Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, April 18, 2024
Posted: 18th April 2024
April 18, 2024
US Army soldiers on their way to an oil production facility in Syria in 2020. Behind them are two manned Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Credit: US Army/Spc. Jensen Guillory
CATHERINE SARKIS
Listen up, UN: Soldiers aren’t fans of killer robots
Surprisingly, people serving in the US military are less likely than the general public to support using unmanned vehicles in military operations, even when doing so could save soldiers’ lives. Read more.
ASSAF ZORAN
The enormous risks and uncertain benefits of an Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities
As Israel weighs how to respond to Iran’s attack, targeting its nuclear facilities might be strategically disadvantageous. Read more.
Despite recent attacks on the plant and a deteriorating nuclear safety environment, Russia is planning to restart the plant. Ultimately, any effort to do so will amount to playing Russian roulette—with six nuclear reactors. Read more.
Photo credit: National Police of Ukraine, changes made, CC BY 4.0 DEED.
What could the next phase of the war in Ukraine look like?
This Bulletin virtual program on April 24 is your opportunity to ask leading experts your questions about the strategic landscape and possible outcomes of the largest war Europe has seen since WWII.
CLARA SHERWOOD, JAMIE WITHORNE
How nongovernmental entities are tailoring their outreach to address nuclear escalation
As Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling continues, it’s important to understand that governments are not the only actors contributing to nuclear narratives. Social media will continue to affect nuclear escalation for years to come, and it’s imperative that nongovernmental entities help shape the conversation. Read more.
PETER SUTORIS
The problem with decarbonization tunnel vision
What if, just as a mutually destructive world can’t secure real peace, a net-zero world can’t guarantee real sustainability? Read more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Last year’s wildfire season broke records for its intensity and resulted in Canada’s first-ever evacuation of an entire capital city … Coming out of an intense season that garnered internal attention, federal officials are warning Canadians to prepare for another record-breaking year.”
— Olivia Rumbell, “Canada’s 2024 wildfire season expected to be even worse than last year’s,” National Post
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