Exploring the nature of nuclear war, this psychological treatise examines human reactions to nuclear disaster and accidental explosions. The discusssion is based on evidence of human fallibility that has emerged from the psychology of accidents and from research into decision-making in military and political contexts. Draws on the psychology of negotiation and conflict resolution to suggest ways in which the threat of nuclear war might be reduced.

Can a Baby Be an Enemy? Our world is in a deep, prolonged crisis. The threat of global nuclear war, the chronic condition of local wars, the imperilled environment, and mass star vation are among the major forms this crisis takes. The dangers of massive overkill, overexploitation of the environment, and overpopulation are well known, but surprisingly little has been said about their potential interac tions, their bearing upon each other. If there were to be a nuclear confronta tion between today's superpowers, it might not take place in today's world, but in a far less friendly habitat, such as the world may be some decades hence. And it need hardly be added that the era of this particular super power configuration may be waning rapidly, its place to be taken by other international arrangements not necessarily less threatening. To understand and cope with our situation we need correspondingly serious reflection. This volume forms a welcome part of that process. Un avoidably, a large part of our thinking about the issues of human survival must be oriented to physical and biological aspects of the total danger. But it has not escaped the authors of this book that, coupled with these aspects, there are profound psychological dangers, such as loss of the sense of futu rity, moral deterioration, and a fatalistic decline in the will to struggle to protect our home, the Earth.

This is the report of a task force formed to bring psychological understanding to bear on the various aspects of the development of nuclear arms and nuclear energy and the threat they pose to human physical, mental, and emotional health. The first of seven articles considers the sociopsychological aspects of the nuclear arms race. Other articles address the emotional responses to nuclear issues and terrorism, United States-Soviet relations in the nuclear context, the relationship of secrecy to nuclear developments, the impact of nuclear developments on children and adolescents, and the psychological aspects of the accident at Three Mile Island. A concluding article reviews relevant literature. (LP)