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Student Article

This Is the Strangest Weapon the U.S. Military Doesn't Want You to Know About

By: Dr. Claire Asher
Originally Published in  Science Focus

Countries around the world have stores and stores of weapons, but what is the biggest secret we know about?

The article "This Is the Strangest Weapon the U.S. Military Doesn't Want You to Know About" from BBC Science Focus delves into the secretive nature of military innovations. It highlights Fogbank, a classified material used in nuclear warheads, and discusses how its manufacturing process was lost and later rediscovered.
Student Article Info

BBC's Science Focus is packed with news, discoveries, ideas and innovations to keep you up-to-speed with the complexities of the fast-moving world around us. Learn more about subscriptions here.

Grades:
3-56-89-12
Subject:
Science
Topic:
Engineering and Technology
Keywords
military secretsFogbanknuclear warheadsUFO sightingsclassified technologyU.S. military
A row of missiles pointing toward the sky with computer code running in the background
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Most passages are available in three different versions: Level 1 (Grade 3-5), Level 2 (Grade 6-8), and Level 3 (Grade 9-12). Some more complex texts are available only in Level 2 and Level 3. Use the versions that are most appropriate for the students in your class.

Note: The BBC Learning Hub Editorial Team made use of AI tools to create multiple versions of this article, each tailored to different student reading levels. Every version undergoes a thorough review by our BBC Learning editors to ensure accuracy, quality, and appropriateness.

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Level 1 Reading Passage
Grades: 3-5Lexile Level: 500 – 700L
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Level 2 Reading Passage
Grades: 6-8Lexile Level: 800L – 1000L
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Level 3 Reading Passage
Grades: 9-12Lexile Level: 900-1100L
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