This book provides a comprehensive history of how America's presidents and generals have thought about, threatened, and just barely avoided nuclear war since the dawn of the atomic age. Fred Kaplan takes readers into the White House Situation Room, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s 'Tank' in the Pentagon, and the vast chambers of Strategic Command to reveal untold stories based on his deep research and reporting. The book discusses theories and nightmare scenarios involving mass destruction, highlighting the enduring reality of nuclear war and its dire consequences.
Jonathan Schell's "The Fate of the Earth" is a profound exploration of the unthinkable consequences of nuclear war. Schell masterfully paints a picture of the devastation, not just in terms of immediate destruction, but also the long-term ecological and societal collapse that would follow. He challenges readers to confront the moral implications of possessing such destructive power and urges a re-evaluation of our priorities in the face of this existential threat. The book's impact lies in its ability to evoke a visceral understanding of the stakes involved, prompting reflection on our collective responsibility to prevent nuclear catastrophe. Its enduring relevance stems from the continued existence of nuclear weapons and the persistent risk of their use.
In this episode, we examine the topic of existential threat, focusing in particular on the subject of nuclear war.
Sam opens the discussion by emphasizing the gravity of our ability to destroy life as we know it at any moment, and how shocking it is that nearly all of us perpetually ignore this fact. Philosopher Nick Bostrom expands on this idea by explaining how developing technologies like DNA synthesis could make humanity more vulnerable to malicious actors.
Sam and historian Fred Kaplan then guide us through a hypothetical timeline of events following a nuclear first strike, highlighting the flaws in the concept of nuclear deterrence. Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry echoes these concerns, painting a grim picture of his "nuclear nightmare" scenario: a nuclear terrorist attack.
Zooming out, Toby Ord outlines each potential extinction-level threat, and why he believes that, between all of them, we face a one in six chance of witnessing the downfall of our species. Our episode ends on a cautiously optimistic note, however, as Yuval Noah Harari shares his thoughts on "global myth-making" and its potential role in helping us navigate through these perilous times.
About the Series
Filmmaker Jay Shapiro has produced The Essential Sam Harris, a new series of audio documentaries exploring the major topics that Sam has focused on over the course of his career.
Each episode weaves together original analysis, critical perspective, and novel thought experiments with some of the most compelling exchanges from the Making Sense archive. Whether you are new to a particular topic, or think you have your mind made up about it, we think you’ll find this series fascinating.
Making Sense with Sam Harris 
