Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, October 24, 2024
Posted: 24th October 2024
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Photo-illustration by Thomas Gaulkin; photos via Getty Images.
MULTIMEDIA FEATURE
An existential timeline of the Trump/Pence and Biden/Harris presidencies
As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump reach their presidential campaign endgames, Bulletin editors look back at how the last two US administrations handled the world’s most dangerous threats.
This feature article gathers highlights (and low-lights) of the Trump/Pence and Biden/Harris administrations into an interactive timeline, arranged according to the Bulletin’s primary coverage areas: nuclear risk, climate change, disruptive technologies, and biosecurity. Read more.
STEPHEN J. CIMBALA, LAWRENCE J. KORB
How the fog of war in Ukraine increases the risk of escalationThe possibility of a nuclear exchange growing out of the war in Ukraine is a serious concern. But it’s not the most likely scenario for this war to expand and escalate. Read more.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the town of Bucha in Ukraine after the retreat of Russian troops on April 4, 2022. (Credit: Photo by dmytro.larin.gmail.com / depositphotos.com).
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IN THE NEWS
I Broke Down About Hurricane Milton on Live TV. What Happened Next Surprised Me.
Bulletin columnist John Morales wrote an opinion piece for The New York Timeson his experience as a meteorologist and hurricane expert in a time of climate change. Read more.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Will AI make us crazy?
“While researchers, reporters, and policy makers are focusing a tremendous amount of attention on AI safety and ethics,” writes Bulletin editor Dawn Stover, “there has been relatively little examination of—or hand-wringing over—the ways in which an increasing reliance on chatbots may come at the expense of humans using their own mental faculties and creativity.” Read more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
[The idea of outdoor days] “brings the concept of climate change home, brings it to personal everyday activities. I hope that people will find that useful to bridge that gap, and provide a better understanding and appreciation of the problem. And hopefully that would help lead to sound policies that are based on science, regarding climate change.”
— Elfatih Eltahiram, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “How climate change will impact outdoor activities in the US,” MIT News
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Call for Proposals – AMC Conference 2025
The Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament is excited to announce its fourth cross-disciplinary conference in June. Propose activities relevant to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.
Submit your proposals by 1 December!
Read more.
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