The Growing Danger of Nuclear Weapons (and how physicists can help reduce it)

Although today’s nuclear arsenals are not much in the news, they pose enormous risks for all humanity. Moreover, many treaties that have reduced the threat of nuclear weapons are now being abandoned, and enormous resources are scheduled to be spent on new nuclear weapons. We face a renewed nuclear arms race with potentially catastrophic consequences. Historically, physicists have played a critical role in helping the public and decision makers understand the threat posed by nuclear weapons and what can be done to reduce the threat. I will explain the growing nuclear crisis and describe a new project sponsored by the American Physical Society to support and mobilize physicists to reduce the nuclear threat.