Treaty Talk (That Is to Say, Super Official)

The PTBT is primarily made up of the legalese of international law...something we're calling "treaty talk." (Check out the "Tough-o-Meter" section for more on this.) Treaties are meant to create a bond among different nations on various issues—a promise to and by humanity to act humanely and treat each other right. That's a solemn job, for sure, so it makes sense that the writing style of a treaty, the PTBT included, would be extremely official.

Which it is.

Here's the thing about the official language of the PTBT—it's extremely specific yet sufficiently vague. Sufficiently vague for what, you ask? Well, for anything that isn't explicitly mentioned.

To explain: the PTBT was written in such a way that all of the original signatories—that is, the U.S., the U.K., and the USSR—were in agreement with its terms. That means a lot of compromise occurred, and sometimes a solution just couldn't be found.

For example, the treaty bans nuclear testing in the atmosphere, space, and underwater, but not testing underground.This was a huge issue during the drafting process that no one could agree upon. So instead, they simply set it aside to deal with later (meaning, of course, underground testing could occur). The only caveat made in this regard is the hopeful statement that the PTBT—a partial test ban—would pave the way for a total test ban in the future.

If we read between the lines, we can interpret this statement as a reference to the eventual banning of underground testing, as well. We don't usually think of treaties as being nuanced, but the truth is they are some of the most carefully and logically written documents out there. In a way, the welfare of the planet depends on it.