ABSTRACT
The most striking examples of the technological imperative are found in the area of nuclear weapons. The possibility of nuclear explosions occurred to many people immediately after the discovery of nuclear fission and confirmation of the fact that several neutrons are emitted in the act of splitting the uranium nucleus. The next and truly glaring example of the technological imperative is the development of thermonuclear weapons. These weapons, which utilize the fusion of hydrogen isotopes, raise the possibility of devices of unlimited explosive power. One of the most devastatingly destabilizing elements introduced into the arms race is the multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle. A example of the technological imperative concerns directed energy weapons—high-powered lasers or particle beams deployed on satellites or, as the press prefers, space-based battle stations. The idea is that such weapons could clear the skies of satellites used for reconnaissance, early attack warning, or communications and thus render the enemy blind, deaf, and vulnerable.
