How to dismantle a nuclear bomb

MIT team successfully tests a new method for verification of weapons reduction.

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How do weapons inspectors verify that a nuclear bomb has been dismantled? An unsettling answer is: They don't, for the most part.

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Russian officials give conflicting orders to evacuate near suspected nuclear accident

Russia urges villagers to leave nuclear fallout area and then tells them to come back.

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  • Residents of Northwestern Russian villages were told to evacuate after a nuclear-powered engine exploded.
  • Russian authorities originally stated they saw radiation levels spike to 16 times above normal.
  • Other reports from officials stated there was no spike and also no need to evacuate, creating confusion for villagers and international reporters.
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Why a Japanese WWII soldier refused to surrender for 29 years

For the Japanese in World War II, surrender was unthinkable. So unthinkable that many soldiers continued to fight even after the island nation eventually did surrender.

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  • Japan may have surrendered to the Allies on August 15, 1945, but many Japanese soldiers did not get word until much later.
  • The culture of death before surrender that permeated the Japanese military caused many to continue to fight even after Japan's formal surrender.
  • Hiroo Onada was one such holdout. He engaged in a guerrilla war in the jungles of the Philippines for nearly 30 years.
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Top 5 KGB operations on U.S. soil

Russia's famed intelligence agency was often successful in getting American secrets.

KGB logo and NYC in 1970. Credit: Getty Images
  • The KGB recruited spies and carried out numerous operations in the United States.
  • The spies compromised U.S. intelligence and military.
  • Some practices of the KGB continue in modern intelligence.
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10 science photos that made history and changed minds

These photos of scientific heroes and accomplishments inspire awe and curiosity.

  • Science has given humanity an incalculable boost over the recent centuries, changing our lives in ways both awe-inspiring and humbling.
  • Fortunately, photography, a scientific feat in and of itself, has recorded some of the most important events, people and discoveries in science, allowing us unprecedented insight and expanding our view of the world.
  • Here are some of the most important scientific photos of history:
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