Futility Closet

In 1983, Soviet satellites reported that the United States had launched a nuclear missile toward Moscow, and one officer had only minutes to decide whether to initiate a counterstrike. In today's show we'll learn about some nuclear near misses from the Cold War that came to light only decades after they occurred. We'll also hear listeners' input about crescent moons and newcomers to India, and puzzle over the fatal consequences of a man's departure from his job. Sources for our feature on Stanislav Petrov and Vasili Arkhipov: Pavel Aksenov, "Stanislav Petrov: The Man Who May Have Saved the World," BBC, Sept. 26, 2013. Lynn Berry, "Russian Who 'Saved the World' Recalls His Decision as 50/50," Associated Press, Sept. 17, 2015. "Soviet Officer Honored for Averting Nuclear War," Toledo Blade, May 22, 2004. Mark McDonald, "Cold War, Cool Head," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 26, 2004. Ben Hoyle, "The Russian Who Saved the World," Southland Times, May 22, 2015, 7. Glen Pedersen, "Stanislav Petrov, World Hero," F