Tickling The Sleeping Dragon's Tail: Should We Resume Nuclear Testing?

This report addresses the questions of whether the United States should resume nuclear testing and, if not, whether it should better prepare to do so in the future. These questions involve high stakes with multiple, complex, and uncertain interacting considerations. Many publications that address these matters emphasize policy issues, presenting the geopolitical consequences that, as it is often argued, rule out contemplation of such a provocative step. Works that credibly argue the technical issues, both pro and con, are scarcer. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive and balanced consideration of all significant technical and policy arguments relevant to nuclear testing.