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

[J. Andrew Rogers]

Spike wrote: 
> 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.


I don't consider "dirty bombs" a real threat, so this type of thing does
not concern me to any great extent.  Dirty bombs are primarily a
psychological weapon, targeting the same irrational response that makes
it politically impossible to build nuclear power plants.

What's a few kilograms of radioactive material scattered to the four
winds, when thousands of metric tons of the same materials are scattered
to the four winds near population centers by industry?  This is the same
perceptual asymmetry that makes the depleted uranium indignation so
absurd.  A few tons of DU in the desert is an outrage, dumping a few
THOUSAND tons of *un*-depleted uranium (and worse, thorium) next to an
American city is not worthy of mention.  Fear and outrage is very
selective when it comes to anything nuclear.


j. andrew rogers