Nuclear war is getting more likely by the week
Post Opinions is embarking on a new series in which experts from the Federation of American Scientists examine the threat of nuclear conflict. I would love to tell you that these experts argue that 'today's global nuclear landscape is far [less] complicated and, in many ways, [less] precarious than during the Cold War' — but, unfortunately, those brackets are about as good a shield against reality as the top of a mid-century classroom desk was against an incoming ballistic missile.
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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
China Announces Breakthrough in Planned Moon Landing
China announced a major breakthrough in its planned moon landing mission as the East Asian power and the United States race to send humans back to Earth's natural satellite. China is moving toward its goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. Meanwhile, the U.S.—the first and, to date, only country to land humans on the moon—has planned its crewed moon landing mission for mid-2027. However, the program's progress has faced challenges. Newsweek has contacted NASA via email for updates on its moon landing mission. During the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, NASA launched the Apollo program, which landed the first humans on the moon in 1969. A total of six lunar landing missions—with 12 astronauts—were conducted until the program ended in 1972. China is advancing several space programs as it pushes for supremacy in this domain. In addition to its moon landing mission, it has constructed a network of 16 space-enabling facilities in Latin America while operating a modern space station known as the Tiangong. The space race between China and the U.S. could define whether the 21st century is the Chinese or American century, Colonel Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut, previously told Newsweek, warning that China could absolutely beat the U.S. back to the moon. The China Manned Space Agency announced that its manned lunar lander—named Lanyue, which means embracing the moon—successfully completed the first "comprehensive landing and takeoff test" at a test site in Huailai County in Hebei province, northern China, on Wednesday. Footage of the test shows the lander—a test vehicle—igniting its rocket engines while descending to the ground. Meanwhile, a ladderlike structure can be seen installed on the outside of the lander, which could be used by astronauts to exit onto the moon's surface. The event marked the first time China tested the "extraterrestrial landing and takeoff capabilities" of a manned spacecraft, according to the agency, which described the test as a breakthrough in the research and development of its manned lunar exploration program. According to Xinhua News Agency, the Lanyue consists of two modules—one for landing and the other for propulsion. It is designed to transport two astronauts between the moon's orbit and its surface. The lander serves as a base during astronauts' activities on the moon. The design of Lanyue is similar to that used in the Apollo program. The Apollo Lunar Module consisted of an upper stage—which contained a crew compartment and an ascent rocket engine—and a lower stage that had the landing gear and a rocket engine for descent. China is also advancing another moon mission aimed at building the International Lunar Research Station, a scientific experimental facility located both on the moon's surface and in its orbit. The project's two phases are scheduled for completion by 2035 and 2050, respectively. China's Global Times reported on Thursday: "The test validated key systems, including the lander's design, control strategies, lunar contact shutdown procedures, and interface compatibility between subsystems such as GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) and propulsion." U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy outlined a plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon on Tuesday: "We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy." Besides the moon landing mission, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to send astronauts to Mars, a goal supported by billionaire Elon Musk of SpaceX, who believes the moon "is a distraction." Related Articles US Ally Throws Down Gauntlet at ChinaMap Shows China Surrounded by ConflictsUS Intelligence Flight Detected on China's DoorstepUS Ally Near China Receives Major Boost to F-35 Fleet 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
China Announces Breakthrough in Planned Moon Landing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China announced a major breakthrough in its planned moon landing mission as the East Asian power and the United States race to send humans back to Earth's natural satellite. China is moving toward its goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. Meanwhile, the U.S.—the first and, to date, only country to land humans on the moon—has planned its crewed moon landing mission for mid-2027. However, the program's progress has faced challenges. Newsweek has contacted NASA via email for updates on its moon landing mission. Why It Matters During the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, NASA launched the Apollo program, which landed the first humans on the moon in 1969. A total of six lunar landing missions—with 12 astronauts—were conducted until the program ended in 1972. China is advancing several space programs as it pushes for supremacy in this domain. In addition to its moon landing mission, it has constructed a network of 16 space-enabling facilities in Latin America while operating a modern space station known as the Tiangong. The space race between China and the U.S. could define whether the 21st century is the Chinese or American century, Colonel Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut, previously told Newsweek, warning that China could absolutely beat the U.S. back to the moon. What To Know The China Manned Space Agency announced that its manned lunar lander—named Lanyue, which means embracing the moon—successfully completed the first "comprehensive landing and takeoff test" at a test site in Huailai County in Hebei province, northern China, on Wednesday. Video of Lanyue test vehicle when descending with original environment sound. Via weibo / China航天 — Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) August 8, 2025 Footage of the test shows the lander—a test vehicle—igniting its rocket engines while descending to the ground. Meanwhile, a ladderlike structure can be seen installed on the outside of the lander, which could be used by astronauts to exit onto the moon's surface. The event marked the first time China tested the "extraterrestrial landing and takeoff capabilities" of a manned spacecraft, according to the agency, which described the test as a breakthrough in the research and development of its manned lunar exploration program. According to Xinhua News Agency, the Lanyue consists of two modules—one for landing and the other for propulsion. It is designed to transport two astronauts between the moon's orbit and its surface. The lander serves as a base during astronauts' activities on the moon. The design of Lanyue is similar to that used in the Apollo program. The Apollo Lunar Module consisted of an upper stage—which contained a crew compartment and an ascent rocket engine—and a lower stage that had the landing gear and a rocket engine for descent. In this photo provided by the China Manned Space Agency on August 7, China's manned lunar lander conducts a landing and takeoff test in Huailai County, Hebei province, northern China. In this photo provided by the China Manned Space Agency on August 7, China's manned lunar lander conducts a landing and takeoff test in Huailai County, Hebei province, northern China. China Manned Space Agency China is also advancing another moon mission aimed at building the International Lunar Research Station, a scientific experimental facility located both on the moon's surface and in its orbit. The project's two phases are scheduled for completion by 2035 and 2050, respectively. What People Are Saying China's Global Times reported on Thursday: "The test validated key systems, including the lander's design, control strategies, lunar contact shutdown procedures, and interface compatibility between subsystems such as GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) and propulsion." U.S. Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy outlined a plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon on Tuesday: "We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy." What Happens Next Besides the moon landing mission, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to send astronauts to Mars, a goal supported by billionaire Elon Musk of SpaceX, who believes the moon "is a distraction."
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
Do Not Attempt To Adjust The Picture. We Are Controlling Transmission
An alien with six-fingered hands conducts a scientific experiment as an unidentified female actor looks on in a still from the science fiction television show, 'The Outer Limits,' c. 1964. (Photo by United Artists/Courtesy of Getty Images) Getty Images The sixties were one of the most creative decades for the arts. Mostly known for innovative rock n' roll, now called classic rock, the time period also broke ground in the areas of pop culture, dress, movies and literature. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on sixties television, we highlighted the goofy comedy shows of the period, and the innovative spy series (links below). But it wasn't just comedy and espionage. The sixties Cold War space race and UFO craze inspired many science fiction and occult-type shows. Following are three of the scariest. (1) "The Outer Limits': If this baby boomer were to pick a sci-fi show that truly scared him as a youth, it would be this. Not only were many of the episode premises scientifically plausible, but the acting and direction were superb. William Shatner, Robert Culp, Robert Duvall, Cliff Robertson and David McCallum all cut their teeth with appearances on "The Outer Limits." A spooky tone was set up immediately as each show began. A disembodied voice came on, saying: "There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling will control the horizontal, we will control the vertical…' It was as if the show literally had taken over your television! Themes dealt with dangerous aliens ("Corpus Earthling"), unhinged nuclear power ("It Crawled Out Of The Woodwork," 'Production And Decay Of Strange Particles"), monsters ("Don't Open Till Doomsday," "The Zanti Misfits"), alien government infiltration ('The Invisibles") and grotesque body distortion ("The Mutants"), to name a few. American actor John Anderson (1922 - 1992) as the Ebonite Interrogator in a promotional still for 'Nightmare', an episode in the US TV science fiction series 'The Outer Limits', 1963. (Photo by Silver) Getty Images One episode, 'The Architects Of Fear," was even censored in prime time by the network because the "Thetan" alien was deemed too frightening for youngsters. As such, the screen faded to black whenever the alien was present. Eerie, well-placed music produced by Dominic Frontiere only heightened the terror in each episode. In the end, though, there was usually some resolution or positive lesson for mankind. The achilles heel of the series was what now seems like hokey special effects. Back then, though, the gadgets were considered state-of-the-art. "The Outer Limits" ran on ABC from 1963-1965, and was revived in the mid-1990s. As with most revivals, the retread had nowhere near the punch of the original. Actor Burgess Meredith (1907 - 1997) as Henry Bemis, in a scenes from "Time Enough at Last", episode 8 from the first season of the CBS series 'The Twilight Zone', August 1959. (Photo by CBS) Getty Images (2) 'The Twilight Zone': Some think of 'The Twilight Zone' as a half-hour version of 'The Outer Limits.' In some ways, it is. Like 'The Outer Limits,' many famous actors got their starts in it, including Burgess Meredith, Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert Redford, Jack Klugman, Peter Falk and Lee Marvin. Both series were plenty scary. And there was a spooky beginning and ending narration as in 'The Outer Limits,' but in 'The Twilight Zone' it was handled by genius creator Rod Serling. As for the differences, 'The Twilight Zone' dealt more with the occult and supernatural, and its endings had more of a surprise or twist, a la short story writer Saki (H.H. Munro). 'The Twilight Zone' originally aired on CBS from 1959-1964. Like 'The Outer Limits,' later episodes were produced but again, never had the punch of the original. UNITED STATES - JANUARY 10: THE INVADERS - (pilot) - Season One - 1/10/67, Roy Thinnes starred as David Vincent, who discovered that the Earth was being invaded by beings from another planet. These beings took human form, and were virtually undetectable from human beings., (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images (3) 'The Invaders': This series featured an architect, David Vincent (played by actor Roy Thinnes), who has discovered an attempted covert alien invasion by life forms whose planet is dying and need a place to relocate. Why not Earth? The beings resemble humans in many respects, and are hard to identify. Vincent notices that one way to tell is that their fourth finger is elongated. They also lack a pulse, don't show emotion and can't bleed. In each episode, Vincent travels to another place where the aliens are multiplying, and desperately tries to alert government authorities, having mixed luck. In some ways, the plot resembles today's UFO believers trying to convince the public and authorities that extraterrestrials have visited Earth. 'The Invaders' ran on ABC for two seasons, in 1967 and 1968. It is not as well known as some other sci-fi series, but certainly was as scary. Many folks will be surprised that 'Star Trek' isn't included here. It along with 'Lost In Space,' 'My Favorite Martian,' 'The Jetsons'and 'Fireball XL-5' will be featured in a separate space-themed piece. Forbes The Secret Agent Men (And Women) Of '60s Television By Jim Clash Forbes Talking Horse, Genie, Witch—The Goofy Genius Of '60s TV By Jim Clash
