Gregory Kulacki and I have published a paper on the history of China’s space program, A Place for One’s Mat: China’s Space Program, 1956–2003, as part of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Reconsidering the Rules of Space project: Chinese scientists and engineers use a particular phrase to describe why China made such significant …
DPRK: Drilling for Nuke Verification
by | 2009-07-20 | 25 Comments
The position measurement of the 25 May 2009 “nuclear” test, with errors. Up until now, I have been very skeptical of suggestions that the DPRK 2009 nuclear test was actually a conventional explosion. But because of a very interesting presentation here in Shanghai, I have changed my mind. (See Josh’s post for a discussion of …
UCS Summer Symposium 2009
by | 2009-07-18 | 4 Comments
UCS Summer Symposium at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies Hello from Shanghai! I’m here in this booming Chinese city for the 21st annual UCS Summer Symposium and it’s off to a great start. For those of you who don’t know about it, UCS brings together a small group of scientists (mostly in the hard …
Useful Fictions and Big Whoppers
by | 2009-07-17 | 21 Comments
Bernard Brodie wrote in The Absolute Weapon that, “Everything about the atomic bomb is overshadowed by the twin facts that it exists and that its destructive power is fantastically great.” From this simple truth, the dictates of state regarding the nuclear option have been advanced through partial truths, useful fictions, and the occasional Big Whopper. …
