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Nuclear Winter: Scientists in the Political Arena

Abstract.

The nuclear winter phenomenon is used to illustrate the many paths by which scientific advice reaches decision makers in the United States government. Because the Reagan administration was hostile to the strategic policy that the scientific discovery seemed to demand, the leading proponent of nuclear winter, Carl Sagan, used his formidable talent for popularization to reach a larger audience.

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Badash, L. Nuclear Winter: Scientists in the Political Arena. Phys. perspect. 3, 76–105 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s000160050057

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s000160050057

  • Key words. Carl Sagan, Nuclear winter, climatic catastrophe, nuclear war, urban fires, soot, scientific advice, science policy.