Scientists and the Test Ban

Abstract

Press): 1966. Pp.: vi, 538. 1. The book is laden with references to public records of the Geneva negotiations, and relates the course of the talks on an almost day-by-day basis. A good deal of this could have been summarized, and the reader referred to two U.S. Government publications which do an entirely adequate job of setting forth the successive changes in the bargaining positions of the various nations. See UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, GENEVA CONFERENCE ON THE DISCONTINUANCE OF NUCLEAR WEAPON TESTS (1961) and UNITED STATES ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT AGENCY, INTERNATIONAL NEcOTIATIONS ON ENDING NUCLEAR WEAPON TESTS (1962).

Listening to the Cold War: The Nuclear Test Ban Negotiations, Seismology, and Psychoacoustics, 1958–1963

“…Apparently, they did not make the same "fanatic effort" as the politically motivated psychologist. 87 Quite the contrary; they probably considered their study on the auditory method to be contract work and were only partly convinced of its merit, for they described it as a "subjective" technique that was only capable of providing "auditory results" rather than "analytical results." 88 On the other hand, one could argue as well that Speeth's political enthusiasm may have biased his own judgment in favor of the auditory method and that the noncommitted geophysicists had the necessary scientifi c distance to evaluate the method correctly.…”

“…Based on this formula, Speeth outlined an algorithm "that would replace the human ear." 70 In February 1962, he summed up his new results and fi led another research report. 71 Speeth seems to have received no offi cial feedback on this report.…”

“…Speeth had used this opportunity to explain his approach in detail once again. 78 It is little wonder that he regarded Ruina's summary to be a deliberate distortion and misrepresentation of his work. Ruina's statements were obviously based on the results of the second team that had been created behind Speeth's back.…”