Physics for future presidents: the science behind the headlines

Terrorism. Nine-eleven

Terrorist nukes

The next terrorist attack

Energy. Key energy surprises

Solar power

The end of oil

Nukes. Radioactivity and death

Radioactive decay

Nuclear weapons

Nuclear madness

Nuclear power

Nuclear waste

Controlled fusion

Space. Space and satellites

Gravity applications

Humans in space

Spying with invisible light

Global Warming. A brief history of climate

The greenhouse effect

A very likely cause

Evidence

Nonsolutions

The fruit on the ground

New technologies.

Terrorism.

Nine-Eleven. Inspecting passengers ; Taking control ; Flying and navigating the airplane ; Impact

Terrorist Nukes. Big nukes ; The terrorist dirty bomb ; Rogue nukes ; Uranium bombs ; Plutonium bombs

The Next Terrorist Attack. Future airplane gasoline attacks ; Bombs on airplanes

Biological Terrorism. The anthrax attack ; Terrorism: presidential summary

Energy. Key Energy Surprises. Why we love oil ; Power ; Energy alternatives ; The bottom line: the cost of energy

Solar Power. An anecdote ; Basic facts ; Solar power plants ; Solar airplanes

The End of Oil. Oil from coal: Fischer-Tropsch ; The price of oil ; Ennergy: presidential summary

Nukes.

Radioactivity and Death. Radiation and cancer ; The linear effect ; The Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor disaster ; The linear hypothesis

Radioactive Decay. Dangers of short versus long half-lives ; Environmental radioactivity ; Horrific mutations ; X-rays and microwaves ; Is radioactivity contagious?

Nuclear Weapons. The key to an explosion: the nuclear chain reaction ; World War II and the Manhattan Project ; Critical mass: the first atomic secret ; Hiroshima: the simple bomb design ; The hard part: purifying uranium-235 ; Centrifuges ; The plutonium bomb: an implosion design ; The hydrogen bomb ; Fallout ; Big bombs ; Smaller weapons, more destruction

Nuclear Madness. The neutron bomb and the weapons paradox ; Nuclear proliferation ; How worried should we be? ; Nukular weapons

Nuclear Power. Can a nuclear reactor explode like an atomic bomb? ; Manufacturing plutonium ; Fast breeder reactors ; The China Syndrome ; Three Mile Island: fuel meltdown ; Chernobyl: a runaway chain reaction ; Pebble bed reactors

Nuclear Waste. My confession ; Plutonium ; Depleted uranium

Controlled Fusion. Tokamak ; Laser fusion ; Cold fusion ; Nukes: presidential summary

Space.

Space and Satellites ; Satellite orbits: LEO, GEO, and MEO ; GPS: a set of medium Earth-orbit satellites ; Spy satellites ; Rocket science

Gravity Applications ; G's ; Using gravity to search for ice, oil, hidden craters, and secret tunnels ; Space industry: manufacturing in a weightless environment ; Gravity on the Moon and asteroids ; Artificial gravity ; The X Prize

Humans in Space. ; Spying with Invisible Light. Infrared radiation ; Remote sensing of the Earth ; Military special ops ; Stinger missiles ; Radar and stealth ; Radar imaging ; X-ray backscatter ; Space: presidential summary

Global Warming. A Brief History of Climate. The climate of the past 14,000 years

The Greenhouse Effect. Carbon dioxide ; Calculating greenhouse warming ; Another danger: acid oceans ; The ozone hole

A Very Likely Cause. Doing something about it: Alaska

Evidence. Distortion ; Exaggeration ; Cherry picking ; News bias ; The hockey stick ; Carbon dioxide and ancient climate ; Science and propaganda

Nonsolutions. Hydrogen hype ; Electric automobiles ; Fusion ; Solar power ; Recycling ; Kyoto

The Fruit on the Ground. Comfortable conservation ; Compact fluorescent lights ; Cool colors: when brown paint is white ; Reason for optimism: Rosenfeld's law ; The fizzling population bomb ; Automobile efficiency

New Technologies. Biofuels ; Concentrating solar ; Safe nukes ; Clean coal ; Carbon credits ; Renewable energy ; Global warming: presidential summary, the buck stops here.