When the People’s Astronomer Risked his Reputation
Part of Heroes and Hiccups: True Stories about Nuclear Weapon Risks
Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan was the most famous scientist alive when waded into what was seen as a political debate to shed light on the impacts of nuclear war. The findings were shocking: even a limited nuclear exchange could cause “nuclear winter,” a period of darkness and extreme cold that could devastate crops and economies. Human extinction could not be ruled out.
He used his platform and popular appeal to publish a feature in Parade magazine in fall 1983, reaching 10 million Americans and changing the debate about whether a nuclear war was winnable.
More Resources
Explore the Collection
When Yeltsin Reached for the Nuclear Briefcase
When Hawaii Ducked and Covered
Georgia’s Lost Nuke
When a Bear Almost Set off WWIII
The Cuban Missile Crisis You Never Heard About
When the Unattended Baggage is Nuclear
Nukes Need Designated Drivers, Too
Plutonium, Drugs, and the Japanese Mafia
When We Leaked Nuclear Secrets on a Free App
Cheating, Drugs, and the Nuclear Codes
Cheerios and Finding Lost Nukes
When the FBI Raided a U.S. Nuclear Facility
When Nuke Tests Killed John Wayne
The Man Who Saved the World
The Girl With 1,000 Paper Cranes
The Physicist Who Wanted No Part in a Bomb
The Single Mom Who Mobilized Millions
The Analyst Who Called the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Man with Iraq’s Bomb in his Garden
The Nun Who Broke Into “Nuclear Fort Knox”
The Civil Rights Icon Who Protested Nukes, Too
Your are currently on
When the People’s Astronomer Risked his Reputation
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood?
Pediatrician vs. Nuclear War
Stay Informed
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on nuclear and biological threats.
More on
Nukes on Screen: The Entertainment Industry’s Go-To Resource on Nuclear Weapons
NTI's Critical Mass Project supports the creative community to tell stories about nuclear risks in film and television.
When Yeltsin Reached for the Nuclear Briefcase