Loose talk about the use of nuclear weapons is justification for alarm, especially in a time of heightened tensions. Reports have surfaced that the Trump administration is considering a pre-emptive strike against North Korea's nuclear weapons facilities or a "decapitation" strategy aimed at the leadership of the regime, possibly using nuclear weapons. Such an attack would not likely succeed and could well prompt a response from North Korea, which is believed to have the capacity of striking South Korea, Japan and U.S. forces on the Korean demilitarized zone with 10-kiloton atomic weapons sufficient to destroy a city. A miscalculation or accident could result in a catastrophe, as well. In 1995, the United States and Norway launched a research rocket off the latter country's northwest coast. Russia's early warning system read it initially as a nuclear attack. Russia's emergency nuclear decision process was aborted only after radar indicated that the rocket was headed out to sea. Could we expect North Korea's mercurial leaders to behave in a calm fashion in similar circumstances?