The United States has conducted non-explosive nuclear tests in the deserts of Nevada, a department of energy spokesperson said. The test, conducted on Saturday, was a sub-critical experiment designed to obtain data on the effects of aging on material in nuclear weapons, said DoE spokeswoman Brooke Anderson. "The experiments are called 'subcritical' because no cirtical mass is formed, no self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction can occur and therefore no nuclear explosion can result," according to a statement.