This conversation introduces “The Silver Strand Hypothesis,” a thought experiment from The Duke Report, which posits that the nuclear age was built not on the development of functional atomic weapons, but on the management of perception and institutional secrecy. This hypothesis is framed around a fictional 1943 memorandum called “Strategic Equilibrium under Atomic Impossibility,” which explores a world where nuclear fission is technically impossible to weaponize, forcing states to rely on a shared illusion of capability for deterrence. The conversation examines how secrecy and classification serve as tools for political control, economic mobilization, and diplomatic leverage, using events such as the Rosenberg trial and the Cuban Missile Crisis as examples of perception management. Ultimately, the source argues that the architecture of belief generated by the atomic project — an “empire of secrecy” — continues to influence policy in the modern age, even extending to fields such as AI and data.
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The Duke Report - Where to Start
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Foundational Articles
* Do You Know the Difference between Liberty and Freedom?
* The Power Structure of the World
* A User’s Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Defense
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* Palmerston’s Zoo Episode 01 - Solving the Paradox of Current World History (9 Episodes)
* Oligarchic Control from the Renaissance to the Information Age
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* Bots React to Neurolinguistic Defense
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Duke Report Books
* Over 600 foundational books by journalists and academics that never made the New York Times Bestseller list, but somehow tell a history we never learned in school. LINK
