Prompt Cast
The Possibility of Stealing Nuclear Bombs: Challenges and Realistic Threats
TLDR Stealing a nuclear bomb is difficult but not impossible, with the most realistic threat being a dirty bomb made from nuclear junk. There have been multiple accidents and security threats related to nuclear weapons, and the lack of international treaties and accountability has made nuclear non-proliferation more difficult.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode discusses the possibility of stealing nuclear bombs.
03:37
It is difficult but not impossible to steal a nuclear warhead, and it is more likely that someone could steal the components of a nuclear weapon and assemble it themselves.
07:26
It is difficult to steal a nuclear bomb, but it would be easier to steal a fully assembled bomb rather than stealing the individual parts, with the easiest part to steal being the explosive mechanism.
11:06
The distinction between strategic and tactical nukes is that strategic nukes are meant to prevent war, while tactical nukes are meant to end or win a war.
14:45
The most realistic threat would be a dirty bomb made from nuclear junk, and there is a black market for enriched uranium.
18:33
There have been multiple reported accidents involving nuclear weapons, including one in 1958 where an atomic bomb was accidentally dropped in South Carolina and another in 1965 where an airplane carrying nuclear weapons fell into the Sea of Japan.
22:12
There have been numerous accidents and security threats related to the transport and transfer of nuclear weapons, including incidents where bombs almost fell or were stolen, and a UN agency has stated that the theft and loss of nuclear and radioactive materials remains a persistent problem.
26:06
The lack of international treaties and accountability in the post-9/11 world has made nuclear non-proliferation less safe and more difficult, and it would require the execution of anyone who knows how to make a nuclear bomb to prevent its existence.
29:49
This section is not part of the podcast episode titled "How easy is it to steal a nuclear bomb?" from "Stuff You Should Know."
Categories:
Society & Culture
