Defense

Proposed U.S. space defenses against hypersonic nuclear missiles are unnecessary, impractical and would trigger a dangerous new arms race

A government efficiency panel threatens U.S. government competence and constitutional underpinnings, warn two administrative science experts

We need less uproar over everyday drones and more critical attention about ones near airports and other restricted airspace

It is difficult to disentangle Russian and Chinese scientists from international science cooperation. That is a good thing

A new United Nations expert study of the effects of nuclear war would spur informed and inclusive global debate on what nuclear war means for people and the planet today

As tensions soar in the Middle East, the president’s lame duck status hinders efforts to manage the escalation of risks in the region

Sooner or later a doomsday asteroid will wipe out most life on Earth—unless, that is, we prevent threatening space rocks from hitting us in the first place

An office in the Pentagon investigated UFOs—and the paranormal—over a decade ago, segueing into a long saga leading to Congressional hearings and breathless news stories today. But the real story looks more like former defense officials pushing their personal mythology, rather than any cover-up of aliens

Defending the U.S. is much more complicated in an era of climate change

Amid the pandemic, the Pentagon ran a conspiracy campaign to discredit vaccines—just so it could score points against China. The revelation is a worst-case scenario for global public health

Is baby Skynet already here? We need robust laws now to withstand eliminating humans from nuclear decision-making

Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea