Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Volume 66 Issue 3

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May
2010
Volume: 66
ISSN: 0096-3402
Page count: 71
Issue external URL: Link

Interview

1 May 2010
Interview

Reflections on the Synthetic Production of Poliovirus

Michael J. SelgelidLorna Weir
In 2002, three microbiologists announced the artificial synthesis of poliovirus, provoking international outrage and concern that other deadly viruses could also be created. Years later, they look back on their work and discuss ethics, security, and the future of synthetic biology.

Feature

1 May 2010
Feature

Negotiating with the North: Doubting Its Enrichment Claims

Hee-Seog Kwon
Pyongyang can say it is aggressively pursuing a uranium enrichment capability, but more than likely, it is selling the international community a bill of goods.
1 May 2010
Feature

The North Korea-Myanmar Relationship: A Technical Perspective

David AlbrightPaul BrannanRobert KelleyAndrea Scheel Stricker
Although the evidence indicates that Myanmar hasn't achieved a nuclear weapon capability, its ever-tightening connection to Pyongyang and ongoing interest in dual-use technology must be constrained.
1 May 2010
Feature

The North Korea-Myanmar Relationship: A Historical Perspective

Mun Suk Ahn
While interest in the friendship between North Korea and Myanmar has intensified in recent months, theirs is a partnership that dates back to the early 1960s.
1 May 2010
Feature

An Alternative View to North Korea's Bomb Acquisition

Li Bin
The small yields of Pyongyang's 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests have left analysts wondering how the North designed its devices. One preeminent Chinese expert has a worrisome theory.
1 May 2010
Feature

An Uncertain Future for International Fuel Banks

Thomas LorenzJoanna Kidd
An IAEA-controlled nuclear fuel bank has stalled as developing states refuse to allow the agency to even consider proposals for it. To move forward, these states' justifiable concerns must be addressed.
1 May 2010
Feature

It's Time to Give Up on Breeder Reactors

Thomas B. CochranHarold A. FeivesonZia MianMycle SchneiderFrank N. von Hippel
Since the dawn of the nuclear age, nuclear energy advocates have dreamed of a reactor that could produce more fuel than it used. More than 60 years and $100 billion later, that vision remains as far from reality as ever.
1 May 2010
Feature

U.S. Nuclear Forces, 2010

Robert S. NorrisHans M. Kristensen

Two important recent events—the signing of New START and the release of the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review—will shape the configuration of the U.S. nuclear arsenal for years to come.