The Significance of Nuclear Weapons, Doomsday Machine, and the President's Role

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The development of nuclear weapons instilled fear of an impending devastating industrialized war in World War II. The shift from planes to rockets for delivering nukes in the 1960s led to the realization of creating a doomsday machine with the potential to end the world. This perception of power, often associated with the US president, plays a significant role in American mythology. The emphasis on the importance of choosing the president is underscored by the belief in the president's control over this almost supernatural power. Moreover, the significance of nuclear energy remains tied to the fundamental barrier of proliferation, which could substantially increase energy consumption with scaled nuclear reactors.

On today's episode of Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg dive into all things nuclear. They cover the historical role of coal and oil in shaping global conflicts, the inevitability of nuclear proliferation, and the challenges of scaling nuclear energy. They also discuss the inevitability of nuclear weapons and Samo proposes a strategy to mitigate the risks associated.

Live Players is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co

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Check out Erik's new show Request for Startups featuring a rotating cast of founders and investors (including Dan) sharing their requests for startups they want to exist in the world, and also their stories of navigating the idea maze in different sectors so founders don’t have to reinvent the wheel anymore. The first episode is out now - we over better dating apps, references as a service, and WeWork for productivity

Watch and Subscribe on Substack: https://requestforstartups.substack.com/p/receipt-based-dating-reference-checks
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/request-for-startups-with-erik-torenberg/id1728659822
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/739L1LR32QI2XyoZlRh5nv

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We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

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LINKS:

Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg

@samoburja

@turpentinemedia

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:55) How energy impacts geopolitics

(02:43) Coal is extremely regional as an energy source

(04:32) Oil is evenly distributed around the world

(08:16) Fracking deconstrains energy

(10:09) Nuclear enters the story in 1945

(16:38) When the great powers of the world limit nuclear proliferation.

(18:14) Making nuclear energy affordable

(21:27) Our energy needs are kind of trivial and we should be a nuclear civilization by now

(23:30) Sponsor - Secureframe

(24:28) Nuclear acceleration is inevitable

(37:46) The US might as well reap the benefits from building cheap and abundant nuclear energy

(47:34) Is the only way we get the abundance that comes with nuclear energy is to increase the risk of nuclear war?

(55:02] On free export of nuclear technology across countries

(57:27) Wrap

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.