On September 26, 1983, Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov saw his early-warning system flash: 5 American nucle…
On September 26, 1983, Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov saw his early-warning system flash: 5 American nuclear missiles incoming. Protocol said report it up the chain — which likely meant retaliation. He refused, calling it a false alarm. He was right. Sunlight reflecting off clouds had tricked the satellites. Would you have trusted your gut over the computer?
