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wellerstein's profile
Alex Wellerstein
Alex Wellerstein
Alex Wellerstein
Verified account
@wellerstein

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Alex WellersteinVerified account

@wellerstein

Historian of science, secrecy, and nuclear weapons. Professor of STS at @FollowStevens. UC Berkeley alum with a Harvard PhD. NUKEMAP creator. Coder and web dev.

Hoboken, NJ / NYC
blog.nuclearsecrecy.com
Joined September 2011

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    1. Joshua H. Pollack‏ @Joshua_Pollack 20 Aug 2017
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      Quite a lineup on nuclear weapons in today's @washingtonpost Outlook section!

      2 replies 12 retweets 15 likes
    2. Joshua H. Pollack‏ @Joshua_Pollack 20 Aug 2017
      • Report Tweet
      Replying to @Joshua_Pollack @washingtonpost

      First, @vermontgmg on the deep, ingrained reluctance to order a nuclear first strike:https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/would-the-president-actually-order-the-use-of-nuclear-weapons/2017/08/18/a7ff0ed8-837d-11e7-ab27-1a21a8e006ab_story.html?utm_term=.9d967f9e3815 …

      9 replies 3 retweets 13 likes
    3. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 20 Aug 2017
      • Report Tweet
      Replying to @Joshua_Pollack @WardHayesWilson and

      In both cases, Trump can easily be a counter-example if you want him to be. Not clear he has Truman's taboo. Not clear he cares about allies

      5 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
    4. Ward Wilson‏ @WardHayesWilson 20 Aug 2017
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      Replying to @wellerstein @Joshua_Pollack and

      They (taboo and deterrence) are unmeasurable, untestable, and not scientific in any serious sense.

      6 replies 2 retweets 0 likes
    5. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 21 Aug 2017
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      Replying to @WardHayesWilson @Joshua_Pollack and

      Similarly, taboos can be broken. They cannot be relied upon to perfectly regulate behavior (with states or individuals).

      1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
    6. Ward Wilson‏ @WardHayesWilson 21 Aug 2017
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      Replying to @wellerstein @Joshua_Pollack and

      Nothing can be relied on to “perfectly regulate behavior.” We are human beings. We never have perfectly regulated behavior.

      4 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
    7. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 21 Aug 2017
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      Replying to @WardHayesWilson @Joshua_Pollack and

      The difficulty we have with the case of nukes is that the acceptable number of failures is zero or near zero.

      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
    8. Ward Wilson‏ @WardHayesWilson 21 Aug 2017
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      Replying to @wellerstein @Joshua_Pollack and

      Absolutely. Nuclear weapons require perfection. And human beings can’t be perfect.

      7 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 21 Aug 2017
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      Replying to @WardHayesWilson @Joshua_Pollack and

      3) And yet, nukes are held onto as talismans for security. Do NWS believe nukes = security? They seem to. Stronger belief than taboo? Maybe.

      6:26 AM - 21 Aug 2017
      2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        1. Ward Wilson‏ @WardHayesWilson 21 Aug 2017
          • Report Tweet
          Replying to @wellerstein @Joshua_Pollack and

          Ah. Should we risk our lives for talismans? The lucky t-shirt isn’t real pitching skill. It’s just a form of magic.

          0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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        1. Ward Wilson‏ @WardHayesWilson 21 Aug 2017
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          Replying to @wellerstein @Joshua_Pollack and

          This is the fundamental problem. How are we to deal with symbols that have acquired the status of currency of power . . .

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        2. Ward Wilson‏ @WardHayesWilson 21 Aug 2017
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          Replying to @WardHayesWilson @wellerstein and

          But which are actually terribly dangerous, not very useful weapons?

          0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
          3. End of conversation

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