Neutrality Studies The Billionth-of-a-Second Attack That Ends All Critical Infrastructure | Prof. Steven Starr
Nov 18, 2025
Prof. Steven Starr, a former director at the University of Missouri and a senior scientist focused on nuclear safety, dives into the alarming world of electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). He explains how EMPs can devastate critical infrastructure like power grids, pointing to historical tests and the catastrophic potential of modern-day attacks. With insights on the vulnerabilities of nuclear reactors and the slim protections against such threats, Starr highlights the urgent need for political will to safeguard our infrastructure from both nuclear and solar EMP risks.
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EMP Basics And Immediate Impact
- An EMP is a burst of radiation that induces massive voltages and currents in conductive materials, frying solid-state electronics instantly.
- A single high-altitude nuclear detonation can disable vast regions' electronics and cripple critical infrastructure within a billionth of a second.
Transformers Are A Single-Point Weakness
- Large power transformers are scarce, custom-made, and take 1.5–4 years to replace, making grid recovery extremely slow after severe damage.
- If many transformers fail, regions could remain without electricity for years, causing catastrophic societal collapse.
High-Altitude Detonations Blanket Regions
- EMP is a line-of-sight phenomenon; detonations high above the atmosphere blanket huge areas of the Earth's surface simultaneously.
- Three warheads detonated at optimal altitudes could expose hundreds of thousands of square miles across the U.S.