Department of Physics

Abstract: We live in an increasingly dangerous nuclear world marked by the abandonment of hard-won arms-control and nonproliferation agreements; the modernization at a cost of trillions of dollars of existing nuclear arsenals; the development of new types of strategic weapons; and threats to use nuclear weapons that risk escalation to large-scale nuclear war. This talk highlights some current and emerging nuclear weapon issues and discusses examples of policy analysis and research where contributions from scientists and engineers could be particularly valuable and timely in advancing efforts to mitigate nuclear weapon risks. The talk also outlines the goals and work by the new Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction, which seeks to inform and mobilize the physics community on nuclear arms control and to offer avenues for scientists to take action in the years ahead.