Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March 20th 2023
Posted: 20th March 2023
March 20, 2023
A human infected with the cordyceps fungus turns into a “clicker” in an episode of The Last of Us. (HBO/Liane Hentscher)
BIOSECURITY
The real horrors of ‘The Last of Us’ may already be hereOn its face, The Last of Us is a fairly boilerplate zombie apocalypse show, says Bulletin multimedia editor Erik English. “But looking a little deeper, it’s clear the show has a great deal to say about our modern political moment.” Read more.
BIOSECURITY
Biden administration underplays biothreatsPresident Biden’s new national security memorandum doesn’t reflect the fact that bioterrorism risks are increasing faster than any other threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, reports weapons technology expert Zachary Kallenborn. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
All START: a proposal for moving beyond US-Russia arms controlIn this essay, two prominent experts propose a new framework to broaden participation in nuclear arms control, with China, Britain, and France joining the United States and Russia in a future accord—All START. Read more.
The labs handling the world’s most dangerous pathogens
In 2022, the Bulletin partnered with the Global Biolabs initiative to launch an interactive map of the highest level biosecurity labs in the world. In this webinar, experts who helped create the map present the Global BioLabs 2023 report, describe key trends, and discuss recommendations for strengthening global biorisk management.
NUCLEAR RISK
The US must trade muscles for diplomacy to end the North Korean nuclear crisisTo avoid an all-out war on the Korean Peninsula, the United States must stop the muscle-flexing, commit to diplomacy instead, and adopt a peace-first strategy, says foreign policy expert Colleen Moore. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
How to avoid nuclear war with ChinaThere is a growing risk that China will attack Taiwan, write two nuclear security experts. “Taiwan, the US, and Japan must urgently and interactively prepare for this contingency—which is also the best way of deterring it.” Subscribe to read this premium article.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Peace is desirable and possible. There are relevant actors who contribute to building it. They may not achieve it immediately, but they raise the importance of curbing the conflict.”
— Alberto Betancourt, “Europe sleepwalks to war,” La Jornada
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