Suppose all nuclear weapons were deactivated...

[Philosophy Explorer]

through a new scientific invention. What would result?

For example, would you expect more war or more risky conflicts?

What do you think?

PhilX

[Obvious Leo]

through a new scientific invention. What would result?

Just a new arms race. Either some clever bugger would work out a way to reactivate them or some other clever bugger would invent something even more dangerous. That's the way it's been throughout human history and there's no logical reason not to suppose that that's the way it always will be.

[Hobbes' Choice]

As none but a madman has seriously contemplated their use. Nothing whatever would happen except that there would be massive political and financial interests to get them all re- activated.

[Philosophy Explorer]

To make it clear, all the nuclear weapons can't be reactivated in this scenario, no matter what. It's felt by many that nuclear weapons acted as a deterrent to WWIII. So would deactivation lead to another World War? How would the world be affected?

PhilX

[Ansiktsburk]

To make it clear, all the nuclear weapons can't be reactivated in this scenario, no matter what. It's felt by many that nuclear weapons acted as a deterrent to WWIII. So would deactivation deactivation lead to another World War? How would the world be affected?

PhilX

In the current situation I don't think much would change. The countries that got the nukes now are still huge weaponries without their nukes.

[Obvious Leo]

As far as the possibility of a deliberate genocide during the next few decades is concerned there are far bigger threats facing humanity than nukes, such as biological weapons.

[Hobbes' Choice]

To make it clear, all the nuclear weapons can't be reactivated in this scenario, no matter what. It's felt by many that nuclear weapons acted as a deterrent to WWIII. So would deactivation lead to another World War? How would the world be affected?

PhilX

Hypotheticals are often stupid as is amply demonstrated by this example.

Unless you know what the cause of the de-activation, and the impossibility of the re-activition, you cannot possibly say what will happen next.
The simple fact of the hypothetical leaves a massive gap in the predictability.

[Philosophy Explorer]

To make it clear, all the nuclear weapons can't be reactivated in this scenario, no matter what. It's felt by many that nuclear weapons acted as a deterrent to WWIII. So would deactivation lead to another World War? How would the world be affected?

PhilX

Hypotheticals are often stupid as is amply demonstrated by this example.

Unless you know what the cause of the de-activation, and the impossibility of the re-activition, you cannot possibly say what will happen next.
The simple fact of the hypothetical leaves a massive gap in the predictability.

The village idiot gives us another sample of his stupid opinion. Well duh, you don't have the option to change the scenario. Either accept it or leave it.

PhilX

[Hobbes' Choice]

To make it clear, all the nuclear weapons can't be reactivated in this scenario, no matter what. It's felt by many that nuclear weapons acted as a deterrent to WWIII. So would deactivation lead to another World War? How would the world be affected?

PhilX

Hypotheticals are often stupid as is amply demonstrated by this example.

Unless you know what the cause of the de-activation, and the impossibility of the re-activition, you cannot possibly say what will happen next.
The simple fact of the hypothetical leaves a massive gap in the predictability.

The village idiot gives us another sample of his stupid opinion. Well duh, you don't have the option to change the scenario. Either accept it or leave it.

PhilX

Since the space aliens managed to stop the nukes working, why not ask them what to do next?

[Philosophy Explorer]

Since the space aliens managed to stop the nukes working, why not ask them what to do next?

Since you're the one who believes in them, I'll let you do the asking. Or make up your own thread. At least Leo is more responsive than you in this thread.

PhilX

[SpheresOfBalance]

through a new scientific invention. What would result?

For example, would you expect more war or more risky conflicts?

What do you think?

PhilX

I have a much better thought experiment that puts man in his place if one thinks long and hard enough.

Instead, how about if in nature there was a "Boomerang Law of Actualized Human Intent to Harm or Destroy a Fellow Human." In that: any actualized intent to harm or destroy another would instead cause exactly that to happen to them that they intended for another. Of course if one intended to harm/destroy themselves, nothing would happen at all. How would people react? What would be the result?