Did you know that the US's nuclear stockpile is getting a giant makeover?

The general thinking is that you know you wouldn't buy a car in the 60s or 80s, put it in the garage, take it out today and expect

it to work.

It's Thursday, March 7th, and you're listening to Science Friday. I'm Sci-Fi producer Rasha Arredi.

For lots of folks in the U.S.

The threat of nuclear weapons is out of sight and out of mine, but the nuclear industrial complex

is alive and well.

In fact, here in the U.S. the state of nuclear weapons is evolving.

The U.S. among other countries is updating its nuclear is

updating its nuclear arsenal, which contains about 5,000 weapons, and it'll cost around 50 billion

dollars a year.

So what does that mean for the safety of our world?

Here's Ira Flido.

With the Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in place,

countries should be stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and technology.

That raises the question, if nearly all countries have agreed not to nuke each other,

why are nuclear arsenals being updated? And what does that signal to the world?

A new book called Countdown The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons

analyzes the current nuclear age what it means to care for thousands of weapons,

and why this moment in nuclear history is so important.

Joining me is Sarah Sculls, science journalist and author of countdown.

Sarah joins us from Westcliffe, Colorado.

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