The Doomsday Clock Podcast, Episode 7: The Chernobyl Disaster

Episode 7: The Chernobyl Disaster   The explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine in the early morning of April 26, 1986 ushered in one of the greatest international disasters of the post-WWII world. The resulting radioactive fallout caused massive suffering and the deaths of thousands and thousands, young and old.   But the events of that morning and the preceding evening remain largely misunderstood. The failures that led to the Chernobyl disaster were locked behind the Iron Curtain for years. After the fall of the Soviet Union, much of the initial misreporting remained unchallenged. Sadly, the HBO series on the subject perpetuates some of the inaccuracies.   Now, the Doomsday Clock podcast, with the help of Adam Higginbotham, author of "Midnight in Chernobyl," uncovers the truth. What happened, why it happened, and how the Politburo reacted are revealed in this stunning discussion. This episode also provides clarity on a complicated subject: the relationship between Chernobyl and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union.