(Special) The wrong apocalypse — Future wars

Inkstick Media
Things That Go Boom Season 3 logo with an illustration that includes a magnifying glass, a rocket, a coin, and the US Capitol building.

Why did the US Navy reinstate celestial navigation as part of its curriculum a few years ago? Well, you can’t hack a sextant. In the seventh episode of the third season of “Things That Go Boom,” our partner podcast from PRX, host Laicie Heeley looks at some of the vulnerabilities that come with an overreliance on high-tech defense systems. Guests Peter Singer and August Cole are national security experts who have taken to writing futuristic techno-thrillers to sound a few alarms. Among their warnings: The opening battles of World War III won’t happen on a battlefield, and they will probably be silent.

Guests:

Peter Singer, strategist and senior fellow at New America

August Cole, non-resident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council

Additional reading:

Burn-In, Forbes.

Ghost Fleet, The Diplomat.

China Uses AI To Enhance Totalitarian Control, The Atlantic.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!