[extropy-chat] Suitcase nukes (was: let's say)

[spike]

> J. Andrew Rogers:
> 
> Even if we posit that someone stole the mini-nukes in the '90s, the
> devices as stolen would already be relatively inert in all likelihood...
> 
> j. andrew rogers


I would like to think that is the case J. Andrew, but the
short half life element is the tritium (~12 yrs).  If the
suitcase nuke consisted of only fission elements and
high explosives, the part that is used as the fusion
initiator in modern nukes, then that part could
likely go without maintenance for a long time.  

Terrorists might choose to use the fission elements 
to make a dirty bomb we could suppose, perhaps even
using a subway to spread radioactive material.  Subways 
might be a technological dead end, for they appear
inherently undefendable against this sort of thing.

spike