Alex Wellerstein

Dan Carlin chats with Alex Wellerstein, a historian specializing in nuclear weapons and author of The Most Awful Responsibility. Wellerstein challenges common narratives about Truman's decisions on the atomic bomb, revealing his emotional contrasts and misunderstandings about the targets. They delve into the chaotic wartime decision-making, the broad public support for the bombings, and Truman’s legacy that shaped the nuclear taboo. Wellerstein argues the complexity of motivations and how rapid technological advances baffled leaders at the time.

It’s a little girl’s eighth birthday. She wakes to a sight that looks like the end of the world. A radioactive mushroom cloud rises 130,000 feet in the air. And the world wakes up to the devastating fallout of nuclear weapons.In this new mini series from Sideways, writer and Times columnist Matthew Syed is calling for a nuclear awakening. Since the end of the Cold War, when relations between two of the world’s nuclear superpowers - the former USSR and the USA - seemed more rosy, Matthew argues that many of us have slipped into a kind of comfortable amnesia about the presence of these destroyers of worlds. The wake up call came when President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February accompanied by veiled nuclear threats. It was a reminder of the mind bending fact that there are weapons in existence that are capable of eradicating our species. Over four episodes, Matthew explores the intellectual and strategic frameworks birthed by the bomb and the tensions of the Cold War, which sought to contain the ultimate destructive force. From deterrence to disarmament and non-proliferation, these ideas all aim at one goal - protection from catastrophic nuclear use. Understanding their origins and complexities is urgently needed, Matthew argues. Ultimately, Matthew will be asking if the actions of Putin in Ukraine call for a new intellectual framework to help make our world safe.Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer and Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Researcher: Nadia Mehdi Sound Designer: Rob Speight Special thanks to Jessica A Schwartz for her recordings of Lijon Eknilang which form part of the material for her book Radiation Sounds. Also to Ali Raj and Susanne Rust, whose reporting for the LA Times informed this episode.Contributors: Evelyn Ralpho Jeadrik, daughter of Lijon Eknilang, Marshallese singer, composer and anti-nuclear activist. Ariana Tibon, Commissioner, Royal Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission Alex Wellerstein, historian of science and nuclear weapons and a professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology. David Holloway, Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History and author of Stalin and the Bomb: The Soviet Union and Atomic Energy, 1939-1956A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Friday afternoon, the federal court in Florida, acting at the Justice Department’s request, unsealed the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago that the FBI had executed earlier in the week. There was a lot of interesting information in it: How many bathrooms are there at Mar-a-Lago? How many TS/SCI documents did the FBI seize from the resort? Which European head of state had various documents about him lying around at Mar-a-Lago? For an emergency version of the Lawfare Podcast, Benjamin Wittes sat down to talk it all through with Pete Strzok, a former FBI counterintelligence agent who has executed his share of warrants; Lawfare senior editor Quinta Jurecic; and Alex Wellerstein, historian of nuclear weapons and secrets.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science and the creator of the NukeMap simulator, dives into the complexities of Truman's decision regarding the atomic bomb. He reveals that Truman didn't participate in the initial decision-making and believed he was preventing massive civilian casualties. Wellerstein uncovers the limitations of Truman's briefings and civilian-military tensions that influenced targeting decisions. Through this lens, he discusses Truman's moral revulsion after Hiroshima and his legacy of nuclear restraint.

Alex Wellerstein, an associate professor known for his work on nuclear secrecy and creator of NukeMap, dives into the intricate history of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. He reveals how covert operations, like Israel's uranium acquisition in the 1960s, shaped current dynamics. They discuss Iran's strategic nuclear pursuits and Israel's ambiguous policies. Wellerstein also sheds light on significant events like the Vela incident and the implications of recent attacks on Iranian facilities, highlighting the uncertain future of nuclear weapons in the region.