The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists March 2021
Posted: 6th April 2021
April 5, 2021
NUCLEAR RISK
Why is the United Kingdom raising its nuclear stockpile limits?
The United Kingdom recently announced it was significantly raising a self-imposed cap on its overall nuclear stockpile, from a previous target of 180 to a new cap of 260. It is time to ask difficult questions, starting but not ending with the most basic one: why? Read more.
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Meet the future weapon of mass destruction, the drone swarm
Drone swarms are getting larger and, coupled with autonomous capability, they could pose a real threat. In theory, swarms could be scaled to tens of thousands of drones, creating a weapon akin to a low-scale nuclear device. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
North Korea’s “tactical-guided” ballistic missile test is no joke for Biden and South Korea
Bulletin columnist Duyeon Kim weighs in on North Korea’s recent test of two short-range ballistic missiles, writing that the test “unambiguously violates UN Security Council resolutions, and any miscalculation involving these missiles could escalate into nuclear war.” Read more.
Read our March premium magazine!
The shift to a no-carbon world will create real hardships that need to be anticipated if they are to be managed and, as much as possible, minimized. In our March magazine, five experts offer their advice on smoothing the transition to a truly green economy.
NUCLEAR RISK
Will Biden’s budget emphasize domestic investment and allies over military hardware?
President Biden’s stated agenda won’t happen in a vacuum. If the administration hopes to sell Congress the type of structural change that will be necessary to follow through on its vision, it will first need to sell a new national narrative. Read more.
WHAT’S NEW AT THE BULLETIN
The Bulletin is delighted to welcome Lorene Yue as our new Director of Media Relations. Before joining the Bulletin, Yue was Director of Communications at the Professional Convention Management Association and a manager on DePaul University’s media relations team. Read more.
SPONSORED
Stanford Faculty Appointment — International Security Policy
Stanford seeks a distinguished scientist or a rising star in science or engineering with interest in international security policy. Must possess exceptional record of research and publication; be committed to teaching undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“How to sequence the return of both countries to the terms of the [JCPOA] has been a complicated political and technical question…The Vienna talks, which will begin on Tuesday, will be the first serious effort since President Biden took office to figure out how that can happen.”
— Steven Erlanger and Farnaz Fassihi, “U.S. and Iran Agree to Indirect Talks on Returning to Nuclear Deal,” New York Times
Thank you!