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Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by nabla9 on Thursday October 30, 2025 @06:41AM (#45758435)
The statement lacked any detail. It's just attention whoring.

The US is conducting nuclear tests periodically just like other nuclear powers. Subcritical nuclear testing is allowed. The last one was in 2024 https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-completes-subcriti... "NNSA successfully executed a subcritical experiment in the PULSE facility at the Nevada National Security Site. The experiment was executed in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory."

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by rolandog on Thursday October 30, 2025 @07:30AM (#45758837)
You may be missing the forest for the trees; the worrying aspect is not about whether subcritical tests have taken place in controlled environments and been carried out by skilled and talented individuals. What makes everyone nervous is that a tyrannical equine [0] and its ponies are champing at the bit to make use of nuclear weapons as a way to pressure detracting countries that are resistant to fascism and to control the world.

[0]: https://youtu.be/JhkZMxgPxXU

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by mexicocitinluez on Thursday October 30, 2025 @07:13AM (#45758709)
What statement is attention whoring? The statements made by the President himself?

The article you linked says this:

> This experiment performed as predicted; consistent with the self-imposed moratorium on nuclear explosive testing that the United States has held since 1992, it did not form a self-sustaining, supercritical chain reaction.

And yet, in the BBC article, Trump is said to have said:

> President Donald Trump has called on US military leaders to resume testing

Pretty obvious he doesn't mean "resume 2024 testing". He also said this:

> "With others doing testing, I think it's appropriate that we do also,"

Which would conflict with resuming the testing that was done in 2024 (if it ever stopped).

> Trump's announcement did not include details of how the tests would occur

Again, if it was what was happening in 2024, what new details would need to be added?

He has been obsessed with using nuclear weapons since he took office 2016. He even proposed nuking a hurricane.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by nabla9 on Thursday October 30, 2025 @10:29AM (#45760390)
> The statements made by the President himself?

Who is attention whore and bullshitter. For any other president statements equal policy, that's not so with Trump.

The statement is so vague that it does not indicate out of ordinary nuclear testing. The statement was made in TruthSocial. There is no presidendtial action (proclamation, memorandum, or executive order.) He might be just talking shit.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by mexicocitinluez on Thursday October 30, 2025 @11:30AM (#45761134)
> The statement was made in TruthSocial.

And now he's saying it when being asked by reporters.

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m4g67chzo226

> Q: What prompted you to announce you're resuming nuclear testing right before the meeting with Xi?

> TRUMP: They seem to all be nuclear testing. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. We don't do testing. We halted it many years ago, but w/ others doing testing I think it's appropriate we do also

I think he's pretty explicitly saying that he wants to start doing testing we aren't currently doing.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by nabla9 on Thursday October 30, 2025 @04:06PM (#45764695)
North Korea did the last critical nuclear test in 2017. Others have not been testing for decades.

I think he is saying something confused and vague.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by oskarkk on Thursday October 30, 2025 @05:18PM (#45765496)
> "With others doing testing, I think it's appropriate that we do also,"

Others are only testing the delivery vehicles for nuclear weapons (missiles, submarines), not the nuclear weapons themselves. So "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis" may also mean that the weapons won't be detonated in these tests.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by perihelions on Thursday October 30, 2025 @09:27AM (#45759813)
There's large practical and psychological differences between subcritical experiments in labs, and detonating megaton-sized nuclear weapons in underground tests. (At least I hope it's still underground; with this leadership, anything is possible).

The US hasn't detonated a nuclear weapon since 1992. You can call the distinction a technicality if you like, but it doesn't seem like one to me.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by nabla9 on Thursday October 30, 2025 @10:26AM (#45760367)
Subcritical experiments are done in underground test sites. US does them 1,000 feet underground inside boreholes in Nevada test site because the explosion releases plutonium. Hiroshima has a Peace "Watch" Tower where they show number of days since last nuclear experiment and they count subcritical tests also.

There is psychological effect, but it's not that important. More important is keeping nuclear test ban in effect. If the US does test, Russia and China will follow.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by cool_man_bob on Thursday October 30, 2025 @01:05PM (#45762320)
> The statement lacked any detail. It's just attention whoring

Everything is now. That’s what you get when you build a mind rape device that explicitly rewards attention whoring an other antisocial behavior.

Re:Trump directs nuclear weapons testing to resume for first... by gilbetron on Thursday October 30, 2025 @01:58PM (#45762992)
This is Trump, when he says, "test", he wants to see mushroom clouds.