This episode marks the first of a three-part series on nuclear testing. Our team traveled to the Nevada National Security Site to explore the history of nuclear testing, how it started, how it ended, and what scientists are doing now. We begin the three-part series by joining the magazine’s Jill Gibson as she embarks on a ‘technical orientation visit’ to the Nevada National Security Site, which was formerly the Nevada Test Site and before that the Nevada Proving Grounds. The site is located about an hour north of Las Vegas in a highly secure area chosen in 1951 for its remote location. It stretches across 1,355-square-miles—making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. Between 1951 and 1992 a total of 928 nuclear tests were conducted at the site, 828 of which were underground.
The National Security Science podcast is a spin-off of National Security Science magazine at Los Alamos National Laboratory. We bring you stories from the Lab’s Weapons Program—stories that show how innovative science and engineering are the key to keeping America safe. Or, as we like to say, better science equals better security.
Read National Security Science magazine online here. Request a print copy or provide feedback by emailing magazine@lanl.gov.
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Previous title: Nevada series episode 1: Historical nuclear testing