S. M. Amadae

In today’s episode David talks to S. M. Amadae about what happened when the nuclear age turned into an all-consuming arms race. What is the supposed logic and the terrifying illogic behind the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction? What is the difference between M.A.D. and N.U.T.S.? Do we really believe that our leaders would press the button? And how have we managed to survive to this point – rationality, luck or merely a stay of execution? Tickets are on sale now for our new film season at the Regent Street Cinema in London – starting on 19th March with James Marriott talking to David about Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan. All the details are here https://www.ppfideas.com/events Next Time: How Will the Nuclear Age End? You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of our episodes and PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S. M. Amadae, director of the Centre for Existential Risk and scholar of nuclear weapons and political theory, reflects on how 1945 changed human self-understanding. Short conversations probe scale, sudden loss of control, coercive presence, hair-trigger risks, contested narratives, and how science, elites and game theory reshaped danger and public awareness.

S. M. Amadae, a political theorist focused on nuclear strategy, offers a sharp look at the future of nuclear weapons. Conversations cover arms control versus abolition, how Ukraine and rising Asian arsenals change risk calculations, and dangers from automation and AI. The discussion also explores existential risk, political drivers of escalation, and where hope for disarmament might still come from.