‘The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons’ with Journalist Sarah Scoles

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The United States is in the middle of a massive modernization effort of its nuclear weapons, as tensions rise globally, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to expanding arsenals in China and North Korea. Journalist Sarah Scoles set out to understand the U.S.’s biggest reinvestment in its atomic infrastructure in decades by talking with the people who work on them daily, scientists at nuclear labs. In the process, as she documents in her new book “Countdown,” she interrogates our need for these weapons and their impact on war — and peace. She joins us to share more about the science, technology and philosophy of nuclear weaponry. Guests: Sarah Scoles, journalist; author, "Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons" and "Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for Key QBD Podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport. At SFO, you can shop,
0:06.7	dine, and unwind before your flight. Go ahead, treat yourself. Learn more about SFO restaurants and
0:12.7	shops at flysfo.com. Switch to Comcast Business Mobile and save hundreds a year in your
0:19.0	wireless bill. Comcast Business, powering possibilities.
0:22.4	Restrictions apply.
0:23.1	Comcast business internet required.
0:24.5	Comparse two unlimited intro lines and lowest price 5D plans of top three carriers.
0:27.4	Tax on fees extra, reduce speeds after 30 gigabytes of usage.
0:29.8	Data thresholds may vary.
0:32.1	From KQED.
0:37.1	The From KGB in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
0:51.7	Coming up on forum, the U.S. is in the midst of a massive modernization
0:55.6	effort of its nuclear weapons. As tensions rise globally, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's
1:01.5	expanding arsenal, and instability in the Middle East. Journalist Sarah Skolls set out to understand
1:07.3	the scope and details of our nation's largest reinvestment in its atomic infrastructure
1:12.0	in decades, visiting our national labs, talking with scientists, and re-asking the question
1:17.7	of whether having a nuclear arsenal keeps us truly safe.
1:21.9	Skull's new book about the science and philosophy of nuclear weaponry is called Countdown.
1:26.9	Join us.
1:33.6	Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. America's nuclear arsenal is old,
1:39.6	writes Sarah Skulls in her new book Countdown, where she describes the U.S.'s modernization effort
1:44.7	of our nuclear weapons currently underway, the biggest project in decades. Our bombs are getting,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KQED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of KQED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.