The culminating volume in Richard Rhodesβs monumental and prizewinning history of nuclear weapons, offering the first comprehensive narrative of the challenges faced in a postβCold War age.The past twenty years have transformed our relationship with nuclear weapons drastically. With extraordinary depth of knowledge and understanding, Rhodes makes clear how the five original nuclear powersβRussia, Great Britain, France, China, and especially the United Statesβhave struggled with new realities. He shows us how the stage was set for a second tragic war when Iraq secretly destroyed its nuclear infrastructure and reveals the real reasons George W. Bush chose to fight a second war in Iraq. We see how the efforts of U.S. weapons labs laid the groundwork for nuclear consolidation in the former Soviet Union, how and why South Africa secretly built and then destroyed a small nuclear arsenal, and how Jimmy Carterβs private diplomacy prevented another Korean War.We also see how the present day represents a nuclear turning point and what hope exists for our future. Rhodes assesses the emerging threat of nuclear terrorism and offers advice on how our complicated relationships with North Korea and South Asia should evolve. Finally, he imagines what a post-nuclear world might look like, suggesting what might make it possible.Powerful and persuasive, The Twilight of the Bombs is an essential work of contemporary history "In recent years governments and scientific establishments have been encouraging the development of professional and popular science communication. This book critically examines the origin of this drive to improve communication, and discusses why simply improving scientists' communication skills and understanding of their audiences may not be enough. Written in an engaging style, and avoiding specialist jargon, this book provides an insight into science's place in society by looking at science communication in three contexts: the professional patterns of communication among scientists, popular communication to the public, and science in literature and drama. This three-part framework shows how historical and cultural factors operate in today's complex communication landscape, and should be actively considered when designing and evaluating science communication. Ideal for students and practitioners in science, engineering and medicine, this book provides a better understanding of the culture, sociology and mechanics of professional and popular communication"--Provided by publisher. Read more... Introduction: What this book is about and why you might want to read it -- Prologue: Three orphans share a common paternity : professional science communication, popular journalism and literary fiction are not as separate as they seem -- Spreading the word : problems with publishing professional science -- Walk like an Egyptian : the alien feeling of professional science writing -- The future's bright? : professional science communication in the age of the internet -- Counting the horse's teeth : professional standards in science's barter economy -- Separating the wheat from the chaff : peer review on trial -- The public understanding of science (PUS) movement and its problems -- Public engagement with science and technology (PEST) : good principle, difficult practice -- Citizen scientists? : democratic input into science policy -- Teaching and learning science in school : implications for popular science communication -- What every scientist should know about mass media -- What every scientist should know about journalists -- The influence of new media -- How the media represent science -- How should science journalists behave? -- A terrible storm in Wittenberg : natural knowledge through sorcery and evil -- A terrible storm in the Mediterranean : controlling nature with white magic and religion -- Thieving magpies : the subtle art of false projecting -- Foolish virtuosi : natural philosophy emerges as a distinct discipline but many cannot take it seriously -- Is scientific knowledge 'true' or should it just be 'truthfully' deployed? -- Science and the Gothic : the three big nineteenth century monster stories -- Science fiction : serious literature or low grade entertainment? -- Science in British literary fiction -- Science on stage : the politics and ethics of science in cultural and educational contexts
