Episode 28: Evaluating Global Threats with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

For the past 76 years, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a Chicago-based non-profit of the world's leading scientific researchers, has been thinking deeply about existential threats to mankind. In 1947, the group established the Doomsday Clock, a metaphor for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technical advances. Maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists ever since, the Doomsday Clock serves as a symbol for the likelihood of man-made catastrophe.   On Episode 28, Dr. Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, talks about the new threats the world faces on the back end of COVID-19. Dr. Bronson has dedicated her life to understanding global risk and here she describes the possibility of a new pandemic, the increased threat of climate change, and the possibility of nuclear warfare.   This is an enlightening if not exactly reassuring episode. It's one to which every national security leader should pay heed. We live in a world of emerging threats, and understanding how to process the risk imposed by those threats is critical to strategic decision-making.   The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has reset the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock 24 times since its debut in 1947, most recently in 2020 when we moved it from two minutes to midnight to 100 seconds to midnight. Dr. Bronson explains why the clock remains at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it's ever been to midnight.   Dr. Rachel Bronson oversees the publishing programs, management of the Doomsday Clock, and a growing set of activities around nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. Before joining the Bulletin, Bronson served as the vice president of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She also taught “Global Energy” as an adjunct professor at the Kellogg School of Management.  Her writings have appeared in publications such as Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, and The Chicago Tribune. She has appeared as a commentator on numerous radio and television outlets, including National Public Radio, CNN, al Jazeera, the Yomiuri Shimbun, “PBS NewsHour,” “The Charlie Rose Show,” and “The Daily Show.” Bronson has served as a consultant to NBC News and testified before the congressional Task Force on Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Financing, Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, and the 9/11 Commission. The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at [email protected].