Arranged in a column and printed on a plastic card, a series of mostly meaningless codes gives the President of the United States power over the fate of the world. Should the protective sleeve guarding the card ever be cracked open, these “Gold Codes” would be exposed. The president would then be tasked with selecting the one true code by memory in order to confirm his identity and authority to authorize a nuclear attack. The Gold Codes must always be in possession of the President.
