For as long as nuclear weapons have been around, we've been told that they keep us safe by deterring other countries from attacking us. This theory is known as nuclear deterrence. But is it actually keeping us safe? Guests Dr. Chuck Powell and Dr. Rebecca Gibbons have seen firsthand the impact of thinking this way, and they share what they learned with Ryann Blackshere Vargas.

Guest bios:

Dr. Chuck Powell serves on the Board of Directors at Daisy Alliance, a non-profit focused on broadening education and awareness on the risks posed by nuclear weapons. He is also a Professional Certified Coach, a former U.S. Air Force missile launch officer, and a retired Healthcare Executive. His new book, Unicursal, a speculative novel about nuclear war, comes out July 14.

Dr. Rebecca Gibbons is an associate professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine and the author of The Hegemon's Toolkit. She was an academic co-chair of the Beyond Nuclear Deterrence Working Group, an initiative of the MacArthur Foundation and Harvard University's Project on Managing the Atom.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Rebecca's book The Hegemon's Tool Kit: US Leadership and the Politics of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501764851/the-hegemons-tool-kit/

Rebecca's article "Getting beyond nuclear deterrence: a research agenda": https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2025.2575524

Rebecca's article "After nuclear deterrence: insights and uncharted frontiers": https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2025.2588472

Rebecca's article "The humanitarian turn in nuclear disarmament and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons": https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2018.1486960

Daisy Alliance, where Chuck is a board member: https://www.daisyalliance.org/

Chuck's book Unicursal: Redemption in the Age of Nuclear Annihilation: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unicursal-chuck-powell/1149852073

Chuck's coaching services at Encompassing Leadership Associates: https://www.allcanlead.com/