Nukes Of Hazard

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and satellite imagery have changed the way civil organizations understand and evaluate nuclear arsenals and delivery systems — and the way governments interact with a changing balance of transparency and secrecy. Join us as we break down new developments in OSINT technology, how OSINT analysis can be used in nuclear weapons verification and the challenges ahead in regulating its use. Host Farah Sonde speaks to Decker Eveleth, Graduate Research Assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; Marcy Fowler, Research and Analysis Manager for Open Nuclear Network; Matt Korda, Senior Research Fellow for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists; and Dave Schmerler, Senior Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Music from www.bensound.com Show Notes: The Glory of Youth (Chinese Rocket Force TV Show) trailer: https://youtu.be/yXhIbqaMkCU?si=6m0GlALSyWf_BYpA Open Nuclear Network's Korean Peninsula

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought us closer to nuclear escalation than ever in a post Cold War world. One major question hangs overhead: what if Ukraine had kept its nuclear arsenal after the USSR’s dissolution? Host Geoff Wilson speaks with Mariana Budjeryn, author of Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine, about how Ukraine made the brave decision to give up the bomb.

What happens when a new country is born with nuclear weapons already within its borders? What happens when the legacy of nuclear testing takes place almost entirely within communities of color? And how do the answers to these questions get knit together to form a national identity that refuses nuclear weapons, even in a world that seems to want to seek them out more than ever? Host Geoff Wilson talks with Togzhan Kassenova, Center board member and author of Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb, to break down these questions. Order the book: http://ow.ly/kQrX50K1gW7

Battlefield nuclear weapons — also called tactical or nonstrategic nuclear weapons — are a continuing topic of conversation in the halls of Congress and inside the Pentagon following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But what are they, are they necessary and why do we keep talking about them? Host Geoff Wilson talks with Jane Vaynman, Assistant Professor in Political Science at Temple University, to discuss their role in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, deterrence and more.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a day that changed the trajectory of world history in ways that we are still coming to terms with. In this special episode of Nukes of Hazard, host Geoff Wilson talks to the Center's Executive Director, former Congressman John Tierney about his experience in Congress post-9/11, his work to redress some of the worst policies that came out of these tragic events, and how we must reframe the way we think about national security going forward.

There is a rising clamor among top U.S. policymakers pushing for more military spending to confront China. Recent discoveries of new nuclear missile silos being built in China have only added fuel to the fire. But will China’s actions really change the nuclear balance of power? And what does it mean for global arms control and non-proliferation efforts? Host Geoff Wilson sits down with Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists, who helped uncover some of China’s new nuclear developments, to get some answers.

Inauguration Day means it's almost time for the nuclear football to shift from one president to another. But how does that work, exactly? And in a country built on a system of checks and balances, why does the President of the United States have complete and total control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal? How did the system get set up this way, what are the actual mechanics involved in a nuclear launch, and is it about time for America to rethink its system? Host Geoff Wilson sits down with Stephen Schwartz, nonresident Senior Fellow at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and author of Atomic Audit, to get some answers.

You asked, we answered! In our annual year-end mailbag podcast episode, host Geoff Wilson and Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell take on listener-submitted questions, covering topics such as the future of nuclear policy under a Biden administration, the National Defense Authorization Act, "exotic" nuclear weapons and more.

With the 2020 presidential election looming large, it’s a good time to take a look at the absolute power the President of the United States has over U.S. nuclear weapons. Policy Analyst and Host Geoff Wilson sat down with Dr. Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology, to discuss the history of presidential launch authority, how our nuclear launch system actually works, and what steps we could take to make it more democratic.

August 6 marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, followed three days later by the bombing of Nagasaki, on August 9th. In this special episode, Nukes of Hazard host Geoff Wilson narrates a selection from John Hersey’s Hiroshima, written in 1946. We also revisit last year’s episode of Nukes of Hazard, an interview with Kathleen Burkinshaw, who tells the story of her mother, who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Mariwan Hama was 8 years old when he was a victim of a chemical weapons attack. It was 1988, during the closing days of the Iran-Iraq War, and the Iraqi military gassed ethnic Kurdish civilians in their own country with a lethal cocktail of mustard gas, sarin and VX nerve agents in what would become known as the Halabja Massacre. In this special episode, Center Senior Science Fellow John Gilbert speaks with Mariwan about his experience and thoughts on chemical weapons use today.

Since the beginning of the nuclear age, there have been hundreds of serious and well-drilled plans about how the United States would use nuclear weapons in war, with the express purpose of winning. But when a military plan calls for the use of thousands of nuclear weapons, and assumes that your enemy will respond in kind, how do you define winning? Policy Analyst and Host Geoff Wilson sat down with Dr. Fred Kaplan to discuss his new book, The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War.

For our last episode of the year, experts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation answered listener-submitted questions on topics like how nuclear weapons are made, the situation in the Middle East, the prospects of reaching nuclear zero, and more. Host Geoff Wilson, a policy analyst at the Center, is joined by Alexandra Bell, Senior Policy Director. Music by BenSound.com.

Women have been involved with U.S. nuclear weapons policy since before there were even nuclear weapons. Yet, women are still fighting hard for their place and their voice in this community. On this special episode of Nukes of Hazard, guest host Rachel Emond talks to Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Ambassador Susan Burk, New America’s Heather Hurlburt and Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell about experiencing sexism and racism in the nuclear security field, their career paths, and potential solutions to making this field more inclusive and diverse.

Kathleen Burkinshaw's mother was 12 years old when she survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Now 74 years later, the author of "The Last Cherry Blossom" shares her mother's story and explains how remembering the human cost of nuclear weapons can help young Americans understand why this issue is still important today.

Many Americans believe the “nuclear issue” was solved when the Cold War ended. Yet, there are still 14,000 nuclear weapons around the world today in the arsenals of nine countries. The United States alone currently maintains an arsenal of more than 6,000 weapons—more than enough to end life on this planet several times over. Americans are increasingly waking up to a nuclear nightmare, fueled by bloated defense budgets, unnecessary and wasteful modernizations of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and the unchecked power of the president to launch a weapon at will. New host Geoff Wilson sat down with Joe Cirincione, the president of Ploughshares Fund, to make the case for why nuclear issues should be a serious agenda item for all Americans. Music: www.bensound.com

Almost everyone has heard of Godzilla, even if they’ve never seen a Godzilla movie. What most people don’t know is the famous monster’s connection to nuclear weapons. Sixty-five years and 35 movies after its 1954 debut, Godzilla is still a mainstay in our summer movie rotation, but its origins have been all but erased. With nuclear tensions on the rise around the world, there’s no better time to get reacquainted with the real Godzilla. New host Geoff Wilson sits down with Godzilla experts -- Center Scoville Fellow Rachel Emond and intern Deverrick Holmes -- to discuss where Hollywood went wrong on Godzilla's nuclear past. Read the accompanying article in Inkstick: inkstickmedia.com/will-the-real-go…please-stand-up/

At the end of March, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India had successfully shot down one of its own satellites with an anti-satellite weapon. We spoke with Ankit Panda to break down the test and what it means for broader security issues in South Asia. Music: www.bensound.com

At the launch of his Administration's Missile Defense Review, President Trump declared that his goal is to intercept enemy missiles "anywhere, anytime, anyplace." In the nuclear world, that sounded a lot like President Reagan's nearly 40-year-old missile defense plan, "Star Wars." We explain President Trump's likely unrealistic and potentially dangerous vision with our Senior Science Fellow Philip Coyle and the Union of Concerned Scientists' Dr. Laura Grego. Music: www.bensound.com Artist Rendition of "Star Wars": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMfmVzHZvkc&t= Union of Concerned Scientists Report on GMD: https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/Shielded-from-Oversight-full-report.pdf

President Trump has announced that the United States will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a landmark agreement negotiated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. This episode dives into the consequences of the decision and what it could mean for broader nuclear arms control moving forward. We're joined by two premier experts: Lynn Rusten of the Nuclear Threat Initiative and Olya Oliker of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Music: www.bensound.com