The Nuclear Family

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with military officials

Will a new nuclear arms race undo decades of teamwork between the US and Russia?

Twenty-five years after the Cold War ended, Russians and Americans are nostalgic for the spirit of collaboration.

Will a new nuclear arms race undo decades of teamwork between the US and Russia?
Airmen Second Class Joe Andrew and Airmen Second Classes Richard Brooks man the launch control console for a Matador Missile at Osan AB Korea in 1961.

America's missileers stand ready to launch nuclear weapons — and pray they won't have to

America's missileers stand ready to launch nuclear weapons — and pray they won't have to
White mushroom-shaped cloud surrounded by dark skies tinged with red

Can a nuclear explosion be peaceful? US scientists used to think so.

Can a nuclear explosion be peaceful? US scientists used to think so.
Man poses in front of lab equipment

When Soviet science faltered, the US stepped forward. Now it's France's turn.

When Soviet science faltered, the US stepped forward. Now it's France's turn.
Clifton Truman Daniel with his grandpa, former President Harry S. Truman, c.1963

Harry S. Truman’s grandson speaks out against nuclear weapons

Harry S. Truman’s grandson speaks out against nuclear weapons
Catholic priests lead a protest march at an anti-nuclear demonstration outside of Seoul in April 2017.

South Korean Catholics take the lead in protesting against nuclear power

The nuclear threat from North Korea is a big deal. But in South Korea, some Catholic leaders see a different nuclear problem, right in their own backyard. Catholic clergy are taking the lead in protests against South Korea's dependence on nuclear energy.

South Korean Catholics take the lead in protesting against nuclear power
A gathering of Marshallese immigrants in Springdale, AR

The proud Pacific nation that preserves its homeland with the Bikini Anthem

The Bikini Anthem preserves the history of the Marshall Islands, which gained independence on May 1, 1979.

The proud Pacific nation that preserves its homeland with the Bikini Anthem
Julia Barton's father

Returning to the secret government lab where my grandfather worked

Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was once a secret city. Every American nuclear bomb contains uranium from the lab there.

Returning to the secret government lab where my grandfather worked
When Yuji Onuma was a kid, he lived in Futaba, a part of Fukushima. Today, he has kids of his own — but they can’t go near Futaba. Here, he wears protective clothing during a visit to his old house.

Photos: See Japan's nuclear legacy — from Fukushima to Hiroshima

Jacob Beser helped bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His grandson, Ari Beser, photographs survivors.

Photos: See Japan's nuclear legacy — from Fukushima to Hiroshima
Ari Beser and Keiko Ogura

His grandfather helped bomb Hiroshima. Today, he's friends with a nuclear bomb survivor.

For decades, Keiko Ogura didn't talk about the US nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.

His grandfather helped bomb Hiroshima. Today, he's friends with a nuclear bomb survivor.
Kevin Costner stars in the post-apocalyptic film "The Postman", based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin.

Can science fiction help prevent a nuclear war?

Catherine Asaro and David Brin discuss how technology shapes sci-fi — and how sci-fi shapes technology.

Can science fiction help prevent a nuclear war?
Jörg Möller, an engineer at a defunct nuclear power plant in Germany

A glimpse inside a defunct East German nuclear plant — and what it says about the future of energy in Europe

Jörg Möller, a German engineer, is dismantling a plant that his father helped build.

A glimpse inside a defunct East German nuclear plant — and what it says about the future of energy in Europe
Former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz

What the former secretary of energy thinks about Iran, climate change and nuclear security

Nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz talks about the challenges that the Trump administration will face.

What the former secretary of energy thinks about Iran, climate change and nuclear security
A military aide carrying a briefcase containing nuclear codes follows President Barack Obama on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, before his departure to Miami, Oct. 20, 2016.

Trump has the nuclear codes. Here's why that might not change much.

Despite all the change anticipated in Washington, we should expect continuity when it comes to nuclear weapons policy, says Ambassador Adam Scheinman, who has served as the State Department's special representative to the president for nuclear nonproliferation since 2014.

Trump has the nuclear codes. Here's why that might not change much.
worker at the Fukushima plant

Climate change is fueling a second chance for nuclear power

In the quest for a carbon-free future, scientists and entrepreneurs are developing a new generation of nuclear reactors.

Climate change is fueling a second chance for nuclear power
A South Korean soldier patrols at a checkpoint on the Grand Unification Bridge, which leads to the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from South Korea, in Paju, north of Seoul, April 8, 2013.

A father remembers when Korea was one country. His son dreams of seeing the same someday.

The Kang family lived through centuries of Korean unity. Today, they can’t go home.

A father remembers when Korea was one country. His son dreams of seeing the same someday.
presidential fallout shelter

Could scientists help defuse a nuclear crisis?

In the height of the Cold War, Soviet and American scientists worked together to limit nuclear proliferation.

Could scientists help defuse a nuclear crisis?