Jeff Brumfield

Baron Boehm said the orchestra, featuring Arab and Israeli musicians, and its school are his most important responsibility. The 82-year-old continues to teach at the musical academy he established in Berlin and plans to conduct the orchestra on tour in August, health permitting. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York.

Yeah, I went out to the Nevada National Security Site. It used to be the Nevada test site where America tested its nuclear warheads. That hasn't happened since the 1990s, but scientists are still studying nuclear weapons down there in a top-secret lab that's deep underground. To get there, you have to step into this mining elevator. And it drops you nearly a thousand feet below the desert.

Yeah, I went out to the Nevada National Security Site. It used to be the Nevada test site where America tested its nuclear warheads. That hasn't happened since the 1990s, but scientists are still studying nuclear weapons down there in a top-secret lab that's deep underground. To get there, you have to step into this mining elevator. And it drops you nearly a thousand feet below the desert.

Yeah, I went out to the Nevada National Security Site. It used to be the Nevada test site where America tested its nuclear warheads. That hasn't happened since the 1990s, but scientists are still studying nuclear weapons down there in a top-secret lab that's deep underground. To get there, you have to step into this mining elevator. And it drops you nearly a thousand feet below the desert.

At the bottom is a network of tunnels that's been carved out of an ancient lake bed. David Funk is overseeing upgrades to the labs, and he told me these tunnels were originally dug for underground nuclear detonations.

At the bottom is a network of tunnels that's been carved out of an ancient lake bed. David Funk is overseeing upgrades to the labs, and he told me these tunnels were originally dug for underground nuclear detonations.

At the bottom is a network of tunnels that's been carved out of an ancient lake bed. David Funk is overseeing upgrades to the labs, and he told me these tunnels were originally dug for underground nuclear detonations.

Well, subcritical experiments are experiments that use nuclear weapons material like plutonium, but they don't trigger a runaway nuclear chain reaction. That's the reaction that gives bombs their incredible power. The data from these experiments is fed into supercomputers that calculate how nuclear weapons are doing. Basically, they're simulating blowing up nukes inside these supercomputers.

Well, subcritical experiments are experiments that use nuclear weapons material like plutonium, but they don't trigger a runaway nuclear chain reaction. That's the reaction that gives bombs their incredible power. The data from these experiments is fed into supercomputers that calculate how nuclear weapons are doing. Basically, they're simulating blowing up nukes inside these supercomputers.

Well, subcritical experiments are experiments that use nuclear weapons material like plutonium, but they don't trigger a runaway nuclear chain reaction. That's the reaction that gives bombs their incredible power. The data from these experiments is fed into supercomputers that calculate how nuclear weapons are doing. Basically, they're simulating blowing up nukes inside these supercomputers.

Now, in the tunnels, I spoke to Don Haynes, a nuclear weapons scientist from Los Alamos National Lab. He says this whole system works.

Now, in the tunnels, I spoke to Don Haynes, a nuclear weapons scientist from Los Alamos National Lab. He says this whole system works.

Now, in the tunnels, I spoke to Don Haynes, a nuclear weapons scientist from Los Alamos National Lab. He says this whole system works.

But of course, Haynes is just a scientist. It's the politicians and generals who are going to decide whether the U.S. conducts another test.

But of course, Haynes is just a scientist. It's the politicians and generals who are going to decide whether the U.S. conducts another test.

But of course, Haynes is just a scientist. It's the politicians and generals who are going to decide whether the U.S. conducts another test.

So during the first Trump administration, there was some discussion of testing. And over the summer, his former national security advisor wrote that the U.S. should conduct a full nuclear test under Trump 2.0. And then there's Project 2025, a conservative agenda whose authors have close ties to Trump. It also says the president should have the option to do a test if he needs to.

So during the first Trump administration, there was some discussion of testing. And over the summer, his former national security advisor wrote that the U.S. should conduct a full nuclear test under Trump 2.0. And then there's Project 2025, a conservative agenda whose authors have close ties to Trump. It also says the president should have the option to do a test if he needs to.

So during the first Trump administration, there was some discussion of testing. And over the summer, his former national security advisor wrote that the U.S. should conduct a full nuclear test under Trump 2.0. And then there's Project 2025, a conservative agenda whose authors have close ties to Trump. It also says the president should have the option to do a test if he needs to.

Well, Jeff, why would he need to? Well, as we just heard, the scientists don't need to test, but there may be political reasons. You know, other countries might threaten the U.S. with nuclear weapons or the president might need to display his resolve. And one way to do that would be to conduct a test. So what would be the consequences of a return to testing?