We're All Going to Die Radio

Latest Episodes:

Does America Really Need an Iron Dome? Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

In his fury of crazy political ideas and executive orders, Donald Trump has began leaning into a complicated issue that’s been part of the national security discourse for decades: missile defense. What is the history behind the “Iron Dome” and American interest in missile defense? Why are people calling for increasing U.S. capabilities? And would such investments make any sense at all? Jon Wolfsthal is joined by experts Joe Cirincione, Lisbeth Gronlund, and Laura Grego to tackle all of this and more.

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One Second Closer to Midnight Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

This week, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists released its annual Doomsday Clock, counting down to the estimated likelihood of human-made catastrophe - this year, the clock sits at 89 seconds. To break down the clock, how the time is chosen, and why it is the closest to catastrophe it’s ever been, Jon is joined by fellow Bulletin members Steven Miller, Daniel Holz, and Rena Younis.

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Trump's Impact on the Global Nuclear Stage with Jeffrey Lewis Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

This week’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio features a discussion with Jeffrey Lewis, a longtime friend and Director of the East Asia program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Jon and Jeff discuss the impact of Donald Trump on the nuclear state of affairs around the world, including Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and within the United States.

What the Hell is Happening in South Korea? Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

On today’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio, Jon is joined by friends and collaborators Jenny Town of the Stimson Center and Dr. Toby Dalton of the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Project. Together, they take a deep dive into the current political situation and attempt to answer the question - what the hell is happening in South Korea? Further, with the Trump inauguration looming, Jon, Toby and Jenny examine the US-South Korean relationship and why having more nuclear-armed allies might actually be a very dangerous thing.

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Is This Iran’s Last Chance? Discussing Iran’s Nuclear Future with Richard Nephew Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

Columbia University Senior Research Scholar Richard Nephew joins Jon Wolfsthal on the first 2025 episode of We're All Going To Die Radio. They discuss Richard latest article in Foreign Affairs where he argues the case against a military solution to Iran’s nuclear potential is getting weaker, why diplomacy is still the best option to end Iran’s nuclear potential, and whether a military strike would be successful. They conclude that there are no easy or perfect solutions, only versions of complex and discuss many of them in a lively discussion. They even get in a little NY sports talk at the same time.

Writing Nuclear Doomsday with National Security Correspondent and Author Fred Kaplan Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

On today’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio, Jon is joined by National Security Correspondent and Pulitzer-Price finalist author Fred Kaplan. Fred discusses his foray into the fiction world with his debut novel Capital Calamity, an electric doomsday story about a Washington DC consultant who accidentally triggers a war with China. Fred and Jon also discuss US-China relations, the national security dangers of a second Trump term, and all things nuclear policy and deterrence.

From the Election to the End of the World with Joe Cirincione Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

As the United States is entering a new nuclear age and a new global arms race, what does a second Trump term mean for our national security? What do the plans of Project 2025 mean for the American nuclear weapons force? How will such modernization and weapon buildup affect America’s relationships with both its allies and enemies? Joe Cirincione joins Jon to help navigate the lunacy of this new administration and the very real and very serious dangers we are now facing…. And how they might get worse. Listen here.

Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity - Where Do We Stand? With Steve Kelly Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

Steve Kelly, former FBI agent and colleague at the Institute for Security and Technology in California, joins Jon to discuss the intersection between AI and cybersecurity. How has our perceptions of artificial intelligence changed alongside its rapid technological development? What effects does AI have on cybersecurity and how does it affect cyberwarfare? Are these developments not-so-bad in the long term, or are we facing impending catastrophic risk? Tune in to hear Steve and Jon break down all this and much more.

What is Driving China’s Changing Nuclear Policy? with Tong Zhao Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

As China continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal and policy, the national security risk becomes central to the US-Chinese relationship. But how is China actually changing its nuclear policy? How does the Chinese political leadership see the purpose of a large nuclear arsenal? What threat are both China and the US perceiving? Tong Zhao joins Jon to discuss his recently published report on Chinese nuclear policy and break down all these topics and more. Listen here:

Finding Chinese Missile Test Sites with Eliana Johns Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Eliana Johns, Senior Research Associate with the Federation of American Scientists, joins Jon to discuss China’s latest ICBM tests and her recent geolocation project to locate them. What is the significance of these recent ICBM launches? What goes into open-source investigation projects? And how can one use mere images of bushes, dirt and blades of grass halfway across the world to pinpoint critical missile test sites? Find out all this and more here.