The doomsday clock has recently been set at 89 seconds to midnight—the closest humanity has ever been to catastrophe. This symbolic warning is set by the Safety and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, of which SPPGA Director Allison Macfarlane is past chair and Prof. M.V. Ramana a past member.
In this news compilation, faculty with expert insight on weapons, nuclear power and nuclear safety discuss and dissect the dangerous and volatile situation we find ourselves in. From Trump’s executive orders putting nuclear safety at risk, to weapons manufactures who profit off of conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, read insights on looming nuclear threats below.
Phil Lind Initiative: the bomb
The opening of SPPGA’s 2025 Phil Lind Initiative series featured the bomb, an immersive art installation at UBC’s AHVA gallery that examined humanity’s dangerous entanglement with nuclear weapons. This exhibit was presented alongside a compelling talk with the creators, filmmaker Smriti Keshari and writer Eric Schlosser, moderated by SPPGA faculty member Prof. Hugh Gusterson. You can view the full talk here:
In a related publication, Prof. Hugh Gusterson (SPPGA; UBC Anthropology) reflects on his past research interviewing Russian nuclear weapons scientists, calling for a reevaluation of research ethics in an era of digital surveillance. His article titled I was wrong when I studied Russian nuclear weapons scientists was published in the February 2025 issue of American Ethnologist.
Weapons Manufacturing
Who are the Ultimate Winners in the World’s Ongoing Military Conflicts? SPPGA Prof. M.V. Ramana contributes to a recent Inter Press Service publication by Thalif Deen criticizing how military industries that propagate nuclear weapon production profit from ongoing conflicts while diverting resources away from pressing global needs. Calling it a “sad commentary on the priorities of governments and powerful institutions that control decisions on spending,” he highlights the disproportionate role of the United States in arms sales and underscores how SIPRI’s data serves as a stark reminder of misplaced governmental and institutional spending priorities.
Prof. Ramana also writes about nuclear weapons as a matter of justice and human security in the article Nuclear Weapons Create and Exacerbate Human Insecurity on The Heinrich Böll Foundation site.
Nuclear Safety Risks under Trump
SPPGA Director Allison Macfarlane, former chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, highlights grave concerns surrounding a recent Executive Order from President Donald Trump with a post in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists titled Trump just assaulted the independence of the nuclear regulator. What could go wrong? “An independent regulator is free from industry and political influence,” she writes, “Trump’s executive order flies in the face of this basic principle.” She was also quoted in related articles by E&E News and Energy Intelligence.
