The Doomsday Secret: Why We Don't Talk About the Nuclear Threat

Sarah Scoles share 5 big ideas from Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons

How often do you think about nuclear weapons? We’ve been living with these terrifying devices for nearly 80 years, and in some ways they’ve just blended into the background of global conflict. But we should put the spotlight back on the bomb before it’s too late, according to Sarah Scoles, author of Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons. Sarah is a freelance journalist and a contributing editor at Scientific American. She frequently covers topics about how science and technology impact society. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Wired, and Popular Science, among other publications. Read or listen to her big ideas below:

The 5 Key Insights:

1. Nuclear threats are as heightened today as during the Cold War.

2. No one knows whether nuclear deterrence works.

3. Nuclear weapons scientists aren’t usually warmongers.

4. Our bombs steal and mimic the power of the natural universe.

5. Nuclear secrecy breeds conspiracy and a lack of public understanding.

1. Nuclear threats are as heightened today as during the Cold War.

The nuclear threats of the 21st century are different from those of the earlier atomic age. Back then, tension was largely between two superpower countries—a relatively simple dynamic.

In 2023, nine countries have nuclear weapons. There’s more competition between powerful nations, more concerns about smaller countries, nuclear modernization and expansion programs across the world, and fears of radiological terrorism. The ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and Russia and Ukraine, directly involve two countries with nuclear weapons—with other atomically armed states taking sides.

These modern dangers are not lesser than those of the Cold War. In fact, many experts believe the risk of a nuclear catastrophe is higher than ever.