In this episode, Zachary Kallenborn discusses the arguments made in his article on why a nuclear weapons ban would threaten humanity. He highlights that while nuclear weapons present an existential threat, there are other existential risks such as extreme biological weapons, planet killer asteroids, artificial intelligence, and super volcanoes. Removing nuclear weapons could potentially lead to a return of great power war, which would worsen these other risks. The breakdown of global cooperation, diversion of resources, damage to infrastructure, and potential renuclearization are some of the concerns discussed. The interdependencies between nuclear weapons and nuclear power, as well as the need for a better understanding of second and third order effects, are also emphasized.

Zachary Kallenborn is an adjunct fellow (non-res ...