"How to Build a Nuclear Bomb"

The basic mechanics of an atomic bomb -- from the earliest devices dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to the most sophisticated thermonuclear designs -- have been widely known for decades. Ferguson reviewed them all, discussing the two traditional pathways for a bomb, using uranium or plutonium, as well as the history of weapons design.

Some students seemed surprised to discover that building the world's most devastating device was more difficult than they imagined. One complained that it didn't "seem that easy."

"Well, a lot of the tricks of the trade are still not openly known," Ferguson offered in a somewhat consoling tone.

After a technical first hour, he introduced the class to Howard Morland, a retired freelance journalist whose 1979 article in the Progressive magazine described the inner workings of the hydrogen bomb. The government sued Morland to prevent him from publishing the article but dropped the case six months later, in part because Morland successfully argued that he had been able to figure it out by piecing together information that had already been made public.

Addressing the class, Morland, an anti-nuclear activist, tried to discuss the dangers of nuclear arsenals and the need to dismantle them. Instead, he found himself under siege.

Todd Konkel, who is pursuing a master's degree in security studies, appeared to express the views of several students when he complained about publishing state secrets of any kind. Twenty-seven years later, however, Konkel said, not much harm appears to have been done by Morland's articles. They did not tip off future weapons states, as had been feared, or lead to the kind of public outcry over nuclear weapons that would prompt their dismantlement.

After the lecture, Konkel, who hopes to work for the government on nuclear issues after he graduates this year, went home to watch the Grammys. U2 took home the top prize for album of the year: "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."

Class Notes is an occasional peek into the classrooms of current and former government officials teaching the next generation expected to join their ranks.