Nukes of Hazard

Latest Episodes:

2020 Mailbag Special Episode Dec 21, 2020

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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.

The President and the Nuclear Button Sep 25, 2020

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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.

75 Years Later: the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima Aug 05, 2020

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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.

Survivor of 1988 Chemical Weapons Attack Shares His Story Jul 20, 2020

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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.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Planning for Nuclear War Mar 02, 2020

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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.

2019 Mailbag Special Episode Dec 20, 2019

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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 in Nuclear Security Sep 03, 2019

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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.

The Human Cost of the Hiroshima Bombing Aug 06, 2019

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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.

Why Don’t Americans Talk About Their Nukes Anymore? Jul 26, 2019

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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

Will the Real Godzilla Please Stand Up Jun 07, 2019

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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/

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