Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, September 30, 2024

https://thebulletin.org

ANTHONY AGUIRRE

A new Californian bill, currently with Governor Newsom awaiting his signature, requires that developers of the most powerful AI systems write and follow protocols to prevent critical harm. According to this expert, Newsom should sign it. Read more.

JOHN BRIDGELAND, ELIZABETH CAMERON, J. STEPHEN MORRISON, JENNIFER B. NUZZO, AQUIELLE PERSON

Strengthening democracy through rebuilding trust in institutions, government, and one another is essential to protect the United States from a worst-case pandemic scenario. Here’s how to do it. Read more.

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ALICIA SANDERS-ZAKRE
Question for the candidates: Will the United States sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?

Alicia Sanders-Zakre, the policy and research coordinator at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, suggests that the 2024 US presidential candidates be asked whether they will join the international effort to ban nuclear weapons. Read more.

LAURA GREGO
Question for the candidates: What is your plan to prevent the next dangerous and expensive nuclear arms race?

Laura Grego, a senior scientist and the research director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, suggests five questions to ask US presidential candidates about the international norm against nuclear use, the compensation of exposed communities, and more. Read more.

Bulletin editorial highlights

Last week, the Bulletin held strategic planning meetings, including a discussion of the newsletter survey results. In that survey, you shared some of your favorite Bulletin memories with us, so we wanted to reshare some of our recent favorite articles.

MATT FIELD
Catapulting corpses? A famous case of medieval biological warfare

The Bulletin’s biosecurity editor, Matt Field, wrote a breakdown about a long-held misconception about the beginning of the Black Plague. Read more.

JESSICA MCKENZIE
The University of Chicago’s new climate initiative

This year, Bulletin climate editor Jessica McKenzie wrote on solar engineering and the University of Chicago’s research initiative involving the controversial technology. Read more.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Talk is easy and has political impact, but evidence of actual willingness to use nuclear weapons is both absent and something we can detect if it ever happens.”
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— Mark Galeotti, Senior Associate Fellow at Royal United Services Institute, “Putin draws a nuclear red line for the West,” Reuters