Tessera
Folgen

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

@thebulletin.org

The best thinking on existential threats since 1945. Nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. We set the #DoomsdayClock. thebulletin.org

1263 Posts12386 Follower172 Folgt
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 2h ago

"The modernization of China’s nuclear arsenal has both accelerated and expanded in recent years. In this issue of the Nuclear Notebook, we estimate that China now possesses approximately 620 nuclear warheads," writes staff of the Nuclear Information Project at @scientistsorg.bsky.social. ⬇️

Chinese nuclear weapons, 2026

The modernization of China’s nuclear arsenal has both accelerated and expanded in recent years. We estimate that China now possesses approximately 600 nuclear warheads, with more in production to arm…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 4h ago

Read Bernice Yeung's investigation into how Silicon Valley tech firms remade United States defense contracting—and opened the Pentagon's checkbook wide open—below. ⬇️

The rise of the military-technology complex

How Silicon Valley tech firms remade US defense contracting. And then opened the Pentagon’s checkbook—wide.

thebulletin.org

Tyler McBrien@tylermcbrien.com · 6h ago

Huge thanks to Bernice Yeung for joining me on the @lawfaremedia.org podcast to discuss her recent @thebulletin.org feature, "The Rise of the Military-Technology Complex," which traces the long, on-again off-again on-again relationship between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · yesterday

The scariest movie film curator Rebecca Fons has ever seen is no Hollywood blockbuster. It's a 47-minute, black-and-white, 1960's pseudo-documentary that almost immediately disappeared—possibly because those who commissioned it thought the result "too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting."

A film about nuclear war “too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting”

The scariest movie I've ever seen is not a Hollywood blockbuster from the ‘90s, often referred to as “the golden age for disaster movies.” Instead, it’s something much less well-known: a 47-minute,…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 2d ago

The Bulletin is honored to welcome Sharon Weinberger as editor-in-chief. She has been a writer and editor focusing on national security, science, and technology for over 25 years, and will guide the Bulletin's editorial efforts as it enters its eighth decade.

The Bulletin welcomes Sharon Weinberger as editor-in-chief

The Bulletin’s new editor-in-chief, Sharon Weinberger, has dedicated her career to covering the intersection of science, technology, and national security and will guide the Bulletin’s editorial…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 5d ago

Lab-designed cells could someday be used in medicine, environmental cleanup, or manufacturing. But today's regulators aren't yet ready for the oversight challenges the coming era of synthetic cells may pose. Read more from David Gillum and Peter A. Carr. ⬇️

Is it a chemical? Is it alive? Oversight in the coming era of synthetic cells could be complicated

Lab-designed cells could someday be used in medicine, environmental cleanup, or manufacturing. Imagine spraying biosensing cells on a wall to test for hidden mold or swallowing a pill full of cells…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 6d ago

A condition that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel hasn't killed the nuclear agreement—only masked the fine print, writes Sharon Squassoni. Behind official claims that uranium enrichment is off the table, the US admin's deal risks dragging Washington straight into a trap.

The US-Saudi nuclear deal isn't dead—It's dragging Washington into nonproliferation quicksand

A condition that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel hasn't killed the nuclear agreement—it has only masked the fine print. Behind official claims that uranium enrichment is off the table,…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

Climate change is physically altering the operational environment of nuclear deterrence in the Arctic, but the institutions capable of managing these risks are fragmented and frozen in place, write Nikita Gryazin @nikitagryazin.bsky.social and Iren Marinova @irenmarinova.bsky.social.

Climate change exacerbates nuclear risks in the Arctic. And we are not ready

Climate change is physically altering the operational environment of nuclear deterrence in the Arctic, but the institutions capable of managing these risks are fragmented and frozen in place.

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

Released in 1997, Gattaca was a box-office disappointment. But it's become one of the most influential cultural texts to explore biotechnology and its social consequences, especially in a world where CRISPR-based gene editing and consumer genomics are becoming more common, writes David A. Kirby.

Gattaca and the quiet Doomsday of genetic determinism

Gattaca was a box-office disappointment when it was released in 1997. It has since become one of the most influential cultural texts to explore biotechnology and its social consequences, especially…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

Gattaca "remains relevant because it shows how easily genetic information can become a measure of human worth—and how readily that standard can harden into a discriminatory hierarchy," writes David A. Kirby.

Gattaca and the quiet Doomsday of genetic determinism

Gattaca was a box-office disappointment when it was released in 1997. It has since become one of the most influential cultural texts to explore biotechnology and its social consequences, especially…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

US efforts to expand global nuclear exports threaten to spur a dangerous proliferation wave, write Logan Mintz and Matthew Sharp. To prevent the spread of weapons-usable technology, Washington must pair aggressive nuclear trade with creative fuel-sharing alternatives and tougher safeguards.

Balancing global uranium enrichment needs and proliferation risks: A framework

US efforts to rapidly expand global nuclear exports threaten to spur a dangerous proliferation wave. To prevent the spread of weapons-usable technology, Washington must pair aggressive nuclear trade…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

Matt Field @mattyfield.bsky.social reports that while plenty of hurdles remain for anyone hoping to use fast-improving AI to develop a bioweapon, one expert notes, 'Where we will find ourselves a year from now is likely to be, without intervention, a much more risky circumstance.'"

AI executives worry about their technologies aiding bioterrorists. How likely is that?

Plenty of hurdles remain for anyone hoping to use fast-improving AI to develop a bioweapon, but, as one expert notes, "Where we will find ourselves a year from now is likely to be, without…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

"AI threatens the news industry’s ability to support that kind of reportage—not just on nuclear weapons, but also on other existential risks, including artificial intelligence itself." Read more in a new essay by Atomic Reporters founder, Peter Rickwood.

How artificial intelligence threatens the news industry’s ability to report on existential risks—including those posed by nuclear weapons and AI

Reporting on a subject area as complex and opaque as nuclear weapons demands dedicated, time-consuming journalism. AI threatens the news industry’s ability to support that kind of reportage—not just…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

“Organizations ranging from the United Nations, to the Pope, to a consortium of nonprofits and academics known as Stop Killer Robots, decry the use of AI in warfare, especially in the deployment of lethal autonomous weapons.” Read more in a new investigative piece ⬇️

The rise of the military-technology complex

How Silicon Valley tech firms remade US defense contracting. And then opened the Pentagon’s checkbook—wide.

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · last wk.

"As nuclear power becomes a more common part of commercial and governmental space missions, the safety and security frameworks established by City Labs may matter as much as the nuclear battery itself."

How a small radioactive battery paves the way for transparent nuclear use in space

The launch of City Labs' tritium-powered BOHR satellite marks a major milestone for commercial nuclear power in orbit. By navigating a groundbreaking FAA regulatory process and setting new precedents…

thebulletin.org

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 2w ago

"The irony is inescapable. Months after the last nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the United States expired, tech industry leaders are citing Cold War nuclear verification as a model for regulating the safety of artificial intelligence."

How artificial intelligence threatens the news industry’s ability to report on existential risks—including those posed by nuclear weapons and AI

Reporting on a subject area as complex and opaque as nuclear weapons demands dedicated, time-consuming journalism. AI threatens the news industry’s ability to support that kind of reportage—not just…

thebulletin.org