The Real Threat of Nuclear Smuggling

Although many widely publicized incidents have been staged or overblown, the dangers of even a single successful diversion are too great to ignore.

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

00

PHIL WILLIAMS and PAUL N. WOESSNER work at the Ridgway Center for International Security Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Williams, who directs the center, is a professor in the graduate school of public and international affairs. During the past three years, his research has focused on transnational criminal organizations and drug trafficking, and he is the editor of a new journal, "Transnational Organized Crime." Woessner, a research assistant at the Ridgway Center, received his master's degree in international affairs in 1994. He also earned an M.S. in planetary science and a B.S. in astronomy and physics, the latter at the University of Maryland.

More by Paul N. Woessner
Scientific American Magazine Vol 274 Issue 1This article was published with the title “The Real Threat of Nuclear Smuggling” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 274 No. 1 ()
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican011996-bery6w4EN4jguklU9TIxA

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe