Nuclear-fallout fingerprinting
The week's news at a glance.
Albuquerque
The government has quietly revived the lost Cold War art of analyzing radioactive fallout, in preparation for a nuclear terrorist attack on American soil. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are developing methods for obtaining nuclear dust from a bomb site and then studying its chemical characteristics. The government hopes to be able to trace either a “dirty” radiological bomb or a true nuke to its place of origin, so that it would know which country supplied the nuclear material to terrorists. “We’re hoping for deterrence,” said Dr. Charles B. Richardson. “We don’t want anyone to think they can get away with it.” Scientists are developing a robot that could roll 10 miles into a devastated city and gather radioactive samples for testing.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar Touch
Feature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life