Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: Special Issue: The psychology of doom

Special Issue: The psychology of doom
 
What is the cost of knowledge? In the latest issue of the Bulletin’s subscription journal, authors from across disciplines look at the psychological weight we bear as we navigate an ever-evolving and, in some cases, increasingly treacherous world. The essays in the Bulletin's special issue on the psychology of doom explore when and how fear leads to action--or inaction--and what we can do about it.

We all know what’s out there: climate change is not only causing sea level rise, but apparently also an increased number of wild fires and extreme weather; nuclear weapons and security have been in the news a great deal, with documented near-misses and rising tensions among nuclear powers reminding us that the potential for catastrophe exists each and every day. What psychological effect is this having?

And if you missed our special section on Practical nuclear questions for the presidential candidates, you’ll want to catch up. Each of the six articles in that section is free-access. Know what the candidates should know.

The psychology of doom

The psychological effects of cyber terrorism
Michael L. Gross, Daphna Canetti, Dana R. Vashdi

The largely unacknowledged impact of climate change on mental health
Eva Gifford and Robert Gifford

The psychological power of nuclear weapons
Alex Wellerstein

Fear factor: The unseen perils of the Ebola outbreak
James M. Shultz, Benjamin M. Althouse, Florence Baingana, et al.

The dangers of radiophobia
David Ropeik  

Practical nuclear questions for the presidential candidates

Introduction: Practical nuclear questions for the candidates in an unusual presidential election
John Mecklin

How many nuclear warheads does the United States need?

Frank von Hippel

Questions for the presidential candidates on nuclear terrorism, proliferation, weapons policy, and energy
Siegfried S. Hecker

Six nuclear questions for the next president
Henry Sokolski

Should the United States begin talks to ban nuclear weapons?
Zia Mian

The nuclear Google
Sharon Squassoni

Also in this issue:

Interview
Adam Segal: Life in the hacked world order
Interviewed by Andrew Ivers.
In this interview, Adam Segal, author of The Hacked World Order, discusses everything from Chinese commercial espionage and Russian political hacking to the worldwide ripple effects of the Edward Snowden leaks and why Washington should prepare for the end of its cyber dominance.

Other Features

Why cooperative threat reduction still matters—especially for biological dangers
Amy E. Smithson

Financial incentives for reducing proliferation risks

Rachel A. Weise and Gretchen E. Hund

It's already too late to stop the AI arms race--We must manage it instead
Edward Moore Geist

Global Forum: North Korea, nuclear weapons, and the search for a new path forward

How can nations in the region reinvigorate a diplomatic process toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula—or, failing that, how can they best handle the security challenges posed by a nuclear North?

Editor's note
Lucien Crowder

North Korea, nuclear weapons, and the search for a new path forward
A Russian response

Andrei Lankov

North Korea, nuclear weapons, and the search for a new path forward
A South Korean response

Chung-in Moon

North Korea, nuclear weapons, and the search for a new path forward
A Chinese response

Dingli Shen

Book Review
The quest for cyber norms
Elaine Korzak

About the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists engages science leaders, policy makers, and the interested public on topics of nuclear weapons and disarmament, the changing energy landscape, climate change, and emerging technologies. We do this through our award winning journal, iconic Doomsday Clock, public access website, and regular set of convenings.  With smart, vigorous prose, multimedia presentations, and information graphics, the Bulletin puts issues and events into context and provides fact-based debates and assessments. For more than 70 years, the Bulletin has bridged the technology divide between scientific research, foreign policy, and public engagement.

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