Nuclear – Super Critical Podcast

Mini-Nuke Episode #12: Starship Troopers

In this episode, we wanted to learn more about the mobile infantry, so we talked about Starship Troopers, both the 1997 movie and 1959 book. How does the story deploy tactical nuclear weapons in the war against the bugs? Why was the book’s author inspired to write a protest against the campaign to end nuclear testing? Who would Herman Kahn enjoy talking to more: Carl or the brain bug? Tim Westmyer (@nuclearpodcast), Will Saetren (@WillSaetren), and Geoff Wilson (@nuclearwilson) answer these questions and more.

This is the 12th in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink pop culture with a smaller slice of nukes than our usual full-sized episodes.

Before we decide to talk a walk down washout lane, we recommend checking out:

John Scalzi, Old Man’s War, 2005
Joe Halderman, The Forever War, 1974
Robocop (1987 movie)
Helldivers (video game)
The Day After (1983 movie)
Robert A. Heinlein, Expanded Universe, 1980

Episode

Episode #30: Nukes vs. Asteroids

In this episode, we place bets on the biggest fight in the cinematic universe: nuclear weapons vs. asteroids. What do the movies Armageddon, Deep Impact, and Meteor tell us about how planet Earth will defend itself against space rocks? How effective would nukes in these doomsday scenarios? How can we thank the dinosaurs for becoming oil so that the drill team in Armageddon learned the skills necessary to save us from another asteroid extinction event? Tim Westmyer and returning special guest Boris (@bmelnikov) answer these questions and more.

Before we decide to violate the Outer Space Treaty, we recommend checking out:

“Chicxulub crater,” Wikipedia
Vladimir Rubtsov, “The Tunguska Mystery,” 2009
“Space Weapons Earth Wars,” Rand Corporation, 2002
Force Majeure (2014 movie)
Meteor Man (1993 movie)

Episode

Episode #29: Madam Secretary

In this episode, we took a break from studying our nuclear attack plans binder to watch an episode from the TV show Madam Secretary called Night Watch (Season 4, Episode 22). What happens when the President gets the call that nuclear missiles are incoming to the United States? What systems are in place to prevent mistakes and accidents from signaling false reports? Why don’t they rename the Presidential Emergency Satchel to the Nuclear Skeeball? Tim Westmyer and special guest Jamie Withorne (@JamieWithorne) answer these questions and more.

Before we receive our text message notifying us about our all expenses paid trip to Mount Weather, we recommend checking out:

Women of Mass Destruction at https://www.womenofmassdestruction.org/
Fail-Safe (1964), Ladybug Ladybug (1963), WarGames (1983)
Matt Stevens and Christopher Mele, “Causes of False Missile Alerts: The Sun, the Moon, and a 46-cent Chip,” New York Times, January 13, 2018
Terry L. Deibel, “The Death of a Treaty,” Foreign Affairs 81 no. 5, September/October 2002
The Man Who Saved the World (2018)

Episode

Episode #28: Atomic Alcohol

In this episode, we stepped up to the bar and ordered a couple rounds of Atomic Alcohol. The podcast collected ten examples of nuclear themed wine, cocktails, and beer with names, history, or other interesting connections to nukes. Why do breweries and wineries go to the nuclear well so many times? Could a beverage change how you think about the atom? How many drinks can the podcast team have and still sound reasonably intelligent? Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guests Will Saetren (@WillSaetren) and Eric Gascho (@EricGascho) answer these questions and more.

Here is a slideshow of all the various beer and wine labels we imbibed:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Before the bartender announces last call for atomic alcohol, we recommend checking out:

Alex Wellerstein, “Beer and the Apocalypse,” Restricted Data, 2012
Frank Kelly Rich, “Boozing with the Bomb: Alcohol in the Atomic Age,” Drunkard Magazine
Charlie Papazian, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing

Special thanks to:

Tori Mason at Forbidden Root for the cans of Atomic Child
Tony Fitzpatrick and Robert Finkel at Forbidden Root for the interview
@VortexAeroMedia for sending the bottles of Atom Splitter
William Henry at Nuclear Wine, Chris Kotiza at Nuclear Nugget, and Steve at Cit of Cambridge Brewing for answering my questions about their beer
Outro music by Slim Gaillard and His Quartette (1945)

Here are some more resources to learn more about today’s episode:

Atomic Ale Brewpub and Eatery (Richland, WA)
Forbidden Root (Chicago, IL)
Robert Krulwich, “S. Explodes Atomic Bombs Near Beers to See if They are Safe to Drink,” NPR, September 19, 2012
Eric Pfanner, “A French Wine Region Changes its Name to Save its Future,” The New York Times, November 25, 2011
Jane Nickles, “The Wine Formerly Known as Tricastin,” Wine, Wit, and Wisdom, July 19, 2013
Theodore Gray, “For that Healthy Glow, Drink Radiation!” Popular Science, August 17, 2004
Alex Wellerstein, “Bomb Appetit!” Lucky Peach
Beers Not Bombs Keychain, From War to Peace
NPR, “How Atomic Particles Helped Solve a Wine Fraud Mystery,” June 3, 2014
LiveScience, “Buzzkill: Steer Clear of Beer After a Nuclear Explosion,” September 24, 2012
Emily Bell, “Nuclear Beer: When the Bomb Comes, Head to the Bar,” Vinepair, June 24, 2016
Ian Sample, “How Atom Bomb Tests Could Help Detect Wine Fraud,” The Guardian, March 21, 2010
Alex Swerdloff, “This Atomic Bomb-Themed Beer Has a Message About Nuclear Warfare,” Muchies, August 3, 2015

Episode

Episode #27: Atomic Train

In this episode, we took the midnight train going anywhere… far away from the bad TV mini-series, Atomic Train (1999). Could a dangerous Russian nuke end up on a runaway U.S. train? What would a major city like Denver do to evacuate after a nuclear detonation? How can a movie with a runaway train, nukes, hazardous chemicals, Rob Lowe, and 50+ helicopters be so boring? Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guest Elliot answer these questions and more.

This was a fun episode to record but a really tough movie to watch. If you are brave enough, it can be found on YouTube (for now at least): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV_fkGZGhk0

Before the atomic train conductor yelled “all aboard,” we recommend checking out:

–Threads (1984 TV movie) and Special Bulletin (1983 TV movie)

–The Stand (1994 TV mini-series)

-Michael Krepon, “Moving from MAD to Cooperative Threat Reduction,” Stimson Center, December 2001, https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/93680/Report41.pdf

–Unstoppable (2010 movie)

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