The idea is certainly appealing. All of the murderous megatonnage of those fearsome intercontinental ballistic missiles would be rendered useless. The Soviet Union launches a surprise nuclear attack? Zap! U.S. laser beams from outer space blast the enemy booster rockets out of Soviet skies before they can dispatch their multiple warheads on long lethal flights to the U.S.
When President Reagan gave that comforting concept vast publicity and his ardent support in his Star Wars speech last March, many scientists complained that the President was far too optimistic about the state of their wondrous arts. Arms-control experts warned that holding out...
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