Ok, Max, why should I care about nuclear weapons?

好吧，馬克斯，我為什麼要關心核武器？

Max: Because we've learned that they're even more dangerous than we first thought:

麥克斯：因為我們已經瞭解到，他們比我們最初想象的還要危險。

The biggest threat from nukes isn't explosions that each kill millions of people, or radioactive

核彈最大的威脅不是爆炸，每個人都會殺死數百萬人，也不是放射性的。

fallout that kills even more, or even a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse that causes mayhem by

塵埃，殺死更多的人，甚至是高空電磁脈衝，造成混亂，通過

frying the electrical grid and electronics across a continent

炸燬整個大陸的電網和電子線路。

No, the biggest threat from nuclear weapons is a global nuclear-induced winter, in which

不，核武器的最大威脅是全球核引發的冬天，其中

the fires and smoke from as few as a thousand nukes could darken the atmosphere enough to

一千枚核彈所產生的火光和濃煙足以讓大氣層變暗

plunge Earth into a planet-wide mini ice age with year-round winter-like conditions. This

使地球陷入了一個全地球的小冰期，全年都有類似冬天的情況。這

could cause a complete collapse of the global food system and apocalyptic unrest, potentially

可能會導致全球糧食系統的徹底崩潰和世界性的動盪，有可能會導致

killing most of us 7 billion people on Earth.

殺死我們地球上70億人中的大部分人。

Henry: But didn't we get rid of most nuclear weapons when the cold war ended?

亨利：但冷戰結束時，我們不是已經擺脫了大部分核武器嗎？

Max: Well… Yes and no. When the cold war ended, the US and Russia slashed their nuclear

Max：嗯......是也不是。當冷戰結束後，美國和俄羅斯 削減了他們的核計劃。

arsenals, but they still have about 7000 nukes each, which could allow either country to

但他們每個人仍有大約7000枚核彈，這可以讓任何一個國家都能。

create a nuclear winter all on its own, even if the other doesn't retaliate.

自己製造一個核冬天，即使對方不報復。

Henry: But why should I worry about nuclear winter when nobody in their right mind would

亨利：但我為什麼要擔心核冬天，因為沒有一個正常人會。

ever start a nuclear war? Max: Unfortunately, an all-out nuclear assault

有沒有發動過核戰爭？不幸的是，一場全面的核攻擊。

isn't as unlikely as you might think, because the most likely way for nuclear war to start

並不像你想象的那樣不可能 因為核戰爭最可能的爆發方式是

isn't political – it's accidental. For example, the time faulty computer chips in

不是政治性的，而是偶然性的。比如說，當有問題的電腦芯片在

US alarm systems erroneously signaled incoming Soviet missiles and the US started to prepare

美國的警報系統錯誤地發出了蘇聯飛彈來襲的信號，美國開始準備

for full-blown retaliation. Or the time that Russian satellites mistook an unusual glint

為全面的報復。或者說，俄羅斯衛星誤認為一個不尋常的光亮

of sunlight off of clouds for incoming American missiles and an officer averted retaliation

遮住雲層的陽光，尋找來襲的美國飛彈，一名軍官避免了報復。

by ignoring the alarm on gut instinct. Or the time after the cold war ended when Russian

忽視了直覺上的警報。或者是冷戰結束後的那段時間，當俄羅斯的

radar systems thought a Norwegian scientific rocket was an American nuclear missile and

雷達系統認為挪威的科學火箭是美國的核導彈。

almost launched their missiles in retaliation. These close-calls keep happening, and sooner

差點發射飛彈進行報復。這些險情不斷髮生，而且遲早會發生。

or later our luck is gonna run out and an entire nuclear arsenal will be launched accidentally.

或者我們的運氣會用完，整個核武庫會被意外發射。

Henry: But isn't getting rid of nukes a national security threat?

亨利：但擺脫核彈不是國家安全威脅嗎？

Max: Well, it's pretty clear that a country only needs a small number of nuclear weapons

麥克斯：嗯，很明顯，一個國家只需要少量的核武器。

to effectively deter nuclear attacks, and any more are as much a national security threat

有效遏制核攻擊，再多的核攻擊也是對國家安全的威脅。

to the nation that owns them as to the rest of the planet. So given the risks of accidental

對擁有它們的國家和地球上的其他國家都是如此。是以，考慮到意外的風險。

nuclear war and nuclear winter, it's stupid, dangerous, and irresponsible for *any* country

核戰爭和核冬天，對任何國家來說都是愚蠢、危險和不負責任的。

on earth to have more nuclear weapons than it needs for deterrence. If we just continue

地球上的核武器數量超過了它的威懾需要。如果我們繼續

hoarding excessive nuclear arsenals, winter is coming.

囤積過多的核武庫，冬天要來了。

Henry: OK, Max, one more question: why should I spend my time worrying about nukes when

亨利，好吧，麥克斯，還有一個問題：好了，馬克斯，還有一個問題： 為什麼我應該花我的時間擔心核彈，當...

there's nothing I can do about them?

我對他們無能為力？

Max: Actually, there *is* something you can do! The nuclear arms race isn't driven entirely

麥克斯：事實上，你可以做一些事情！核軍備競賽並不完全是由...

by security interests: money drives it too, and politicians who like to act tough. In

受安全利益的影響：金錢的驅使也是如此，喜歡裝逼的政客。在

a time when they really should be downgrading, the US & Russian governments are both planning

在他們真正應該降級的時候，美國和俄羅斯政府都在計劃。

to upgrade their arsenals at a huge cost. And who does that money go to? Well, about

來升級他們的武器庫，花費巨大。這些錢給誰呢？嗯，大約

2% of S&P 500 companies are involved in nuclear weapons production, and while you can't

2%的標準普爾500強公司參與了核武器生產，雖然你不能。

stop paying taxes, you can help stigmatize the nuclear arms race by divesting from companies

停止納稅，你可以通過從公司撤資來幫助汙名化核軍備競賽。

that produce nuclear weapons. It's really easy, and I'll give you a link that you

生產核武器的國家。這真的很簡單，我給你一個鏈接，你可以通過這個鏈接

can put in the video description to a site that helps you do just that.

可以把視頻描述到一個網站，幫助你做到這一點。

Henry: Thanks, Max and thanks to the Future of Life Institute for their support and help

亨利：謝謝你，馬克斯，感謝生命未來研究所的支持和幫助。

producing this video!

製作這個視頻！