humanity, but it could take over many aspects of our lives. elenabs/iStock via Getty Images

AI is an existential threat – just not the way you think

From open letters to congressional testimony, some AI leaders have stoked fears that the technology is a direct threat to humanity. The reality is less dramatic but perhaps more insidious.
At 90 seconds to midnight, the Doomsday Clock indicates the level of human-made threats. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The Doomsday Clock is now at 90 seconds to midnight — the closest we have ever been to global catastrophe

In 1945, nuclear scientists established the Doomsday Clock to warn against human-made threats. This week, the clock’s display has brought us the closest we have ever been to global disaster.
On 3 July 1970, France carried out the “Licorne” nuclear test on the atoll of Muroroa, French Polynesia. Creative Commons

Even a limited nuclear war could devastate the world’s oceans: here’s what our modelling shows

In Europe, a large-scale war could cause the Baltic Sea to freeze over and severely compromise food security – potentially for decades and even centuries to come.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, stands near a damaged residential building in Irpin, Ukraine, on Sept. 8, 2022. Genya Savilov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The US isn’t at war with Russia, technically – but its support for Ukraine offers a classic case of a proxy war

Giving Ukraine large amounts of money while not actually declaring war on Russia has various benefits for the US and other countries. Chiefly, it could protect US soldiers and civilians.
This Russian short-range cruise missile, the Iskander-K, can carry nuclear warheads for several hundred miles. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP

What are tactical nuclear weapons? An international security expert explains and assesses what they mean for the war in Ukraine

Tactical nuclear weapons were designed to be used on the battlefield rather than for strategic defense, but that doesn’t mean there’s a plausible case for using them.

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