Commentary
James M. Acton
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Source: Getty
In The Media
The Myth of Proliferation-Resistant Technology
The specter of nuclear proliferation must be understood as both a political issue and a technological one; the intent of would-be proliferators needs to be addressed together with the science.
Published on Nov 19, 2009
Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Forty years on, Hardin’s central thesis—that it is impossible to solve a political problem with a technical solution—is still salient and applicable to more than just managing population. At the moment, a number of initiatives promote a technological approach to solve—or at least ameliorate—the problem of nuclear proliferation through the misuse of civilian nuclear facilities (particularly reactors and reprocessing plants). Their aim is to make novel nuclear technologies "proliferation resistant."
About the Author
James M. Acton
Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program
Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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