The Nation - News from March 23, 1986

A large majority of American physicists doubt President Reagan’s proposed “Star Wars” space shield could effectively protect the nation against a Soviet nuclear attack, according to a new poll. The survey of 549 American physicists, who belong to the 37,000-member American Physical Society, was commissioned by the Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent, nonprofit organization. When asked whether “Star Wars” could defend the U.S. population as a whole, 67% of the physicists said it was very unlikely. Sixty-two percent said it was very likely that the Soviets would deploy countermeasures that would render “Star Wars” ineffective.