"Action flicks exploit the Bomb," by Lovely Umayam, writing on "The Wolverine" amongst other movies.
The best thinking on existential threats since 1945. Nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. We set the #DoomsdayClock. thebulletin.org
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"Action flicks exploit the Bomb," by Lovely Umayam, writing on "The Wolverine" amongst other movies.
The continuing relevance of "On the Beach," by Beverly Gray.
"Parmanu: India's first nuclear film," by Karthika Sasikumar.
"Millennials need new movies about nuclear war, a ninth-grader says," by Cassandra Williams.
"An interview with Ted Koppel on the meaning of The Day After," by @meckdevil.bsky.social. Koppel had a 25-year run as the anchor and managing editor of news program Nightline, and hosted a panel on "The Day After" including Henry Kissinger, Carl Sagan, Elie Wiesel, Robert McNamara, and others.
"Facing nuclear reality: 35 years after The Day After," a special report by @dawnstover.bsky.social.
"The 10-minute interview: Werner Herzog on Meeting Gorbachev," by @meckdevil.bsky.social. "Meeting Gorbachev" is a documentary Herzog co-directed with André Singer.
In 2023, the Bulletin examined "Oppenheimer" with a full magazine edition, including interviews with Christopher Nolan and Kai Bird, one of the authors of the biography "American Prometheus," which the film was based on.
"I'm an immigrant antinuclear activist. Here's why I love Godzilla," by @ccruzcolorado.bsky.social.
"Nukes, political violence, and environmental exploitation: The enduring relevance of Dune," by @erik-english.bsky.social.
Today, the teaser trailer for "A House of Dynamite" was released, joining a long history of motion pictures exploring the danger of nuclear weapons. Here's a collection of Bulletin coverage to get you started, from "Dune" to "Oppenheimer," to "Godzilla" and "The Day After." ⬇️
US nuclear plants need to be defended against the types of drone attacks that Ukraine has already suffered, and that China, North Korea, and Russia have threatened against their neighbors' plants. The lead for this effort should be the National Nuclear Security Administration, writes Henry Sokolski.
"Failing to build on mRNA research now makes the United States more vulnerable to infectious diseases like influenza or COVID, to future pandemics, to biological attacks, and to other health threats," writes @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social. ⬇️
We're holding our first-ever short fiction contest. Entries can be of any genre and will be judged by science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson. First-place wins $3,000, and runners-up $500 each. Don't miss the Sept 30 deadline! thebulletin.org/write-before...
The newest Bulletin magazine edition arrives next week. Subscribe today: thebulletin.org/magazine-sub...
"Golden Dome and arms control: impediment or opportunity?" by @pranayrvaddi.bsky.social and John K. Warden. This Bulletin magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time. ⬇️
Kosuzu Harada's grandfather survived the atom bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ari Beser's grandfather was the only serviceman to fly both US bombing missions. They're now friends. "If two people bound by the most violent act in human history can learn to listen and speak, then nations can too."
This Bulletin magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time.
Astronomer and astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social describes some of the many ways in which international friction—and even war—could begin in orbit.
"A perfect firestorm: The social, political, and climate forces that keep Athens burning," is also available to read in Greek, translated by members of the FLAME Pyrometeorological Team. ⬇️
Athens and its suburbs have lost 37% of their forests and grasslands to wildfire since 2017. What will it take to keep the city from burning?
The World Bank has ended its ban on funding nuclear energy projects. Marina Lorenzini of @belfercenter.bsky.social writes on what to expect next. ⬇️
"This is no longer just a question of origins—it is a test of whether we, as a global community, are capable of confronting hard problems together." — @guspalpog.bsky.social, Adolfo García-Sastre, and David A. Relman.
Five years after COVID-19 emerged, killing millions, costing trillions, and disrupting global life, we still don't have a definitive answer as to its origins—"not due to scientific limitations but the withholding of critical information, particularly by China." ⬇️
Generative AI and off-the-shelf computational tools can make the synthesis and use of nerve agents for nefarious purposes more probable. "The Sarin shortcut: How AI lowers the bar for chemical weapons," by @ashjogalekar.bsky.social. ⬇️
If US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine views continue to be the basis for public health policy, communities should prepare for diseases that have been gone for decades to reemerge, writes Jennifer Herricks.
In 2019, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was directly responsible for over 250,000 deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as contributing to over 816,000 additional deaths. Read more in "Climate change and antimicrobial resistance: a combination driving disease spread in Africa," by Geoffrey Kamadi.
Kosuzu Harada's grandfather survived the atom bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ari Beser's grandfather worked on the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. They're now friends. "If two people bound by the most violent act in human history can learn to listen and speak, then nations can too."
China deploys a missile that can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. If that missile were targeted by a conventional attack, nuclear war could easily ensue. Why hasn't China eliminated this risk? Read more from Nathan McQuarrie. ⬇️
The only way data and AI can be used for good is with "restrictive, well-designed controls to prevent damage to democracy, much like humans did with nuclear energy," writes @geomblog.bsky.social. "How AI and surveillance capitalism are undermining democracy." ⬇️
You can now watch live on YouTube:
Bulletin virtual event starting soon: "Science, Power, and Consequence: Luis Alvarez and the Atomic Age." Register for free below. ⬇️
"A perfect firestorm: The social, political, and climate forces that keep Athens burning," is now available to read in Greek, translated by members of the FLAME Pyrometeorological Team. ⬇️
“Having doubts about the U.S. commitment to extended deterrence and actually pursuing proliferation are two very different things.” 📰 @reuters.com: grantee @thebulletin.org @atomicbell.bsky.social speaks to the possibility of proliferation in Japan and South Korea. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
"The Washington discussions seemed to place more of the responsibility for ending the war on Moscow, where it rightfully belongs. Those who want to see a just and durable settlement have good grounds to feel better after August 18 than they did three days earlier," writes Steven Pifer. ⬇️
Join the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a panel of experts for a discussion of a new biography of Manhattan Project scientist Luis Alvarez and the challenges and consequences of scientific discovery. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Athens and its suburbs have lost 37% of their forests and grasslands to wildfire since 2017. What will it take to keep the city from burning? @jessimckenzi.bsky.social traveled to Greece to find out. "A perfect firestorm: The social, political, and climate forces that keep Athens burning."
R. Rajaraman, a distinguished Indian theoretical physicist, prominent nuclear weapon policy scholar, and advocate for nuclear disarmament, died at age 86 in New Delhi on July 12, after a long illness.
You can now watch live on YouTube. ⬇️
TODAY at 11:30 AM CDT, the Bulletin will bring together a group of leading experts to discuss the outcomes of the Trump-Putin Summit. Register to attend below. ⬇️
We've launched our first-ever short fiction contest! Entries can be of any genre, as long as they have some connection to (avoiding) the apocalypse. The first-place wins $3,000, with $500 each to four runners-up. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2025. thebulletin.org/write-before...
"At this point, the United States doesn’t need new nuclear deals so much as sound nuclear non-proliferation principles." thebulletin.org/2025/08/actu...
On Monday, August 18 at 11:30 AM CDT, the Bulletin will bring together a group of leading experts to discuss the outcomes of the Trump-Putin Summit. Register for free below.
"It may be too late to block Iran from making bombs, but now is an excellent time to change course on the question of how “peaceful” nuclear fuel-making is." thebulletin.org/2025/08/actu...
This July magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time. Steven Pifer will be a speaker at the Bulletin's Monday, August 18 virtual event analyzing developments following the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Register below:
Is Ukraine still a possible flashpoint for a larger war? Bulletin editor-in-chief @meckdevil interviews former US ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the possibility of escalation as it drags on into its fourth year.
Comment your questions for our speakers below. ⬇️
Building on his push to end the war in Ukraine, United States President Donald Trump has announced that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday. Next Monday, August 18 at 11:30 AM CDT, experts will discuss the outcome in a Bulletin virtual event. Register for free below.
A longtime practitioner of multilateral nuclear diplomacy, Mark Goodman, explains how divergent views about the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are often due to misunderstandings about the treaty itself, which must be reconciled for it to remain a key instrument of the international nuclear order.️
Thank you to the American Society of Magazine Editors for this recognition. You can read the January 2024 magazine issue, with evergreen wisdom on actions citizens can take to help reduce major global threats, here: thebulletin.org/magazine/202...
"Having visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki twice, the effects of nuclear use are, for me, not an abstract concept in a book, or a political bumper sticker useful for pushing policies; those effects are tangible and terrifying," writes Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin.
World leaders shouldn't just talk about Hiroshima and Nagasaki—they should visit, writes Alexandra Bell. "The often sterile, detached nature of modern deterrence conversations becomes untenable once you have seen what's left behind in the wake of death wrought on an unimaginable scale."
"If the international community hopes to address the Iranian nuclear program through diplomacy rather than by force, it must rebuild IAEA safeguards," writes Hugh Chalmers. "Can international nuclear safeguards be rebuilt in Iran? These steps may help." ⬇️
In case you missed it: "Atomic testament: Yoshito Matsushige and the first photos of Hiroshima's nuclear toll."
"Drought, dispossession, and data centers: The real horrors of the film 'Eddington,'" by @miacelselk.bsky.social.
Explore the enduring legacy of the Manhattan Project through the life and work of physicist Luis Alvarez in this Bulletin virtual event, on August 21, 2025 at 1:00PM CDT. You can register below. ⬇️
Former US President Harry Truman "deserves credit for the first use of the atomic bomb in war," writes @wellerstein.bsky.social. "But he also deserves some credit for the fact that they have not been used in that way since."
Thank you to @ploughshares.bsky.social and @nti.org for inviting the Bulletin to fold paper cranes and honor the victims of nuclear weapons this week. You can read more about Sadako Sasaki's story, and learn how to fold cranes of your own, here: www.cranesforourfuture.org #CranesForOurFuture
This Bulletin magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time.
What can we expect from the second Trump administration when it comes to China and Taiwan? What could happen if there was an assault or invasion of Taiwan, and what would be the implications for the West? Read one expert's take in "Orville Schell on China vs Taiwan in the Trump 2.0 era." ⬇️
Learn more from this 2024 video, "How many people were killed by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?" by @erik-english.bsky.social.
This week marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Decades later, historians like @wellerstein.bsky.social have shown that casualty estimates remain uncertain due to incomplete records, highlighting the difficulty of grasping the full scale of the attacks.
By instituting a two-person rule for United States nuclear weapons use, Donald Trump could reduce the danger of nuclear war, set a precedent that future presidents would find extremely difficult to reverse, and assure his place in the pantheon of great US presidents, writes @meckdevil.bsky.social.
From the Bulletin's archives: "Hiroshima Memories," by Hideko Tamura Friedman. "On that day, August 6 in Hiroshima, the sun and the earth melted together. On that day, many of my relatives and classmates simply disappeared."
Thirty years ago, while director at Los Alamos, Hecker wrote an essay on the 50th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "I had questions about the decision to use the atomic bomb that I couldn’t answer: Was it necessary? Was it right?"
This week marks the 80th anniversaries of the United States' atomic bombings on Japan. Siegfried Hecker, former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, writes of his concern that "instead of continued learning about the dangers of nuclear war, we are unlearning the most important lessons."
Yoshito Matsushige, a photojournalist, "could barely bring himself to document" what he saw. "But his five surviving images—the only known photographs of Hiroshima's destruction on the day of the bombing itself—are among the most harrowing visual records of the nuclear age." —David A. Wargowski
80 years ago, on August 6, 1945, a single shutter clicked in Hiroshima and recorded what no camera had captured before, and none has again: the immediate aftermath of a city annihilated by nuclear weapons. "Atomic testament: Yoshito Matsushige and the first photos of Hiroshima's nuclear toll."
Why have old-school weather control myths suddenly gone mainstream? "The Greene revolution: How politicians benefit from conspiracies about cloud seeding and weather control," by Justin Key Canfil. ⬇️
The nuclear era started 80 years ago with the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—and has continued to harm generations of people across the world to this very day. But there was another way, writes Arjun Makhijani.
"To stay safe, the United States must add a third pillar to its AI strategy: systems that actively defend against malicious use, specifically AI that can fight back." —Ali Nouri. ⬇️
"I was in the shower, getting ready for my nephew’s wedding, when my husband appeared. He was pointing to his iPhone, and I could tell it was bad news: the notification we had been dreading all day." thebulletin.org/2025/08/get-...
In case you missed it: "Nuclear terrorists wear suits: How Iran could build a nuclear weapon without state approval." ⬇️
In case you missed it: "China and the United States need a framework for nuclear arms control. It isn't New START," by Li Bin.
In case you missed it: "America's AI action plan aims to gut regulation and expand manufacturing." ⬇️
In case you missed it: "Nuclear arms control enters uncharted territory. It needs tools—both old and new," by Rose Gottemoeller.
Additionally, you can watch David E. Sanger's conversation on "Orbits, Networks, and the Future of War" with Bulletin president and CEO Alexandra Bell below.
"Cyberstorm on the horizon: David E. Sanger on what two recent breaches reveal about modern warfare," an interview of @sangernyt.bsky.social by @saragoud.bsky.social. This Bulletin magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time.
In case you missed it: research-backed insight into how to best communicate the climate crisis's impact through data visualization. ⬇️
"A nuclear terrorist does not match the profile of a suicide bomber or spree gunman. It's not someone building a nuclear weapon in a cave from a box of scraps. A nuclear terrorist, rather, could be hiding in plain sight in a mid-tier government post." —Matt Caplan and Vesal Razavimaleki. ⬇️
This article belongs to a two-part series about addressing the nuclear arms control trilemma between the United States, China, and Russia. The second article is "Nuclear arms control enters uncharted territory. It needs tools—both old and new," by Rose Gottemoeller.
Rather than forcing China into nuclear arms control talks, the largest nuclear powers should discuss reductions to military spending for nuclear weapons and other destabilizing systems, writes Li Bin. "China and the United States need a framework for nuclear arms control. It isn't New START." ⬇️
Last week, the White House released "Winning the AI Race: America's AI Action Plan," a document of policies promising to advance the United States' technological industry. But it comes with sociopolitical and economic changes and environmental ramifications. Read more from @francesmack.bsky.social.
This article belongs to a two-part series about addressing the nuclear arms control trilemma between the United States, China, and Russia. The second article is "China and the United States need a framework for nuclear arms control. It isn't New START," by Li Bin of Tsinghua University.
The United States must start addressing nuclear arms control differently: sustaining existing limits with Russia and building predictability with China, writes Rose Gottemoeller. "Nuclear arms control enters uncharted territory. It needs tools—both old and new."
To contend with accidental undersea cable breaks and possible sabotage, the United States and allies must expand their repair infrastructure, writes @aaronbateman.bsky.social. "To keep the world’s data flowing, countries need to quickly fix broken undersea cables." ⬇️
“We feel like we have an obligation to both, get prepared, get on it, reduce our emissions, and help our people weather this.” from @thebulletin.org via @climatedesk.org
"There are always times when you've got to think about what's worth standing up for. And I think that's where we are now. Stand up and be counted—and be confident you can do something." —Fiona Hill This Bulletin magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time. ⬇️
Data visualizations are some of the most powerful tools in a climate science communicator’s playbook. However, designing visuals that are clear to the public and policy makers is not a straightforward task, writes @rachitdubey.bsky.social . So, what works?
This Bulletin magazine article is available to all readers for a limited time.
Russia expert, intelligence analyst, and former US National Security Council member Fiona Hill gives her analysis of what might happen after fighting stops in Ukraine, and what to expect next from Vladimir Putin, whom she's met and written books about.
"Oppenheimer was first a brilliant scientist, then a war hero, then a political traitor, then a nobody, then a martyr, now a cultural icon." He must be taught about in his full complexity, writes Eric S. Singer. "Oppenheimer has become a folk hero. Kids should embrace his complexity." ⬇️
Many narrators continue to portray Oppenheimer as the father of the atomic bomb. But crediting him was part of a strategy to make nuclear weapons look like an unambiguous force of good—not of evil, writes @pederanker.bsky.social. "General Groves invented the Atomic Bomb, not Oppenheimer." ⬇️
"Israel, Iran, and secret nukes: Why a diplomatic solution in Iran is the only option," by @erik-english.bsky.social. Watch the new video below:
Today: "Orbits, Networks, and the Future of War." 1:00PM EDT / 12:00 CDT. Register for this free virtual event below. ⬇️
Tomorrow, join David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, and Bulletin President and CEO Alexandra Bell for a discussion on the technologies driving the newest arms race. buff.ly/Gvk3ekG
Last week, the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War ended with a performance by Kronos Quartet alongside singer-songwriter Allison Russell. You can watch their performance of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" below.
“The lead-up to war: Will Israel strike Iran’s nuclear facilities with US support?” by Assaf Zoran. This Bulletin magazine article was written in April and submitted in May, as Israel was reportedly preparing to strike nuclear sites in Iran. It is available to all readers for a limited time.
“Containment vs. confrontation: Trump and a nuclear Iran,” by Mohammad Eslami and Christian Kaunert. This article was written in May, while Israel was reportedly preparing to strike nuclear sites in Iran. It is available to all readers for a limited time.
Remarks are given by Ms. Masako Wado, Assistant Secretary General of Nihon Hidankyo (2024 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient) and His Eminence Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi. Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization, provided a keynote address.