Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, August 8, 2024
Posted: 8th August 2024
In recent years, Eastern European countries have announced plans to import US nuclear reactors. But these plans hide huge increases in imports of US military technology and hosting of US weapons, which will expand US military presence and influence in the region. (Image: New reactor construction site in Finland in 2007. Credit: US NRC, via Flickr)
MAHA SIDDIQUI, M.V. RAMANA
Eastern Europe’s purchase of US nuclear reactors is primarily about military ties’ not climate change
Touted as a climate solution elsewhere, investments in new nuclear reactors primarily serve military interests in Eastern Europe. Read more.
DAN DROLLETTE JR
“H is For Hope” sounded a bit better than “D is For Despair”: Interview with Elizabeth Kolbert about climate change
Elizabeth Kolbert explains why there is still reason for optimism in the fight against climate change—even if time is short and the odds can seem overwhelming. Read more.
ARTHUR HOLLAND MICHEL
‘I’m afraid I can’t do that’: Should killer robots be allowed to disobey orders?
Militaries need to show it’s possible to build ethical killer robots that don’t say no, or engineer a safe right-to-refuse while keeping humans in the loop. Read more.
Every August, people around the world honor the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. You can join us and fold a paper crane to honor the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as victims of nuclear weapons production and testing.
Pictured: Bulletin President and CEO Rachel Bronson with the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s Outreach and Advocacy Specialist, Jasmine Owens.
SANDRA LÓPEZ-VERGÈS
How international labs could prevent leaks—and produce cutting-edge pathogen research
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“One of the silliest things around a couple of years ago was this idea that AI would help solve the climate change problem… I never understood exactly how. But, you know, it’s clear it’s gonna do something to climate change, but it’s not on the positive side.”
— Daron Acemoglu, economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “10 reasons why AI may be overrated,” NPR
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