In this episode, we were convinced by J. Robert Oppenheimer’s elevator pitch to join the Manhattan Project so we watched the movie Oppenheimer (2023). How well did Christopher Nolan capture the life and tribulations of the “father of the atomic bomb?” 	Does the movie blend the mix of history, science, and international drama in an entertaining way to stay in your seat for three hours? Is this the biggest nuclear war movie of our lifetimes – for those born after 1964 at least? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), co-host James Sheehan (@JSheehanDC), and special guest Dr. Justin Anderson (@Atomic_Chess) answer these questions and more.Before we pack our bags to camp out in the New Mexico desert for an indeterminate amount of time, we recommend: •	Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2005 •	Steve Sheinkin, Bomb (Graphic Novel), 2023•	Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, Trinity: A Graphic Novel of the History of the First Atomic Bomb, 2012•	Gregg Herkin, Brotherhood of the Bomb: The Tangled Lives and Loyalties of Robert Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, and Edward Teller, 2002•	Oppenheimer (1980 TV mini-series)•	The Social Network (2010 movie)•	The Imitation Game (2014 movie)•	Widespread Annihilation (game card), Flesh and Blood tabletop game (Dusk Till Dawn edition)•	Los Alamos National Laboratory, “Plutonium and poetry: Where Trinity and Oppenheimer's reading habits met,” (Recommendations from Oppenheimer for further reading), July 14, 2021Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter/X @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we were convinced by J. Robert Oppenheimer’s elevator pitch to join the Manhattan Project so we watched the movie Oppenheimer (2023). How well did Christopher Nolan capture the life and tribulations of the “father of the atomic bomb?” 	Does the movie blend the mix of history, science, and international drama in an entertaining way to stay in your seat for three hours? Is this the biggest nuclear war movie of our lifetimes – for those born after 1964 at least? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), co-host James Sheehan (@JSheehanDC), and special guest Dr. Justin Anderson (@Atomic_Chess) answer these questions and more. Before we pack our bags to camp out in the New Mexico desert for an indeterminate amount of time, we recommend: •	Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2005 •	Steve Sheinkin, Bomb (Graphic Novel), 2023 •	Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, Trinity: A Graphic Novel of the History of the First Atomic Bomb, 2012 •	Gregg Herkin, Brotherhood of the Bomb: The Tangled Lives and Loyalties of Robert Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, and Edward Teller, 2002 •	Oppenheimer (1980 TV mini-series) •	The Social Network (2010 movie) •	The Imitation Game (2014 movie) •	Widespread Annihilation (game card), Flesh and Blood tabletop game (Dusk Till Dawn edition) •	Los Alamos National Laboratory, “Plutonium and poetry: Where Trinity and Oppenheimer's reading habits met,” (Recommendations from Oppenheimer for further reading), July 14, 2021 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter/X @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #74: Oppenheimer

In this episode, we gassed up our Landmaster 16-wheeled RV and hit the open roads to the drive-in theater to watch Damnation Alley (1977). How did this post-nuclear war road trip movie challenge its characters with radioactive landscapes and killer cockroaches. Why did Jan Michael Vincent call all the nuclear ICBMs to launch? What would you do if the CD player on your RV breaks halfway thru your half-life road trip? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), co-host James Sheehan (@JSheehanDC), and special guest Dr. Natasha Bajema (@WMDGirl) answer these questions and more.Full movie (link working as of July 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4eIKx2LEPUBefore our RV converted to a boat in Detroit, we recommend: •	Natasha Bajema, Rescind Order: A Highly Suspenseful Technothriller About Nuclear Weapons and Artificial Intelligence, 2020 book•	natashabajema.com•	RadioactiveRoadTrippinRR, YouTube channel •	John Noonan, “In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie,” Wired, January 14, 2011•	The Day the Earth Caught Fire, 1961 movie•	Thunder in Paradise, 1994 TV show•	Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka, WarDay, 1984 book•	Nitty Gritty Band rendition of Will the Circle Be Unbroken •	Magic the Gathering, Armageddon cardCheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we gassed up our Landmaster 16-wheeled RV and hit the open roads to the drive-in theater to watch Damnation Alley (1977). How did this post-nuclear war road trip movie challenge its characters with radioactive landscapes and killer cockroaches. Why did Jan Michael Vincent call all the nuclear ICBMs to launch? What would you do if the CD player on your RV breaks halfway thru your half-life road trip? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), co-host James Sheehan (@JSheehanDC), and special guest Dr. Natasha Bajema (@WMDGirl) answer these questions and more. Full movie (link working as of July 2023): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4eIKx2LEPU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4eIKx2LEPU</a> Before our RV converted to a boat in Detroit, we recommend: •	Natasha Bajema, Rescind Order: A Highly Suspenseful Technothriller About Nuclear Weapons and Artificial Intelligence, 2020 book •	<a href="http://natashabajema.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">natashabajema.com</a> •	RadioactiveRoadTrippinRR, YouTube channel •	John Noonan, “In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie,” Wired, January 14, 2011 •	The Day the Earth Caught Fire, 1961 movie •	Thunder in Paradise, 1994 TV show •	Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka, WarDay, 1984 book •	Nitty Gritty Band rendition of Will the Circle Be Unbroken •	Magic the Gathering, Armageddon card Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #73: Damnation Alley

In this episode, we count our blessings we survived a nuclear war long enough to watch the movie Five (1951) about a small group of people trying to rebuild civilization after radioactive fallout kills everyone else. This is the first movie showing a post-nuclear war story, so how did it do? Did it accurately portray radiation sickness or nuclear war dynamics? What did the five fingers say to the Red Button (spoiler: it is “slap!”)? Tim Westmyer (@Westmyer) and James Sheehan (@JSheehanDC) answer these questions and more.Before we harvested our atomic cornfields, we recommend: -The Last Man on Earth (TV series)-There Will Be Blood (2007 Movie)-Six String Samurai (1998 Movie)-Mad Max: Fury Road (2015 Movie)-12 Angry Men (1957 Movie)-How To Blow Up a Pipeline (2022 Movie)-On the Beach (1959 Movie) Enjoy!

In this episode, we count our blessings we survived a nuclear war long enough to watch the movie Five (1951) about a small group of people trying to rebuild civilization after radioactive fallout kills everyone else. This is the first movie showing a post-nuclear war story, so how did it do? Did it accurately portray radiation sickness or nuclear war dynamics? What did the five fingers say to the Red Button (spoiler: it is “slap!”)? Tim Westmyer (@Westmyer) and James Sheehan (@JSheehanDC) answer these questions and more. Before we harvested our atomic cornfields, we recommend: -The Last Man on Earth (TV series) -There Will Be Blood (2007 Movie) -Six String Samurai (1998 Movie) -Mad Max: Fury Road (2015 Movie) -12 Angry Men (1957 Movie) -How To Blow Up a Pipeline (2022 Movie) -On the Beach (1959 Movie) Enjoy!

Episode #72: Five

In this episode, we took in a double feature of The Core (2003) and Sunshine (2007), a pair of movies where nuclear weapons are deployed to locations far away from the Earth’s surface to save humanity. How could nukes respin the Earth’s core or reignite the sun? How does the role of “nukes as heroes” jive with the usual “nukes, aren’t those the baddies?” themes? Why does Cillian Murphy keep getting typecast as “tortured inventor of a weapon of mass destruction”: Robert Capa, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Scarecrow? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and new co-host James Sheehan (@jsheehandc) answer these questions and more.Before we leave the safety of Virgil’s atomic drill train, we recommend: -David Kagan, Sunstroke, 1993 book-Aniara (2018 movie)-Theodore Shabad, “Soviet Union Discloses Nuclear Blast that Put Out Fire in Gas Field,” New York Times, December 12, 1971-Blank Check Podcast - Sunshine-Ad Astra (2019 movie)-Trainspotting (1996 movie)We also recommend checking out:Anthony Kaufman, “Separating the Science from the Fiction in Sunshine,” Sloan Science and Film, November 15, 2007Jon O’Brien, “	15 Years Ago, Danny Boyle Made the Most Scientific Space Thriller Ever,” Inverse, July 18, 2022Marcus Chown, “Review: Sunshine,” New Scientist, April 3, 2007“Actor Dustin Hoffman Lobbies for More Reality in Science-Fiction Movies,” News.com.au, March 30, 2009Michelle Ealey, “Did the Movie ‘The Core’ Get Anything Right?,” ScienceFiction.com, February 13, 2012Elmear Dodd, “Bad Science: The Core at 15,” HeadStuff, March 21, 2018Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we took in a double feature of The Core (2003) and Sunshine (2007), a pair of movies where nuclear weapons are deployed to locations far away from the Earth’s surface to save humanity. How could nukes respin the Earth’s core or reignite the sun? How does the role of “nukes as heroes” jive with the usual “nukes, aren’t those the baddies?” themes? Why does Cillian Murphy keep getting typecast as “tortured inventor of a weapon of mass destruction”: Robert Capa, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Scarecrow? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and new co-host James Sheehan (@jsheehandc) answer these questions and more. Before we leave the safety of Virgil’s atomic drill train, we recommend: -David Kagan, Sunstroke, 1993 book -Aniara (2018 movie) -Theodore Shabad, “Soviet Union Discloses Nuclear Blast that Put Out Fire in Gas Field,” New York Times, December 12, 1971 -Blank Check Podcast - Sunshine -Ad Astra (2019 movie) -Trainspotting (1996 movie) We also recommend checking out: Anthony Kaufman, “Separating the Science from the Fiction in Sunshine,” Sloan Science and Film, November 15, 2007 Jon O’Brien, “	15 Years Ago, Danny Boyle Made the Most Scientific Space Thriller Ever,” Inverse, July 18, 2022 Marcus Chown, “Review: Sunshine,” New Scientist, April 3, 2007 “Actor Dustin Hoffman Lobbies for More Reality in Science-Fiction Movies,” <a href="http://News.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">News.com.au</a>, March 30, 2009 Michelle Ealey, “Did the Movie ‘The Core’ Get Anything Right?,” <a href="http://ScienceFiction.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ScienceFiction.com</a>, February 13, 2012 Elmear Dodd, “Bad Science: The Core at 15,” HeadStuff, March 21, 2018 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #71: The Core & Sunshine

In this episode, our phones were blowing up with alerts to watch Blowing Up Right Now (2019), a romantic comedy about a couple on the rocks forced to shelter in place during a nuclear missile crisis. How does the plot mirror the real life nuclear missile false alarm Hawaiian citizens experienced in 2018? How does a nuclear war crisis look to the average person who can only get information from cable news and Twitter? What nuclear survival tips can we learn after 5 seconds of time on Google (asking for a panicked friend)? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and co-host Gabe answer these questions and more.Before we hunkered down inside our pillow fort fallout bunker, we recommend: •	Danny Jolles, You Choose: The Full Interactive Comedy Special from Danny Jolles, Don’t Tell Comedy, YouTube, 2022•	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004 Movie)•	False Alarm (2021 Documentary)•	Daryll Kimball, “Nuclear False Warnings and the Risk of Catastrophe,” Arms Control Association, March 16, 2020•	“Ladybug Ladybug,” Super Critical Podcast, Episode #21, 2018Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, our phones were blowing up with alerts to watch Blowing Up Right Now (2019), a romantic comedy about a couple on the rocks forced to shelter in place during a nuclear missile crisis. How does the plot mirror the real life nuclear missile false alarm Hawaiian citizens experienced in 2018? How does a nuclear war crisis look to the average person who can only get information from cable news and Twitter? What nuclear survival tips can we learn after 5 seconds of time on Google (asking for a panicked friend)? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and co-host Gabe answer these questions and more. Before we hunkered down inside our pillow fort fallout bunker, we recommend: •	Danny Jolles, You Choose: The Full Interactive Comedy Special from Danny Jolles, Don’t Tell Comedy, YouTube, 2022 •	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004 Movie) •	False Alarm (2021 Documentary) •	Daryll Kimball, “Nuclear False Warnings and the Risk of Catastrophe,” Arms Control Association, March 16, 2020 •	“Ladybug Ladybug,” Super Critical Podcast, Episode #21, 2018 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #70: Blowing Up Right Now

In this episode, we were fresh out of hydrogen so we need to watch Chain Reaction (1996) to learn how to make some more. How does this Cold Fusion adjacent movie draw on nuclear themes for its plot? Does the subplot about our heroes being framed as spies for China stealing national secrets have parallels to real life events? Did Evel Kinevil ever jump his stunt bike over a mushroom cloud? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more.Before we powered the city of Chicago with our Nalgene bottle, we recommend: -The Fugitive (1993 movie)-The Saint (1997 movie)-Gary Taubes, Bad Science: The Short Life and Weird Times of Cold Fusion, 1993-Eduro Life Media, “Impossible Climb Andler 2019 – Dirt Bike Graveyard – Hill Climb,” YouTube-David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, 2017 We also recommend checking out:•	Josh Friedman, “I’m Your Friend, Eddie,” I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing (Blog), August 24, 2005•	Free Energy Suppression Conspiracy Theory, Wikipedia•	Beth Laski, “Reeves, Davis Ring Up  ‘Dead’ Cash,” Variety, January 8, 1995•	Tim Prokop, “Causing a Chain Reaction,” Movie (Aus), January/February 1997•	William J. Broad, “Spies vs. Sweat: The Debate Over China’s Nuclear Advance,” New York Times, September 7, 1999Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we were fresh out of hydrogen so we need to watch Chain Reaction (1996) to learn how to make some more. How does this Cold Fusion adjacent movie draw on nuclear themes for its plot? Does the subplot about our heroes being framed as spies for China stealing national secrets have parallels to real life events? Did Evel Kinevil ever jump his stunt bike over a mushroom cloud? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more. Before we powered the city of Chicago with our Nalgene bottle, we recommend: -The Fugitive (1993 movie) -The Saint (1997 movie) -Gary Taubes, Bad Science: The Short Life and Weird Times of Cold Fusion, 1993 -Eduro Life Media, “Impossible Climb Andler 2019 – Dirt Bike Graveyard – Hill Climb,” YouTube -David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, 2017 We also recommend checking out: •	Josh Friedman, “I’m Your Friend, Eddie,” I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing (Blog), August 24, 2005 •	Free Energy Suppression Conspiracy Theory, Wikipedia •	Beth Laski, “Reeves, Davis Ring Up ‘Dead’ Cash,” Variety, January 8, 1995 •	Tim Prokop, “Causing a Chain Reaction,” Movie (Aus), January/February 1997 •	William J. Broad, “Spies vs. Sweat: The Debate Over China’s Nuclear Advance,” New York Times, September 7, 1999 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #69 - Chain Reaction

In this episode, we watched a whopper, err WOPR of a movie in the 2008 direct to video-on-demand sequel to the classic nuke movie called WarGames: The Dead Code. What could go wrong when you put artificial intelligence back in charge of the nukes and the predator drones? How to do you convince a machine that nuclear war is not winnable? What happens when you don’t know what “The Dead Code” is and at this point you’re too afraid to ask? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Lucy Steigerwald (@lucystag) answer these questions and more.Before we booked our flight to Montreal, we recommend: -WarGames (1983)-Miracle Mile (1988)-The Iron Giant (1999)-Natasha Bajemna, Rescind Order, 2020-David Hoffman, The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy, 2009-Future Man (2017-2020, Hulu TV Show)-Zachary Kallenborn, “Giving an AI Control of Nuclear Weapons: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?,” The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 1, 2022 -Hackers React to WarGames: The Dead Code, Alex Chaveriat, YouTube, July 28, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PghUBYY4fpECheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we watched a whopper, err WOPR of a movie in the 2008 direct to video-on-demand sequel to the classic nuke movie called WarGames: The Dead Code. What could go wrong when you put artificial intelligence back in charge of the nukes and the predator drones? How to do you convince a machine that nuclear war is not winnable? What happens when you don’t know what “The Dead Code” is and at this point you’re too afraid to ask? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Lucy Steigerwald (@lucystag) answer these questions and more. Before we booked our flight to Montreal, we recommend: -WarGames (1983) -Miracle Mile (1988) -The Iron Giant (1999) -Natasha Bajemna, Rescind Order, 2020 -David Hoffman, The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy, 2009 -Future Man (2017-2020, Hulu TV Show) -Zachary Kallenborn, “Giving an AI Control of Nuclear Weapons: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?,” The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 1, 2022 -Hackers React to WarGames: The Dead Code, Alex Chaveriat, YouTube, July 28, 2021, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PghUBYY4fpE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PghUBYY4fpE</a> Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #68: WarGames - The Dead Code

In this episode, we found ourselves in the danger zone watching a surprise nuclear weapon plot in the fun movie Top Gun: Maverick (2022) where Tom Cruise needs to teach a crew of hot shot misfits to airstrike a uranium enrichment facility on the Death Star (kind of). Why did Top Gun sequel feel the need to raise the nuclear stakes in the plot? Any real life influence on the story related to airstrikes against similar nuclear facilities? Will this movie series ever run out of teambuilding activities to play on the beach sand? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and co-host/aviation guru Gabe answer these questions and more.Before we request a tower flyby, we recommend: -Hot Shots! (1991 parody of Top Gun)-Amb. Wendy Sherman, Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence, 2018-“Israel Admits Striking Suspected Syrian Nuclear Reactor in 2007,” BBC, Mach 21, 2018-“Israeli Attack on Iraq’s Osirak 1981: Setback or Impetus for Nuclear Weapons,” National Security Archive, June 7, 2021-“Top Gun – The Need for Speed,” LockheadMartin.com-“Tom Cruise Terrifies James in ‘Top Gun’ Fighter Jet!,” The Late Night Show with James Corden channel on YouTube, March 24, 2022-“Actual TOPGUN, Dave Berke, Reacts to "TOPGUN: Maverick" with Jocko Willink,” Jocko Podcast channel on YouTube, June 3, 2022Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we found ourselves in the danger zone watching a surprise nuclear weapon plot in the fun movie Top Gun: Maverick (2022) where Tom Cruise needs to teach a crew of hot shot misfits to airstrike a uranium enrichment facility on the Death Star (kind of). Why did Top Gun sequel feel the need to raise the nuclear stakes in the plot? Any real life influence on the story related to airstrikes against similar nuclear facilities? Will this movie series ever run out of teambuilding activities to play on the beach sand? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and co-host/aviation guru Gabe answer these questions and more. Before we request a tower flyby, we recommend: -Hot Shots! (1991 parody of Top Gun) -Amb. Wendy Sherman, Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence, 2018 -“Israel Admits Striking Suspected Syrian Nuclear Reactor in 2007,” BBC, Mach 21, 2018 -“Israeli Attack on Iraq’s Osirak 1981: Setback or Impetus for Nuclear Weapons,” National Security Archive, June 7, 2021 -“Top Gun – The Need for Speed,” <a href="http://LockheadMartin.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LockheadMartin.com</a> -“Tom Cruise Terrifies James in ‘Top Gun’ Fighter Jet!,” The Late Night Show with James Corden channel on YouTube, March 24, 2022 -“Actual TOPGUN, Dave Berke, Reacts to "TOPGUN: Maverick" with Jocko Willink,” Jocko Podcast channel on YouTube, June 3, 2022 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #67: Top Gun - Maverick

In this episode, we investigated a distress beacon to find our new artificially intelligent WMD friend in the Star Trek Voyager episode “Warhead” (s5 e25 - 1999) where the crew picks up smart bomb hitchhiker hellbent on finishing his military mission. Why don’t all nuclear armed missiles have a self-destruct feature? How do you deter against a nuclear strike from a planet 80 light years away? How does the USS Voyager convince a nuclear bomb to stop loving itself and not explode? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), co-host Gabe, and special guest James Sheehan (@jsheehandc) -- consultant working on trans-Atlantic cooperation and public diplomacy -- answer these questions and more.Before we check out of sick bay, we recommend: -Russian Roulette, PBS, February 23, 1999-Dark Star (1974 movie by John Carpenter)-“One,” Metallica, …And Justice for All (1989)-Meilan Solly, “The Japanese WWII Soldier Who Refused to Surrender for 27 Years,” Smithsonian Magazine-The Delta Flyers, Voyager Podcast-Jetrel, Star Trek Voyager (s1 e15, May 1995)-Sunshine (2007 movie)-Star Trek: First Contact (1996 movie)-Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (2022), Wizards of the CoastCheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we investigated a distress beacon to find our new artificially intelligent WMD friend in the Star Trek Voyager episode “Warhead” (s5 e25 - 1999) where the crew picks up smart bomb hitchhiker hellbent on finishing his military mission. Why don’t all nuclear armed missiles have a self-destruct feature? How do you deter against a nuclear strike from a planet 80 light years away? How does the USS Voyager convince a nuclear bomb to stop loving itself and not explode? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), co-host Gabe, and special guest James Sheehan (@jsheehandc) -- consultant working on trans-Atlantic cooperation and public diplomacy -- answer these questions and more. Before we check out of sick bay, we recommend: -Russian Roulette, PBS, February 23, 1999 -Dark Star (1974 movie by John Carpenter) -“One,” Metallica, …And Justice for All (1989) -Meilan Solly, “The Japanese WWII Soldier Who Refused to Surrender for 27 Years,” Smithsonian Magazine -The Delta Flyers, Voyager Podcast -Jetrel, Star Trek Voyager (s1 e15, May 1995) -Sunshine (2007 movie) -Star Trek: First Contact (1996 movie) -Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (2022), Wizards of the Coast Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #66: Star Trek Voyager - Warhead

In this episode, we flipped our way through the pages of the Choose Your Own Adventure book, The Brilliant Dr. Wogan (1987), where a missing scientist might have a radiation neutralizer that can end the threat of nuclear war. How does the multiple ending and narrative freedom of this book genre help teach kids about nuclear dangers? What does this radiation neutralizer have in common with Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars program? When is the book report on this story due again (this might just be a reoccurring nightmare the podcasts hosts keep having well into their 30s)? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more.Before we return the book to the library, we recommend: -Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018, Netflix)-Paul Lettow, Ronald Reagan and His Quest to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, 2006-Timothy J. Jorgenson, Strange Glow: The Story of Radiation, 2016-Pat Frank, Alas, Babylon, 1959-Kate Moore, Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, 2018-57 North, mobile game published by Mighty Coconut-Brian Jacques, Redwall, book series 1986-2011-Peter George, Dr. Strangelove (novelization), 1963Thanks to pixabay.com for the sound effects used in the episode.Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we flipped our way through the pages of the Choose Your Own Adventure book, The Brilliant Dr. Wogan (1987), where a missing scientist might have a radiation neutralizer that can end the threat of nuclear war. How does the multiple ending and narrative freedom of this book genre help teach kids about nuclear dangers? What does this radiation neutralizer have in common with Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars program? When is the book report on this story due again (this might just be a reoccurring nightmare the podcasts hosts keep having well into their 30s)? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more. Before we return the book to the library, we recommend: -Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018, Netflix) -Paul Lettow, Ronald Reagan and His Quest to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, 2006 -Timothy J. Jorgenson, Strange Glow: The Story of Radiation, 2016 -Pat Frank, Alas, Babylon, 1959 -Kate Moore, Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, 2018 -57 North, mobile game published by Mighty Coconut -Brian Jacques, Redwall, book series 1986-2011 -Peter George, Dr. Strangelove (novelization), 1963 Thanks to <a href="http://pixabay.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pixabay.com</a> for the sound effects used in the episode. Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, Spotify, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #65: Choose Your Own Adventure Book

Podcast overthinking movies about nuclear weapons with policy analysis, quasi-science, pop culture debates, and too many puns.

Smart, funny, extremely well researched deep dive into the science and strategic logic underpinning nuclear weapons in popular entertainment

The best deep dive into the nuclear dimensions of pop culture entertainment

I love listening to the hosts analyze these movies and the nuclear issues found in them. What plot device could be more &#34;explosive&#34; than a nuclear bomb?! But, how realistic is the nuclear event in your favorite movie? Do you care? I do. I can&#39;t help it - I&#39;m Super Critical. If you are, too, you&#39;ll radiate while listening to this podcast.

5 out of 5 Megatons!

Super Critical Podcast

In this episode, school is out for nuclear winter break, so we binged the Netflix series Daybreak about high school students surviving post-WWIII. How well does a nuclear war plot mesh with a John Hughes teenage comedy? What is the connection between sunflowers and nuclear disarmament? Who in our high school yearbook was voted “most likely to depress everyone with a podcast about nuclear war movies”? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Cecili Thompson-Williams (@cecilitw), Executive Director of Beyond the Bomb (@BeyondtheBomb), answer these questions and more.Before we decide which post-apocalyptic clique to join, we recommend: -The 100 (TV series)-BeyondTheBomb.org-Phineas and Ferb (TV series)-WarGames (1983 movie)-Night of the Comet (1984 movie)-Elizabeth King, “How Growing Up with the Threat of Nuclear War Shapes Kids’ Psyches,” TheCut, June 7, 2017Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, school is out for nuclear winter break, so we binged the Netflix series Daybreak about high school students surviving post-WWIII. How well does a nuclear war plot mesh with a John Hughes teenage comedy? What is the connection between sunflowers and nuclear disarmament? Who in our high school yearbook was voted “most likely to depress everyone with a podcast about nuclear war movies”? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Cecili Thompson-Williams (@cecilitw), Executive Director of Beyond the Bomb (@BeyondtheBomb), answer these questions and more. Before we decide which post-apocalyptic clique to join, we recommend: -The 100 (TV series) -<a href="http://BeyondTheBomb.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BeyondTheBomb.org</a> -Phineas and Ferb (TV series) -WarGames (1983 movie) -Night of the Comet (1984 movie) -Elizabeth King, “How Growing Up with the Threat of Nuclear War Shapes Kids’ Psyches,” TheCut, June 7, 2017 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #48: Daybreak

In this episode, we play a nice game of chess. After five minutes of that, we put on the 1983 Cold War movie and techno-horror story, WarGames. Can a country "win" a nuclear war? Could a faulty computer actually lead to WWIII? How did ICBM silo missileers keep themselves occupied before there were portable DVD players? We answer these questions and more.Before we go back to DEFCON 5, we recommend reading Eric Schlosser's Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety (Penguin Books, 2014). Other sources to check out include :-"WarGames: A Look Back at the Film that Turned Geeks and Phreaks into Stars," Wired, July 21, 2008-"In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie," Wired, January 14, 2011-"A Year Later: Responding to Problems in the ICBM Force," The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 12, 2015-"The Reagan Presidency: Every Night at the Movies," Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1991We aim to have a new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, Facebook.com/SuperCriticalPodcast, or SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com.

In this episode, we play a nice game of chess. After five minutes of that, we put on the 1983 Cold War movie and techno-horror story, WarGames. Can a country "win" a nuclear war? Could a faulty computer actually lead to WWIII? How did ICBM silo missileers keep themselves occupied before there were portable DVD players? We answer these questions and more. Before we go back to DEFCON 5, we recommend reading Eric Schlosser's Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety (Penguin Books, 2014). Other sources to check out include : -"WarGames: A Look Back at the Film that Turned Geeks and Phreaks into Stars," Wired, July 21, 2008 -"In Nuclear Silos, Death Wears a Snuggie," Wired, January 14, 2011 -"A Year Later: Responding to Problems in the ICBM Force," The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 12, 2015 -"The Reagan Presidency: Every Night at the Movies," Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1991 We aim to have a new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, <a href="http://Facebook.com/SuperCriticalPodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/SuperCriticalPodcast</a>, or SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 3: WarGames

In this episode, we prepared for Judgment Day by watching all of the Terminator movies (1984-2015/forever). How did the franchise end up with some of the most iconic imagery of nuclear weapon use? Should we be worried about artificial intelligence taking over our nuclear command and control systems? Why does Skynet seem to put out more models of terminator than Apple does iPhones? Tim, Joel, and special guest Alex answer these questions and more.Before we say “hasta la vista… baby,” we recommend reading: -Jerome Shapiro, Atomic Bomb Cinema, 2001-Bruce Blair, Strategic Command and Control, 1985 and The Logic of Accidental Nuclear War, 1993-Joe McGovern, “‘The Terminator’ at 30: An Oral History,” Entertainment Weekly, July 17, 2014Check out these resources and more on our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com.Special thanks to Alicia Dressman (@thedelphivision) for suggesting the episode hook with the quote by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin.We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we prepared for Judgment Day by watching all of the Terminator movies (1984-2015/forever). How did the franchise end up with some of the most iconic imagery of nuclear weapon use? Should we be worried about artificial intelligence taking over our nuclear command and control systems? Why does Skynet seem to put out more models of terminator than Apple does iPhones? Tim, Joel, and special guest Alex answer these questions and more. Before we say “hasta la vista… baby,” we recommend reading: -Jerome Shapiro, Atomic Bomb Cinema, 2001 -Bruce Blair, Strategic Command and Control, 1985 and The Logic of Accidental Nuclear War, 1993 -Joe McGovern, “‘The Terminator’ at 30: An Oral History,” Entertainment Weekly, July 17, 2014 Check out these resources and more on our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>. Special thanks to Alicia Dressman (@thedelphivision) for suggesting the episode hook with the quote by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode 12: Terminator Movies

In this episode, we maxed out our conference call lines while debating the 1964 drama-thriller movie, Fail-Safe. What happens when you can't recall your own nuclear bombers en route to Moscow? How many air planes can you knock out of the sky with a nuclear bomb? How do you convince your enemy that accidents -- even nuclear ones -- do happen? The podcast hosts and special guest/TCM guru Victoria answer these questions and more.Before our podcast's phone line melted in a fireball, we recommended reading L. Douglas Keeney, 15 Minutes: General Curtis Lemay and the Countdown to Nuclear Annihilation (St. Martin's Griffin, 2012) and two articles at the National Security Archive (see links below).Other sources to check out include -- you can also access these links on our SoundCloud page:-William Burr, "The Air Force versus Hollywood," National Security Archive, January 15, 2010,  http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb304/index.htm-Christopher Bright, "Cold War Air Defense Relied on Widespread Dispersal of Nuclear Weapons, Documents Show," National Security Archive, November 16, 2010, http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb332/-Photos of SAC HQ, http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image04.htm, http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image03.htm, http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image02.htm-Steve Weintz, "Dreaming of Genie, America's Anti-Aircraft Nuke," War is Boring, March 2, 2014, https://warisboring.com/dreaming-of-genie-americas-anti-aircraft-nuke-df20fe88facd#.clto29h6f-Bob Raichle, Alaska's Cold War Nuclear Shield," Nike Historical Society, 2012, http://nikemissile.org/ColdWar/AlaskaColdWar/alaska_cold_war.shtml-Richard Oulahan, "Doomsday is Better as a Farce," LIFE, October 30, 1964, https://books.google.com/books?id=o0gEAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA12&amp;source=gbs_toc_r&amp;cad=2#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=true-Ari Schulman, "Doomsday Machines: Fail-Safe was Flop, but Much Smarter about Nuclear War than Dr. Strangelove," Slate, October 7, 2014, http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/10/fail_safe_50th_anniversary_sidney_lumet_s_nuclear_war_movie_is_better_than.html-Sharon Ghamari, Review of Technical Accuracy in Fail-Safe, Strategy Page, https://www.strategypage.com/moviereviews/default.asp?target=Fail%20Safe-"Revisiting Fail-Safe," Fail-Safe Special Edition DVD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZdz2HXCgig-B-58 Hustler, Federation of American Scientists, May 29, 1997, http://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-58.htm-Wm. Robert Johnston, MULTIMEGATON WEAPONS: The Largest Nuclear Weapons, April 6, 2009, http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/multimeg.html#U1-Stiletto, Transformers Wiki, http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Stiletto_(BW)We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, or YouTube. Enjoy!

In this episode, we maxed out our conference call lines while debating the 1964 drama-thriller movie, Fail-Safe. What happens when you can't recall your own nuclear bombers en route to Moscow? How many air planes can you knock out of the sky with a nuclear bomb? How do you convince your enemy that accidents -- even nuclear ones -- do happen? The podcast hosts and special guest/TCM guru Victoria answer these questions and more. Before our podcast's phone line melted in a fireball, we recommended reading L. Douglas Keeney, 15 Minutes: General Curtis Lemay and the Countdown to Nuclear Annihilation (St. Martin's Griffin, 2012) and two articles at the National Security Archive (see links below). Other sources to check out include -- you can also access these links on our SoundCloud page: -William Burr, "The Air Force versus Hollywood," National Security Archive, January 15, 2010, <a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb304/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb304/index.htm</a> -Christopher Bright, "Cold War Air Defense Relied on Widespread Dispersal of Nuclear Weapons, Documents Show," National Security Archive, November 16, 2010, <a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb332/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb332/</a> -Photos of SAC HQ, <a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image04.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image04.htm</a>, <a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image03.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image03.htm</a>, <a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image02.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/gallery/image02.htm</a> -Steve Weintz, "Dreaming of Genie, America's Anti-Aircraft Nuke," War is Boring, March 2, 2014, <a href="https://warisboring.com/dreaming-of-genie-americas-anti-aircraft-nuke-df20fe88facd#.clto29h6f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://warisboring.com/dreaming-of-genie-americas-anti-aircraft-nuke-df20fe88facd#.clto29h6f</a> -Bob Raichle, Alaska's Cold War Nuclear Shield," Nike Historical Society, 2012, <a href="http://nikemissile.org/ColdWar/AlaskaColdWar/alaska_cold_war.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nikemissile.org/ColdWar/AlaskaColdWar/alaska_cold_war.shtml</a> -Richard Oulahan, "Doomsday is Better as a Farce," LIFE, October 30, 1964, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=o0gEAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA12&amp;source=gbs_toc_r&amp;cad=2#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=o0gEAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA12&amp;source=gbs_toc_r&amp;cad=2#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=true</a> -Ari Schulman, "Doomsday Machines: Fail-Safe was Flop, but Much Smarter about Nuclear War than Dr. Strangelove," Slate, October 7, 2014, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/10/fail_safe_50th_anniversary_sidney_lumet_s_nuclear_war_movie_is_better_than.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/10/fail_safe_50th_anniversary_sidney_lumet_s_nuclear_war_movie_is_better_than.html</a> -Sharon Ghamari, Review of Technical Accuracy in Fail-Safe, Strategy Page, <a href="https://www.strategypage.com/moviereviews/default.asp?target=Fail%20Safe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.strategypage.com/moviereviews/default.asp?target=Fail%20Safe</a> -"Revisiting Fail-Safe," Fail-Safe Special Edition DVD, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZdz2HXCgig" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZdz2HXCgig</a> -B-58 Hustler, Federation of American Scientists, May 29, 1997, <a href="http://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-58.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-58.htm</a> -Wm. Robert Johnston, MULTIMEGATON WEAPONS: The Largest Nuclear Weapons, April 6, 2009, <a href="http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/multimeg.html#U1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/multimeg.html#U1</a> -Stiletto, Transformers Wiki, <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Stiletto_(BW)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Stiletto_(BW)</a> We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, or YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode 9: Fail-Safe

In this episode, we did the math about what happens when you add a missing nuclear weapon together with neo-fascists and an unassuming CIA desk analyst in the Sum of All Fears (2002). How can terrorists get their hands on a plutonium core? Why did Russia allow the United States so many inspections of its nukes? Why won’t America just let Jack Ryan finish writing his memo. Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guest Jon Duke (@VortexAeroMedia) answer these questions and more.Before we nuke more insects to see what happens, we recommend checking out: -Peter Feaver, Guarding the Guardians: Civilian Control of Nuclear Weapons in the United States, 1992-Cresson H. Kearney, “Chapter 13: Surviving Without Doctors,” Nuclear War Survival Guide, 1987, http://www.madisoncountyema.com/nwss.pdf-The Fourth Protocol (1987 movie)-Peter Hennessey, The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War, 2002-War Book (2014 movie)-The Letter of Last Resort, BBC Radio 4, 2013, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0210spcCheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we did the math about what happens when you add a missing nuclear weapon together with neo-fascists and an unassuming CIA desk analyst in the Sum of All Fears (2002). How can terrorists get their hands on a plutonium core? Why did Russia allow the United States so many inspections of its nukes? Why won’t America just let Jack Ryan finish writing his memo. Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guest Jon Duke (@VortexAeroMedia) answer these questions and more. Before we nuke more insects to see what happens, we recommend checking out: -Peter Feaver, Guarding the Guardians: Civilian Control of Nuclear Weapons in the United States, 1992 -Cresson H. Kearney, “Chapter 13: Surviving Without Doctors,” Nuclear War Survival Guide, 1987, <a href="http://www.madisoncountyema.com/nwss.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.madisoncountyema.com/nwss.pdf</a> -The Fourth Protocol (1987 movie) -Peter Hennessey, The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War, 2002 -War Book (2014 movie) -The Letter of Last Resort, BBC Radio 4, 2013, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0210spc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0210spc</a> Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #33: Sum of All Fears

In this episode, we got political and watched the infamous “Daisy” commercial run by the Lyndon Johnson for President campaign against Sen. Barry Goldwater in 1964. What was it like before political ads went so negative? Why was this ad so creepy and yet so effective in portraying the country’s nuclear anxieties? Why didn’t this child actor win an Oscar? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more.Before we pick off the last petal on our flower, we recommend reading -Robert Mann, Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the Ad that Changed Politics Forever (LSU Press, 2011)-Bombs Away, documentary by University of Virginia Center for Politics, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChDe9XmbglEAlso, go vote! Find out where here: https://www.rockthevote.com/get-informed/elections/find-your-polling-place/Also check out the sources below to learn more (you can also access these links on our SoundCloud page):-Clinton Campaign, “Silo,” October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lha5Gk-yCbw-Clinton Campaign, “Daisy Ad,” October 31, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKAlt-mrWM-Johnson Campaign, “Peace, Little Girl,” September 1964, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k-Johnson Campaign, “Ice Cream Girl,” September 1964, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-VzZQGWOqA-Johnson Campaign, “Atomic Bomb – Test Ban,” 1964, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1B2re9Tz_8-Johnson Campaign, “Pregnant Lady,” 1964, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUO0PqJMsTg-Zack Beauchamp, “The Clinton team found the star of the most famous political ad in history to pound Trump,” VOX, October 31, 2016, http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13477678/clinton-ad-daisy-Robert Mann, “‘How the “Daisy” Ad Changed Everything About Political Advertising,”Smithsonian, April 13, 2016, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-daisy-ad-changed-everything-about-political-advertising-180958741/?no-ist-Robert Mann and Zack Stanton, “LBJ’s Ad Men: Here’s How Clinton can Beat Trump,” Politico, May 29, 2016, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/2016-johnson-lbj-campaign-1964-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-political-ads-daisy-213925-Julian Zelier, “Return of the 'Daisy' ad can't revive politics of the 1960s,” CNN, October 31, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/opinions/clinton-daisy-girl-cant-bring-back-1960s-zelizer/-Barry Goldwater, Remarks on Senate Floor on LTBT, September 19, 1963, http://wopsr.net/goldwater-on-limited-nuclear-test-ban-treaty/-Ross Rosenbaum, “An Unsung Hero of the Nuclear Age,” Slate, February 28, 2011, http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_spectator/2011/02/an_unsung_hero_of_the_nuclear_age.single.htmlWe aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we got political and watched the infamous “Daisy” commercial run by the Lyndon Johnson for President campaign against Sen. Barry Goldwater in 1964. What was it like before political ads went so negative? Why was this ad so creepy and yet so effective in portraying the country’s nuclear anxieties? Why didn’t this child actor win an Oscar? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more. Before we pick off the last petal on our flower, we recommend reading -Robert Mann, Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the Ad that Changed Politics Forever (LSU Press, 2011) -Bombs Away, documentary by University of Virginia Center for Politics, 2014, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChDe9XmbglE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChDe9XmbglE</a> Also, go vote! Find out where here: <a href="https://www.rockthevote.com/get-informed/elections/find-your-polling-place/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.rockthevote.com/get-informed/elections/find-your-polling-place/</a> Also check out the sources below to learn more (you can also access these links on our SoundCloud page): -Clinton Campaign, “Silo,” October 2016, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lha5Gk-yCbw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lha5Gk-yCbw</a> -Clinton Campaign, “Daisy Ad,” October 31, 2016, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKAlt-mrWM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKAlt-mrWM</a> -Johnson Campaign, “Peace, Little Girl,” September 1964, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k</a> -Johnson Campaign, “Ice Cream Girl,” September 1964, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-VzZQGWOqA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-VzZQGWOqA</a> -Johnson Campaign, “Atomic Bomb – Test Ban,” 1964, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1B2re9Tz_8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1B2re9Tz_8</a> -Johnson Campaign, “Pregnant Lady,” 1964, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUO0PqJMsTg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUO0PqJMsTg</a> -Zack Beauchamp, “The Clinton team found the star of the most famous political ad in history to pound Trump,” VOX, October 31, 2016, <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13477678/clinton-ad-daisy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13477678/clinton-ad-daisy</a> -Robert Mann, “‘How the “Daisy” Ad Changed Everything About Political Advertising,” Smithsonian, April 13, 2016, <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-daisy-ad-changed-everything-about-political-advertising-180958741/?no-ist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-daisy-ad-changed-everything-about-political-advertising-180958741/?no-ist</a> -Robert Mann and Zack Stanton, “LBJ’s Ad Men: Here’s How Clinton can Beat Trump,” Politico, May 29, 2016, <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/2016-johnson-lbj-campaign-1964-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-political-ads-daisy-213925" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/2016-johnson-lbj-campaign-1964-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-political-ads-daisy-213925</a> -Julian Zelier, “Return of the 'Daisy' ad can't revive politics of the 1960s,” CNN, October 31, 2016, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/opinions/clinton-daisy-girl-cant-bring-back-1960s-zelizer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/opinions/clinton-daisy-girl-cant-bring-back-1960s-zelizer/</a> -Barry Goldwater, Remarks on Senate Floor on LTBT, September 19, 1963, <a href="http://wopsr.net/goldwater-on-limited-nuclear-test-ban-treaty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://wopsr.net/goldwater-on-limited-nuclear-test-ban-treaty/</a> -Ross Rosenbaum, “An Unsung Hero of the Nuclear Age,” Slate, February 28, 2011, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_spectator/2011/02/an_unsung_hero_of_the_nuclear_age.single.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_spectator/2011/02/an_unsung_hero_of_the_nuclear_age.single.html</a> We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Mini-Nuke 3: The "Daisy" Ad

In this episode, we figured out how an RBMK reactor explodes by watching the hit HBO show Chernobyl. What caused the nuclear power plant disaster? How did the Soviet leadership and the Russian people respond to the crisis? If vodka is really such a powerful medicinal wonder, can it be covered by your health care insurance? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guests Meghan McCall (@Nuclear_Ginger_) and Geoff Wilson (@NuclearWilson) answer these questions and more.Our special guests also have excellent podcasts on nuke topics to enjoy:-Meghan McCall's Press the Button-Geoff Wilson's Nukes of HazardBefore we hug our dogs closer than normal, we recommend checking out: -Chernobyl, Podcast by Craig Mazin and Peter Segal-Chernobyl VR Project, The Farm 51-The China Syndrome, 1979 movie-Adam Higginbotham, Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster, 2019-Svetlana Alexievich, Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster, 2006-David McMillan and David Baillargeon, David McMillan: Growth and Decay: Pripyat and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, 2019-Pandora’s Promise, 2013 documentary-Eric Schlosser, Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, 2014-Metro video game seriesCheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we figured out how an RBMK reactor explodes by watching the hit HBO show Chernobyl. What caused the nuclear power plant disaster? How did the Soviet leadership and the Russian people respond to the crisis? If vodka is really such a powerful medicinal wonder, can it be covered by your health care insurance? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guests Meghan McCall (@Nuclear_Ginger_) and Geoff Wilson (@NuclearWilson) answer these questions and more. Our special guests also have excellent podcasts on nuke topics to enjoy: -Meghan McCall's Press the Button -Geoff Wilson's Nukes of Hazard Before we hug our dogs closer than normal, we recommend checking out: -Chernobyl, Podcast by Craig Mazin and Peter Segal -Chernobyl VR Project, The Farm 51 -The China Syndrome, 1979 movie -Adam Higginbotham, Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster, 2019 -Svetlana Alexievich, Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster, 2006 -David McMillan and David Baillargeon, David McMillan: Growth and Decay: Pripyat and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, 2019 -Pandora’s Promise, 2013 documentary -Eric Schlosser, Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, 2014 -Metro video game series Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #37: Chernobyl

In this episode, we see how many scientists in the desert it takes to build an atomic bomb by watching the 1989 movie “Fat Man and Little Boy.” How did scientists and the military both collaborate and clash in the pursuit of the first nuclear weapon? What was the role of women scientists in this endeavor? Could you actually buy a condo in Manhattan even if you had the budget of the atomic bomb project? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guests/nuke experts Erin Connolly (@Erin_Conn17) and Kate Hewitt (@BlondNukeGirl) from Girl Security answer these questions and more.Before we started eating our Pentagon cakes, we recommend: -Day One, 1989 TV Movie-Robert Serber, The Los Alamos Primer: The First Lectures on How to Build the Atomic Bomb, 1992 -Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, 1986-Denise Kiernan, Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, 2014-John Hersey, Hiroshima, 1946-Kate Brown, Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, And The Great Soviet And American Plutonium Disasters, 2015-GirlSecurity.org-HighlyEnriched.com (coming soon)Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we see how many scientists in the desert it takes to build an atomic bomb by watching the 1989 movie “Fat Man and Little Boy.” How did scientists and the military both collaborate and clash in the pursuit of the first nuclear weapon? What was the role of women scientists in this endeavor? Could you actually buy a condo in Manhattan even if you had the budget of the atomic bomb project? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guests/nuke experts Erin Connolly (@Erin_Conn17) and Kate Hewitt (@BlondNukeGirl) from Girl Security answer these questions and more. Before we started eating our Pentagon cakes, we recommend: -Day One, 1989 TV Movie -Robert Serber, The Los Alamos Primer: The First Lectures on How to Build the Atomic Bomb, 1992 -Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, 1986 -Denise Kiernan, Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, 2014 -John Hersey, Hiroshima, 1946 -Kate Brown, Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, And The Great Soviet And American Plutonium Disasters, 2015 -<a href="http://GirlSecurity.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GirlSecurity.org</a> -<a href="http://HighlyEnriched.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HighlyEnriched.com</a> (coming soon) Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #45: Fat Man and Little Boy

In this episode, we boldly overanalyzed what no one had deemed necessary to overanalyze before: the nuclear nonsense in the acclaimed Star Trek episode, The City on the Edge of Forever. How close was Nazi Germany to actually building an atomic bomb? Could one person convince America to stay out of WWII? Will Captain James T. Kirk ever catch a break in his love life? With the help of our special guest and Star Trek enthusiast Gabe, we answer these questions and more.Before we beam back aboard the Enterprise, we recommended reading Jeremy Bernstein’s called Hitler’s Uranium Club: The Secret Recordings at Farm Hall (Copernicus Books, New York, 2001) and Mark Walker German National Socialism and the Quest for Nuclear Power (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1989).Other sources to check out include:-James Tiberius Kirk, "Khaaaaannn!," Captain's Log, The Year 2285, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnSnfiUI54-Mark Walker, “Nazi’s and the Bomb,” NOVA, November 8, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/nazis-and-the-bomb.html-Klaus Wiegrefe, “The Third Reich: How Close Was Hitler to the A-Bomb?” Spiegel, March 14, 2015, http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/the-third-reich-how-close-was-hitler-to-the-a-bomb-a-346293.htmlWe aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, Facebook, iTunes, GooglePlay, YouTube, or SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com.

In this episode, we boldly overanalyzed what no one had deemed necessary to overanalyze before: the nuclear nonsense in the acclaimed Star Trek episode, The City on the Edge of Forever. How close was Nazi Germany to actually building an atomic bomb? Could one person convince America to stay out of WWII? Will Captain James T. Kirk ever catch a break in his love life? With the help of our special guest and Star Trek enthusiast Gabe, we answer these questions and more. Before we beam back aboard the Enterprise, we recommended reading Jeremy Bernstein’s called Hitler’s Uranium Club: The Secret Recordings at Farm Hall (Copernicus Books, New York, 2001) and Mark Walker German National Socialism and the Quest for Nuclear Power (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1989). Other sources to check out include: -James Tiberius Kirk, "Khaaaaannn!," Captain's Log, The Year 2285, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnSnfiUI54" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnSnfiUI54</a> -Mark Walker, “Nazi’s and the Bomb,” NOVA, November 8, 2015, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/nazis-and-the-bomb.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/nazis-and-the-bomb.html</a> -Klaus Wiegrefe, “The Third Reich: How Close Was Hitler to the A-Bomb?” Spiegel, March 14, 2015, <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/the-third-reich-how-close-was-hitler-to-the-a-bomb-a-346293.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/the-third-reich-how-close-was-hitler-to-the-a-bomb-a-346293.html</a> We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, Facebook, iTunes, GooglePlay, YouTube, or SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 5: Star Trek - The City on the Edge of Forever

In this episode, we picked When the Wind Blows out of the children’s book bin to see what advise the 1982 graphic novel (and 1986 animated movie) have for surviving nuclear war in Britain. How easy was it to follow official government radiation survival guides during the Cold War? What was it like for the average family trying to make sense of nuclear deterrence? Will you ever be able to look at a baked potato again the same way after witnessing this story? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Sebastian Brixey-Williams (@seb_bw), Co-Director of the think tank BASIC, answer these questions and more.Dramatization of the graphic novel available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=484h0mnU0-MBefore we give up waiting on the Powers that Be to arrive, we recommend checking out:-The Atomic Hobo podcast episodes on Meals on Wheels and When the Wind Blows-Protest and Survive (1980)-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, (1987 cartoon show)-The Snowman (1982)-Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)-Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)-CISD podcast episode “Setsuko Thurlow: Interview with a Hiroshima Survivor”, 2016 -BASIC Think TankCheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we picked When the Wind Blows out of the children’s book bin to see what advise the 1982 graphic novel (and 1986 animated movie) have for surviving nuclear war in Britain. How easy was it to follow official government radiation survival guides during the Cold War? What was it like for the average family trying to make sense of nuclear deterrence? Will you ever be able to look at a baked potato again the same way after witnessing this story? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Sebastian Brixey-Williams (@seb_bw), Co-Director of the think tank BASIC, answer these questions and more. Dramatization of the graphic novel available on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=484h0mnU0-M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=484h0mnU0-M</a> Before we give up waiting on the Powers that Be to arrive, we recommend checking out: -The Atomic Hobo podcast episodes on Meals on Wheels and When the Wind Blows -Protest and Survive (1980) -Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, (1987 cartoon show) -The Snowman (1982) -Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) -Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) -CISD podcast episode “Setsuko Thurlow: Interview with a Hiroshima Survivor”, 2016 -BASIC Think Tank Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #41: When the Wind Blows

In this episode, we explored the history of nuclear weapons as told by the movie Jaws (1975). What happened to the USS Indianapolis after it delivered parts for the Little Boy atomic bomb? Could Jaws actually be the Godzilla of the sea? Tim and special guest Mike answer these questions and more. This is the sixth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with a smaller slice of nuclear weapons plot than our usual full-sized episodes. For the short nuke scene discussed in the movie, watch it on YouTube here: https://goo.gl/les03NBefore we start looking for a bigger boat, we recommend checking out: -“Nuclear Shark,” Shark Week, Discovery Channel, 2016-“USS Indianapolis,” Atomic Heritage Foundation, http://www.atomicheritage.org/history/uss-indianapolis-“Open Water,” Lionsgate, 2003-“Open Water 2: Adrift,” Lionsgate, 2006-“Deep Blue Sea,” Warner Bros, 1999Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we explored the history of nuclear weapons as told by the movie Jaws (1975). What happened to the USS Indianapolis after it delivered parts for the Little Boy atomic bomb? Could Jaws actually be the Godzilla of the sea? Tim and special guest Mike answer these questions and more. This is the sixth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with a smaller slice of nuclear weapons plot than our usual full-sized episodes. For the short nuke scene discussed in the movie, watch it on YouTube here: <a href="https://goo.gl/les03N" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/les03N</a> Before we start looking for a bigger boat, we recommend checking out: -“Nuclear Shark,” Shark Week, Discovery Channel, 2016 -“USS Indianapolis,” Atomic Heritage Foundation, <a href="http://www.atomicheritage.org/history/uss-indianapolis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.atomicheritage.org/history/uss-indianapolis</a> -“Open Water,” Lionsgate, 2003 -“Open Water 2: Adrift,” Lionsgate, 2006 -“Deep Blue Sea,” Warner Bros, 1999 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Mini-Nuke 6: Jaws

We want to share with Super Critical Podcast listeners an episode of the Authors of Mass Destruction podcast run by Dr. Natasha Bajema. Her awesome new podcast helps writers and authors tell compelling fiction about nukes while getting the details right. Tim Westmyer was a guest on the podcast – along with Dr. Justin Anderson – to talk about the movie Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.We will still try to release a regular episode of the Super Critical Podcast in April 2019. We hope you enjoy this episode, which you can also find on the Authors of Mass Destruction podcast feed. Follow Natasha’s show on Twitter at @WMDgirl and @authorsmass.Enjoy!

We want to share with Super Critical Podcast listeners an episode of the Authors of Mass Destruction podcast run by Dr. Natasha Bajema. Her awesome new podcast helps writers and authors tell compelling fiction about nukes while getting the details right. Tim Westmyer was a guest on the podcast – along with Dr. Justin Anderson – to talk about the movie Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. We will still try to release a regular episode of the Super Critical Podcast in April 2019. We hope you enjoy this episode, which you can also find on the Authors of Mass Destruction podcast feed. Follow Natasha’s show on Twitter at @WMDgirl and @authorsmass. Enjoy!

Dr. Strangelove - Authors of Mass Destruction Podcast Episode

In this episode, we explore what happens when someone with superhuman speed tries to finish the nuclear arms race in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). How easy would it be for Superman to destroy the planet’s nuclear weapons himself? What happens with Lex Luthor decides to rearm the world? Is that a bird? Is that a plane? Is that… a giant wad of nuclear missiles flying toward the sun? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), Gabe, and special guest Will Saetren (@WillSaetren), Project Lead in Nonproliferation at CRDF Global, answer these questions and more.Before we visit Nuclear Man at the nuclear power plant tour, we recommend checking out:•	Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013-2016 comics)•	Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2016 documentary)•	The Day the Earth Died!, June 1985, Superman no. 408•	Michael O'Hanlon, A Skeptic's Case for Nuclear Disarmament, 2010•	Watchmen (1986-1987 comics)•	Eric Schlosser, Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, 2013•	Keren Yarhi-Milo, Knowing the Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence, and Assessment of Intentions in International Relations, 2014Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we explore what happens when someone with superhuman speed tries to finish the nuclear arms race in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). How easy would it be for Superman to destroy the planet’s nuclear weapons himself? What happens with Lex Luthor decides to rearm the world? Is that a bird? Is that a plane? Is that… a giant wad of nuclear missiles flying toward the sun? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), Gabe, and special guest Will Saetren (@WillSaetren), Project Lead in Nonproliferation at CRDF Global, answer these questions and more. Before we visit Nuclear Man at the nuclear power plant tour, we recommend checking out: •	Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013-2016 comics) •	Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2016 documentary) •	The Day the Earth Died!, June 1985, Superman no. 408 •	Michael O'Hanlon, A Skeptic's Case for Nuclear Disarmament, 2010 •	Watchmen (1986-1987 comics) •	Eric Schlosser, Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, 2013 •	Keren Yarhi-Milo, Knowing the Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence, and Assessment of Intentions in International Relations, 2014 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #42: Superman IV - The Quest for Peace

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 take 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, 1980Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, Spotify, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

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 take 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 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, Spotify, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Mini-Nuke #12: Starship Troopers

In this episode, we ring in the holidays with the Weird Al Yankovic song, Christmas at Ground Zero. What does this 1986 jingle tell us about nuclear war? How does Weird Al repurpose Duck and Cover propaganda footage from the Cold War for his holiday melody? Is “dreaming” about a white Christmas technically a nightmare if it is snowing radioactive fallout? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more.Here is the song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutUBefore the next song on the nuclear war playlist comes on, we recommend checking out:•	We Will All Go Together When We Go, Tom Lehrer•	Amish Paradise, Weird Al, 1996•	Santa with Muscles, 1996 movie with Hulk Hogan•	The Night They Saved Christmas, TV movie 1984•	Running with Scissors, 1999 Weird Al•	Bad Hair Day, Weird Al, 1996•	Blue Christmas, Willie NelsonHere is a clip of Kevin playing the song on his ukulele: https://twitter.com/NuclearPodcast/status/1205942558058303488Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook,SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we ring in the holidays with the Weird Al Yankovic song, Christmas at Ground Zero. What does this 1986 jingle tell us about nuclear war? How does Weird Al repurpose Duck and Cover propaganda footage from the Cold War for his holiday melody? Is “dreaming” about a white Christmas technically a nightmare if it is snowing radioactive fallout? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more. Here is the song on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU</a> Before the next song on the nuclear war playlist comes on, we recommend checking out: •	We Will All Go Together When We Go, Tom Lehrer •	Amish Paradise, Weird Al, 1996 •	Santa with Muscles, 1996 movie with Hulk Hogan •	The Night They Saved Christmas, TV movie 1984 •	Running with Scissors, 1999 Weird Al •	Bad Hair Day, Weird Al, 1996 •	Blue Christmas, Willie Nelson Here is a clip of Kevin playing the song on his ukulele: <a href="https://twitter.com/NuclearPodcast/status/1205942558058303488" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/NuclearPodcast/status/1205942558058303488</a> Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #43: Christmas at Ground Zero by Weird Al

In this episode, we debated the virtues of nuclear disarmament and democracy over a couple of days this month, specifically Seven Days in May. Does the movie realistically portray disagreements between the military and civilian leaders over nuclear weapons? What would cause the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to attempt a military coup? How long before General James Mattoon Scott becomes the 40+ person running for president in 2020? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Stephen I Schwartz (@AtomicAnalyst) answer these questions and more.Before we went fishing at Blue Lake, we recommend checking out: -The Manchurian Candidate, both the 1962 and 2004 movies-International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, www.icanw.org-Stephen I. Schwartz, Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940, 1998-David F. Krugler, “This is Only a Test: How Washington, DC Prepared for Nuclear War,” 2007-The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, https://thebulletin.org/-Garrett M. Graff, “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself – While the Rest of Us Die,” 2017Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we debated the virtues of nuclear disarmament and democracy over a couple of days this month, specifically Seven Days in May. Does the movie realistically portray disagreements between the military and civilian leaders over nuclear weapons? What would cause the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to attempt a military coup? How long before General James Mattoon Scott becomes the 40+ person running for president in 2020? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Stephen I Schwartz (@AtomicAnalyst) answer these questions and more. Before we went fishing at Blue Lake, we recommend checking out: -The Manchurian Candidate, both the 1962 and 2004 movies -International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, <a href="http://www.icanw.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.icanw.org</a> -Stephen I. Schwartz, Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940, 1998 -David F. Krugler, “This is Only a Test: How Washington, DC Prepared for Nuclear War,” 2007 -The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, <a href="https://thebulletin.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://thebulletin.org/</a> -Garrett M. Graff, “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself – While the Rest of Us Die,” 2017 Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #36: Seven Days In May

In this episode, we tried to get healthy during quarantine by watching an episode of the TV show Gilligan’s Island called “Pass the Vegetables, Please” where the castaways get super powers from eating crops grown from radioactive seeds. Can radiation actually help farmers? What would happen if you ate radioactive food? Is the Professor a stand-in for Dr. Oppenheimer of the Manhattan Project? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and Gabe answer these questions and more.Before we our three hour tour sets sail, we recommend: -“HI FI Gilligan,” Gilligan’s Island, season 2, episode 10-AtomicGardening.com-“JUGHEAD,” LOST, “season 5, episode 3-Visiting Tangier Island-Archipelago tiki bar in Washington, DCCheck out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

In this episode, we tried to get healthy during quarantine by watching an episode of the TV show Gilligan’s Island called “Pass the Vegetables, Please” where the castaways get super powers from eating crops grown from radioactive seeds. Can radiation actually help farmers? What would happen if you ate radioactive food? Is the Professor a stand-in for Dr. Oppenheimer of the Manhattan Project? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and Gabe answer these questions and more. Before we our three hour tour sets sail, we recommend: -“HI FI Gilligan,” Gilligan’s Island, season 2, episode 10 -<a href="http://AtomicGardening.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AtomicGardening.com</a> -“JUGHEAD,” LOST, “season 5, episode 3 -Visiting Tangier Island -Archipelago tiki bar in Washington, DC Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #47: Gilligan's Island

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, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater-Vladimir Rubtsov, “The Tunguska Mystery,” 2009, https://www.amazon.com/Tunguska-Mystery-Astronomers-Universe/dp/0387765735-“Space Weapons Earth Wars,” Rand Corporation, 2002, https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2011/RAND_MR1209.pdf-Force Majeure (2014 movie)-Meteor Man (1993 movie)Thanks to Brgfx for creating and hosting the meteor image graphic on Freepik.com used in the podcast thumbnail.Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

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, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater</a> -Vladimir Rubtsov, “The Tunguska Mystery,” 2009, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tunguska-Mystery-Astronomers-Universe/dp/0387765735" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Tunguska-Mystery-Astronomers-Universe/dp/0387765735</a> -“Space Weapons Earth Wars,” Rand Corporation, 2002, <a href="https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2011/RAND_MR1209.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2011/RAND_MR1209.pdf</a> -Force Majeure (2014 movie) -Meteor Man (1993 movie) Thanks to Brgfx for creating and hosting the meteor image graphic on <a href="http://Freepik.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freepik.com</a> used in the podcast thumbnail. Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode #30: Nukes vs. Asteroids

In this episode, we took advantage of the new world-wide federal holiday to watch the sci-fi action blockbuster Independence Day (the good one from 1996). How effective are nuclear weapons against 15 mile wide spaceships? Are aliens keeping tabs on Earth’s nuclear stockpiles? How did Jeff Goldblum write a computer virus that works on alien technology? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more.Before Elvis left the building, we recommend reading -Michael Rogin, Independence Day, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Enola Gay, (British Film Institute, 1998) http://www.worldcat.org/title/independence-day-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-enola-gay/oclc/39547508-James Harris, “The Oral History of the President’s Speech in ‘Independence Day,’” Complex Media, June 23, 2016, http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/06/presidents-speech-in-independence-day-oral-history-Kim Zetter, Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon (Crown publishers, 2014) Also check out the sources below to learn more (you can also access these links on our SoundCloud page):-Robert Kennedy, “A Rocket Scientist’s Reaction to Independence Day,” The Ultimax Group White Paper, 1996 http://www.ultimax.com/whitepapers/1996_3.html -Kelly Fonda, ““You Want to Blow Up the White House?”: An Oral History of the Film Independence Day, We Minored in Film, April 28, 2015, https://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/04/28/you-want-to-blow-up-the-white-house-an-oral-history-of-the-film-independence-day/-Janet Burns, “16 Earth-Shattering Facts About ‘Independence Day,’” MentalFloss, July 3, 2016, http://mentalfloss.com/article/76231/16-earth-shattering-facts-about-independence-day-Joe Skrebels, “Independence Day Director Roland Emmerich Mocks Marvel Movies,” IGN, June 28, 2016, http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/20/independence-day-director-roland-emmerich-mocks-marvel-movies-ID4 Deleted Scenes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rf3eB5bFe4-U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert Salas - UFO's Are Real, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjbhq4P_sZI-Eric Julien, The Iron Skeptic, http://www.theironskeptic.com/articles/julien/julien.htm-Kim Zetter, “An Unprecedented Look at Stuxnet, the World’s First Digital Weapon,” Wired, November 3, 2014, https://www.wired.com/2014/11/countdown-to-zero-day-stuxnet/-Andrew Futter, “The Dangers of Using Cyberattacks to Counter Nuclear Threats,” Arms Control Today, July/August 2016, https://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2016_07/Features/The-Dangers-of-Using-Cyberattacks-to-Counter-Nuclear-Threats-“'Independence Day' Producer Finally Explains Infamously Inept Hacking Scene,” Yahoo Movies, December 8, 2014, https://www.yahoo.com/movies/independence-day-producer-explains-hacking-scene-104676447332.html-Jakob Nielson, “Excessive Interoperability in Independence Day,” NN Group, December 18, 2006, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/independence-day-interoperability/-Russ Wellen, “Alienating Aliens: Do Nukes Make Them Go Ballistic?,” HuffingtonPost, May 25, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-wellen/alienating-aliens-do-nuke_b_414394.html-Atomic Bomb Test – Survival Towns, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr76hNngqts-Teapot Apple 2 Nuclear Test, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztJXZjIp8OAWe aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Thanks to bensound.com for some of the background music used in this episode.Enjoy!

In this episode, we took advantage of the new world-wide federal holiday to watch the sci-fi action blockbuster Independence Day (the good one from 1996). How effective are nuclear weapons against 15 mile wide spaceships? Are aliens keeping tabs on Earth’s nuclear stockpiles? How did Jeff Goldblum write a computer virus that works on alien technology? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more. Before Elvis left the building, we recommend reading -Michael Rogin, Independence Day, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Enola Gay, (British Film Institute, 1998) <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/independence-day-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-enola-gay/oclc/39547508" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.worldcat.org/title/independence-day-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-enola-gay/oclc/39547508</a> -James Harris, “The Oral History of the President’s Speech in ‘Independence Day,’” Complex Media, June 23, 2016, <a href="http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/06/presidents-speech-in-independence-day-oral-history" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/06/presidents-speech-in-independence-day-oral-history</a> -Kim Zetter, Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon (Crown publishers, 2014) Also check out the sources below to learn more (you can also access these links on our SoundCloud page): -Robert Kennedy, “A Rocket Scientist’s Reaction to Independence Day,” The Ultimax Group White Paper, 1996 <a href="http://www.ultimax.com/whitepapers/1996_3.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ultimax.com/whitepapers/1996_3.html</a> -Kelly Fonda, ““You Want to Blow Up the White House?”: An Oral History of the Film Independence Day, We Minored in Film, April 28, 2015, <a href="https://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/04/28/you-want-to-blow-up-the-white-house-an-oral-history-of-the-film-independence-day/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://weminoredinfilm.com/2015/04/28/you-want-to-blow-up-the-white-house-an-oral-history-of-the-film-independence-day/</a> -Janet Burns, “16 Earth-Shattering Facts About ‘Independence Day,’” MentalFloss, July 3, 2016, <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/76231/16-earth-shattering-facts-about-independence-day" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://mentalfloss.com/article/76231/16-earth-shattering-facts-about-independence-day</a> -Joe Skrebels, “Independence Day Director Roland Emmerich Mocks Marvel Movies,” IGN, June 28, 2016, <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/20/independence-day-director-roland-emmerich-mocks-marvel-movies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/20/independence-day-director-roland-emmerich-mocks-marvel-movies</a> -ID4 Deleted Scenes, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rf3eB5bFe4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rf3eB5bFe4</a> -U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert Salas - UFO's Are Real, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjbhq4P_sZI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjbhq4P_sZI</a> -Eric Julien, The Iron Skeptic, <a href="http://www.theironskeptic.com/articles/julien/julien.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.theironskeptic.com/articles/julien/julien.htm</a> -Kim Zetter, “An Unprecedented Look at Stuxnet, the World’s First Digital Weapon,” Wired, November 3, 2014, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/11/countdown-to-zero-day-stuxnet/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/2014/11/countdown-to-zero-day-stuxnet/</a> -Andrew Futter, “The Dangers of Using Cyberattacks to Counter Nuclear Threats,” Arms Control Today, July/August 2016, <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2016_07/Features/The-Dangers-of-Using-Cyberattacks-to-Counter-Nuclear-Threats" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2016_07/Features/The-Dangers-of-Using-Cyberattacks-to-Counter-Nuclear-Threats</a> -“'Independence Day' Producer Finally Explains Infamously Inept Hacking Scene,” Yahoo Movies, December 8, 2014, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/movies/independence-day-producer-explains-hacking-scene-104676447332.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.yahoo.com/movies/independence-day-producer-explains-hacking-scene-104676447332.html</a> -Jakob Nielson, “Excessive Interoperability in Independence Day,” NN Group, December 18, 2006, <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/independence-day-interoperability/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.nngroup.com/articles/independence-day-interoperability/</a> -Russ Wellen, “Alienating Aliens: Do Nukes Make Them Go Ballistic?,” HuffingtonPost, May 25, 2011, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-wellen/alienating-aliens-do-nuke_b_414394.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-wellen/alienating-aliens-do-nuke_b_414394.html</a> -Atomic Bomb Test – Survival Towns, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr76hNngqts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr76hNngqts</a> -Teapot Apple 2 Nuclear Test, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztJXZjIp8OA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztJXZjIp8OA</a> We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Thanks to <a href="http://bensound.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bensound.com</a> for some of the background music used in this episode. Enjoy!

Episode 11: Independence Day

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.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)Check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube.Enjoy!

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. 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, <a href="https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/93680/Report41.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/93680/Report41.pdf</a> -Unstoppable (2010 movie) Check out our website, <a href="http://SuperCriticalPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SuperCriticalPodcast.com</a>, for more resources and related items. We aim to have at least one new episode every month. Let us know what you think about the podcast and any ideas you may have about future episodes and guests by reaching out at on Twitter @NuclearPodcast, GooglePlay, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio, Facebook, SuperCriticalPodcast@gmail.com, and YouTube. Enjoy!

Episode 27: Atomic Train

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