INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS

The diplomacy of the U.S. and some other nations are pressing for a complete ban on nuclear explosions, even for peaceful purposes. This will not reduce the probability of nuclear war, and it is a very bad omen to ban a potentially useful technology for symbolic purposes or to make the diplomacy easier. It is giving in to superstition. The Chinese resisted the ban on peaceful explosions, but they didn't persist. I think the U.S. Senate should not ratify the treaty.

1999 October 13: I'm pleased that the Senate rejected the treaty, but note that the reason given above for this opinion is different from that which motivated the opponents of the treaty. They may be right about unverifiability, but I don't have an independent opinion of that.

We propose an International Institute for Nuclear Explosions which would conduct research in the scientific and technological uses of nuclear explosions. html version is not working now. It will be fixed.

I thought that this proposal might result in a certain amount of flap. So far none in six years.

See .dvi, .pdf and .ps versions.

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Send comments to mccarthy@stanford.edu. I sometimes make changes suggested in them. - John McCarthy

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