Have you ever wondered how secure your passwords are? Just imagine if the security of US nuclear codes during the Cold War was as weak as using your pet’s name followed by the number “1.” Back in the 1980s, there was a Harvard academic who came up with a rather unconventional idea to safeguard the nuclear codes.

Instead of the traditional methods, this academic suggested implanting the nuclear codes into the chest of a colleague of the president. To launch a nuclear missile, the president would have to physically extract the codes from this person’s chest. This unusual concept was proposed by Roger Fisher in 1981.

Naturally, the idea was met with mixed reactions. Some Pentagon officials were concerned that the president having to physically harm someone to initiate a nuclear strike could cloud their judgment. As a result, more conventional security measures were put in place, such as requiring multiple authorized personnel to launch a nuclear strike.

Despite these efforts to enhance security, there were reports that during the Cold War, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) set the launch codes to all zeros to streamline the launch process. This controversial practice allegedly continued for years, despite the US Air Force denying it.

In 1977, a more robust system was finally implemented to prevent unauthorized nuclear launches. Although the idea of using all zeros as launch codes may sound alarming, it’s worth noting that no unauthorized nuclear missiles were launched during this period. The importance of secure nuclear safeguards cannot be emphasized enough, especially in times of heightened tensions and global uncertainties.