#6246
Mentioned in 5 episodes

The Doomsday Machine

Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner
Book • 2017
In this book, Daniel Ellsberg chronicles his experiences as a nuclear war planner during the Cold War, revealing shocking details about the delegation of authority to initiate nuclear attacks, secret plans for general nuclear war, and the precarious nature of nuclear strategy.

The book is divided into two parts: the first part is a memoir/confession of Ellsberg's intellectual and moral evolution, while the second part adopts a more academic perspective, analyzing the principles of 'just war' policy and the consequences of nuclear exchanges.

Ellsberg argues that little has changed in nuclear policy since the Eisenhower and Kennedy years and offers feasible steps to dismantle the 'doomsday machine' and avoid nuclear catastrophe.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 5 episodes

Mentioned by
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Geoffrey Miller
as a book on nuclear war risks.
34 snips
#432 - Geoffrey Miller - An Evolutionary Psychologist's Dating Advice
Mentioned by
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Rob Wiblin
when discussing the fears of nuclear war during the early Cold War.
#112 Classic episode – Carl Shulman on the common-sense case for existential risk work and its practical implications
Mentioned by
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Carl Shulman
when discussing early fears about nuclear war.
#112 – Carl Shulman on the common-sense case for existential risk work and its practical implications
Mentioned by
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Rob Wiblin
as the author's latest book, focusing on the threat of nuclear apocalypse.
#43 Classic episode - Daniel Ellsberg on the institutional insanity that maintains nuclear doomsday machines
Mentioned by
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Rob Wiblin
as a resource for understanding the Cuban Missile Crisis and nuclear risks.
Rob Wiblin on human nature, new technology, and living a happy, healthy & ethical life
Recommended by
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Geoffrey Miller
as a book that discusses the catastrophic nuclear strategies of the U.S. during the Cold War.
Geoffrey Miller on Sex Differences, Masculinity & Political Polarisation
Mentioned by
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Liron Shapira
while discussing the unsolved nature of nuclear proliferation risks.
Superintelligent AI vs. Real-World Engineering | Liron Reacts to Bryan Cantrill
Mentioned by
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Geoffrey Miller
when discussing the risks of nuclear war and the lack of research on the topic.
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