Nuclear War from a Cosmic Perspective

∗Based on my talk at the symposium The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction held February 28–March 1 2015 at The New York Academy of Medicine: http://totalwebcasting.com/view/ ?id=hcf cided to build a contraption called the Spectacular Thermonuclear Unpredictable Population Incineration Device, abbreviated STUPID. It’s arguably the the most costly device ever built on this beautiful spinning ball in space that we inhabit, but the cost hasn’t prevented many people from saying that building and maintaining it was a good idea. This may seem odd, given that essentially nobody on our ball wants STUPID to ever get used.