The Return of 1980s-Era Nuclear-Strike Maps

I grew up with maps showing how cities would be obliterated by a nuke. They’re back

Clive Thompson

--

A map of Manhattan, showing a nuclear strike downtown, with concentric circles showing the blast radius going out to brooklyn and new jersey
A Nukemap visualization of New York getting hit with a Topol Russian nuclear weapon

It’s never a great time to be a teenager, but the 1980s had their own particular challenges.

One of the main ones? Wondering — on a daily basis — if you were going to die, without much warning, in a nuclear strike.

--

--

Clive Thompson

I write 2X a week on tech, science, culture — and how those collide. Writer at NYT mag/Wired; author, “Coders”. @clive@saturation.social clive@clivethompson.net