A tale of openness and secrecy: The Philadelphia Story
A now little-known manuscript prepared by nine young physicists as a statement about the futility of scientific secrecy quickly became a test of the limits of free discourse in the nuclear age.
Atomic Energy for Military Purposes
IN Nature of December 29, 1945, p. 768, an article by Prof. N. Feather surveyed and discussed the official American report on the development of the atomic bomb which was issued under the title “Atomic Energy for Military Purposes” and was quickly to be known as the Smyth Report, after its author. The report was re-issued in Great Britain by H.M. Stationery Office. Now the Princeton University Press has published the pamphlet in book form “as a public service in accordance with its purpose as a non-profit organisation seeking to disseminate the results of scholarly and scientific research”. No royalty or other compensation is being paid to the author.Atomic Energy for Military PurposesThe Official Report on the Development of the Atomic Bomb under the auspices of the United States Government, 1940–1945. By Henry DeWolf Smyth. Pp. viii + 308 + 8 plates (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press; London: Oxford University Press, 1946.) 12s 6d net.
What Happened to Suicide Bombings in Israel? Insights from a Terror Stock Model
An analysis of three years of suicide bombing data in Israel reveals an increase in such attacks through March 2002 followed by a steep decline through the end of 2003. The authors propose a terror-stock model that treats the suicide bombing attack rate as a function of the number of terrorists available to plan and execute suicide bombings. The intent of Israeli tactics such as targeted killings and preemptive arrests is to reduce the capacity of terror organizations to commit attacks. When fit to the data, this model suggests that the targeted killing of terror suspects sparks estimated recruitment to the terror stock that increases rather than decreases the rate of suicide bombings. Surprisingly, only the deaths of suspected terrorists, and not Palestinian civilians, are associated with such estimated recruitment. Although Israeli actions have reduced the rate of suicide bombings over time, it is preventive arrests rather than targeted killings that seem more responsible for this outcome.