Shows
The Boiled Leather Audio HourBLAH 186 | Oppenheimer and logical insanity of nuclear weapons, with Tim WestmyerOppenheimer has been released on BlueRay. Having missed it in cinema and after covering Barbie with Sean, I’ll now took BLAH veteran and nuclear deterrence expert Tim Westmyer to debate why Oppenheimer is such a good movie, to clear up some of the technical questions and to have a deeper look at the genesis of nuclear weapons as portrayed by
Christopher Nolan.
2025-02-051h 02
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #74: OppenheimerIn 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.
Be...
2023-07-302h 38
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #73: Damnation AlleyIn 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...
2023-07-191h 43
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #72: FiveIn 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 harested our atomic cornfields, we recommend:
-The Last Man on Earth (TV seri...
2023-06-251h 34
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #71: The Core & SunshineIn 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...
2023-05-192h 18
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #70: Blowing Up Right NowIn 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? Hoe 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...
2022-12-2556 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #69 - Chain ReactionIn 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...
2022-11-281h 18
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #68: WarGames - The Dead CodeIn 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 flig...
2022-07-191h 52
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #67: Top Gun - MaverickIn 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...
2022-07-051h 03
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #66: Star Trek Voyager - WarheadIn 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 diplom...
2022-03-311h 25
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #65: Choose Your Own Adventure BookIn 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) an...
2022-01-311h 37
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #64: A Carol for Another ChristmasIn this episode, we found a bootleg DVD in our stocking of the 1964 TV movie A Carol for Another Christmas, which retold the classic Christmas Carol story but with nuclear war. What was the public diplomacy mission of this pro-UN film? How does isolationism and international engagement theories suggest doing with the problem of nuclear weapons? Does the Ghost of Christmas Future know when the last two books in A Song of Ice and Fire come out? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and podcast co-host Gabe answer these questions and more.
Full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbp1du33...
2022-01-031h 23
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #63: The Expanse and Battlestar GalacticaIn this episode, we went interstellar with our intercontinental ballistic missiles to talk about nuclear weapons in two science fiction shows: The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica. How are nuclear weapons used as weapons (and themes) in these two stories? What would the impact of a nuclear weapon actually be against a space ship? When are we getting our Gaius Baltar and Paolo Cortázar buddy comedy? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Stefan Sasse (@StefanSasse), host of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour podcast, answer these questions and more.
Before we get in our crash couches and jump the ship, we r...
2021-11-211h 10
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #62: False AlarmIn this episode, we watched the documentary False Alarm (2021) about that time in 2018 no one talks about anymore when the people of Hawaii received an erroneous warning on their phone that North Korea fired a nuclear armed ballistic missile and they had minutes to live. What was the reaction of people who received this ominous message? How does this ordeal stack up to Hawaiians’ long history of being on the short end of the nuclear arms race? Have there ever been a worse case of Textmergency/Textastrophe than this nuclear attack warning appearing on every cell phone in Hawaii? Tim We...
2021-10-2944 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #61: Crimson TideIn this episode, we called opened our nuclear launch code safes to pull out the DVD box for Crimson Tide (1995) about two leaders on a submarine butting heads about whether to launch nuclear missiles and possibly start and/or stop WWIII. How accurate did the film portray nuclear command and control launch procedures? What role do boomers play in nuclear deterrence? How does Captain Ramsey’s dog have such a keen sense of a person’s character? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guests Geoff Wilson of the Council for Arms Control and Nonproliferation (@NuclearWilson) and nuclear expert Will Saetren (@Will...
2021-10-191h 37
Exploding HelicopterThe Sum Of All Fears“When I asked for your advice, I didn’t mean you should actually speak.”After 6 years of podcasting, Exploding Helicopter is pleased to finally have a guest who actually knows what they’re talking about. So, on this show, we’re joined by nuclear weapons expert and host of The Super Critical Podcast, Tim Westmyer, to review THE SUM OF ALL FEARS (2002). A film which sees two of the world’s great superpowers brought to the brink of nuclear war.We discuss biscuits, footballs, two-man rules and a unique exploding helicopter. Show notesDirec...
2021-09-1547 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #60: NotoriousIn this episode, we called our sommelier for advice on the best atomic alcohol to drink while watching the Alfred Hitchcock movie Notorious (1946) telling a spy romance story that discovers uranium ore stashed in a wine bottle owned by ex-Nazis hiding out in Brazil. How did Hitchcock introduce the first major atomic MacGuffin plot device so soon after the reveal of the Manhattan Project? What could a rogue element do with uranium ore hidden in a wine cellar? Why don’t the ex-Nazis hide the uranium in a bottle of Wild Turkey because nobody would ever want to look closer at...
2021-08-221h 10
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #59: The Heroes Of TelemarkIn this episode, we put on our skis and telemarked our way to the winter lodge to watch the movie The Heroes of Telemark (1965) about a team of Norwegian resistance fighters sabotaging a heavy water plant during WWII to prevent Germany from getting closer to an atomic bomb. How close was Nazi Germany from building a nuclear weapon? What is the importance of heavy water in a nuclear program? What is more likely: that Tim builds a homemade nuclear device or Tim properly pronounces all these Norwegian names? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), and returning special guest returning special guest Will Saetren...
2021-07-061h 36
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #58: Twilight's Last GleamingIn this episode, we put a crew together to seize a movie theater to watch the nuclear missile silo hostage taking movie Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977). How easy is it to hijack a nuclear Titan ICBM launch site? What does the Vietnam War have to do with the logic of nuclear deterrence? Is “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” what they call the sparkly skin in those vampire movies? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), Gabe, and returning special guest returning special guest Stephen Schwartz (@AtomicAnalyst), answer these questions and more.
Full movie online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMnX8Hd0TPQ
Before we disab...
2021-04-291h 53
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #57: The Day AfterIn this episode, we looked at our calendars and realized it was finally the day to watch The Day After (1983). What would happen to a “middle of nowhere” city in Kansas in the event of a nuclear war? How did this TV movie impact the public dialogue about nuclear weapons? What about the movie scared Ronald Reagan so much he had to write about it in his diary (this is not a joke)? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest David Craig (@Producing2Power), Clinical Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Southern California and author of an upcoming book - Be...
2021-04-192h 19
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #56: On The BeachIn this episode, we raised the periscope on our nuclear submarine to enjoy the story of On the Beach - both the movie (1959) and book (1957). What is the more likely ultimate catastrophe of a nuclear war: global nuclear fallout or nuclear winter? Why did the Eisenhower administration try to shut this movie down? If you read On the Beach while sitting on a beach, is that just tempting fate? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Joe Cirincione (@Cirincione), Distinguished Fellow at the Quincy Institute and recent president of the Ploughshares Fund, answer these questions and more.
Before we start our...
2021-02-221h 17
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #55: The Manhattan ProjectIn this episode, the high school yearbook voted us “Most Likely to Join the Nuclear Club” after we watched the 1986 movie The Manhattan Project where student Paul Stephens builds a nuclear bomb with plutonium stolen from a secret government lab run by the guy dating his mom. How easy is it to build a homemade nuclear weapon? What motivates a brilliant scientist to devote their life to WMD? Do you enter a homemade nuclear bomb at the science fair under the project category of physics, chemistry, or psychopath? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Stephen Schwartz (@AtomicAnalyst) answer these ques...
2021-01-312h 02
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #54: DeterrenceIn this episode, we left the polling booth to watch the movie Deterrence (2000) about a president fighting a nuclear war against Iraq while stranded in a diner during a snowstorm on the campaign trail. Are nuclear weapons useful to deter chemical, biological, or conventional weapon attacks? Can anyone stop an irrational president from ordering a nuclear strike? Is there a connection between the diner’s famous greasy chiliburger and the IBS News station? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and co-host Gabe answer these questions and more.
Before we reach our positive control point, we recommend:
-Kevin Pollak Chat Show (2009-2019)
-Thomas Schelling, Th...
2020-12-211h 43
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #53: By Dawn's Early LightIn this episode, we scrambled our B-52s so we could watch the in-flight movie By Dawn’s Early Light (1990). What is the U.S. president to do once a nuclear war begins? Who is in command of the nuclear stockpile when POTUS is missing? Why is James Earl Jones always finding his finger on the nuclear button? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Sylvia Mishra (@MishraSylvia), doctoral researcher at King’s College London where studies nuclear strategy and emerging technologies, answer these questions and more.
Note: Tim mistakenly says in the episode that Tsar Bomba was not a deployable nucl...
2020-11-301h 33
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #52: TestamentIn this episode, we got the family together over Zoom to watch the most depressing “Hallmark movie” of all time, Testament (1983). How can one Mom keep the family going after a nuclear attack cuts off their community? How accurately does the movie portray the horrors of radiation sickness? How does nuclear war turn ham radio operators into the most important people on the planet? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and returning special guest Lucy Steigerwald (@LucyStag), contributing editor to AntiWar.com answer these questions and more.
Before we go blow out the candles on our sad birthday cake, we recommend:
-DVD extras for...
2020-10-111h 35
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #51: Miracle MileIn this episode, we pulled an all-nighter to watch the thrilling movie Miracle Mile (1986) about star crossed lovers trying to escape Los Angeles at night before a possible nuclear attack. Why do we keep nuclear weapons in North Dakota? How long would you have before the missiles start landing in your backyard? Does Google Maps have a good escape route preprogrammed in the event of a pending nuclear war? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and Gabe answer these questions and more.
Before we answer this random payphone that is ringing nearby, we recommend:
-Cloverfield (2008 movie)
-10 Cloverfield Lane (2016 movie)
-Six String Samurai (1998...
2020-09-141h 16
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #50: Spies Like UsIn this episode, we aced our foreign service exam and started our undercover mission to the movie Spies Like Us (1995). How well does this comedy deploy a Soviet road mobile nuclear missile for hilarious effect? Can you actually recall a nuclear missile once it is in the air? Doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor, and doctor. Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and Gabe answer these questions and more.
Before we open up the nuclear disarmament negotiation board game box, we recommend:
-Fletch, 1985
-The Man Who Knew Too Little, 1997
-International Spy Museum
-Nuclear War Card Game, 1965
-Steven Pomeroy, An Untaken Road: Strategy...
2020-07-201h 17
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #49: MatineeIn this episode, we leave our bunkers and march like atomic ants to the movie theater to enjoy the film Matinee (1993). What does this story about director Joe Dante’s love of B-movies monster flicks have to say about the Cuban Missile Crisis and its impact on kids living in Florida? How do you write an effective comedy about topics that are usually nightmare fuel? When can we equip our own home theaters with Atomovision? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guest Matthew Gault (@mjgault), VICE journalist and host of the War College Podcast (@War_College) answer these questions and more.
Be...
2020-07-051h 11
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #48: DaybreakIn 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)
-Bey...
2020-05-2858 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #47: Gilligan's IslandIn 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...
2020-05-1057 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #46: Air Force OneIn this episode released on April 1, the show gets inverted and becomes the Super Critical Angle of Attack podcast to talk about the movie Air Force One (1997). Sure, the movie has some nuclear weapon plots, but how well did it accurately portray POTUS’s airplane? Did the movie do justice to flight physics? If aviation accident prone Harrison Ford is your pilot, would you have a bad feeling about this? New podcast host Gabe and special guest Tim Westmyer (@Westmyer) answer these questions and more.
Before we fired up the Air Force One fax machine, we recommend:
-Countdown to Looking Gl...
2020-04-011h 28
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #45: Fat Man and Little BoyIn 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 star...
2020-02-171h 36
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 44: Twilight Zone - "Time Enough at Last" & "No Time Like the Past"In this episode, we make time to watch two Twilight Zone episodes that deal with both “time” and nukes: “Time Enough at Last” and “No Time Like the Past.” How would the development of thermonuclear weapons impact your reading habit? If you had a time machine, how would you prevent the WWII atomic bombings? Does every household need a 2-in-1 bank vault/fallout shelter to protect their loved ones and valuables? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast), Gabe, and returning guest Elliot answer these questions and more.
Before we update our reading list for the apocalypse, we recommend:
-Twilight Zone episode “Walking Distance”
-Last Man on Ear...
2020-01-131h 33
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #43: Christmas at Ground Zero by Weird AlIn 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=t039p6xqutU
Before the next song on the nuclear war playlist comes on, we reco...
2019-12-1952 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #42: Superman IV - The Quest for PeaceIn 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 nucl...
2019-11-121h 37
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #41: When the Wind BlowsIn 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 qu...
2019-10-211h 31
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #40: GodzillaIn this episode, we explored the nuclear origin story of Godzilla. What famous nuclear test inspired the Godzilla franchise? How did Toho Studios and Hollywood handle the nuclear story over the ages? Will the “King Kong vs. Godzilla” movie have a cameo from Major “King” Kong from Dr. Strangelove? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and special guests Rachel Emond (@Rachel_Emond) and Geoff Wilson (@NuclearWilson) of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation answer these questions and more.
Before we zipped up the rubber monster suit, we recommend checking out:
-Godzilla: Final Wars (2004 movie)
-Pacific Rim (2013 movie)
-Cinemassacre’s Monster Madness (YouTube series)
...
2019-09-232h 29
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #39: Amazing Grace And ChuckIn this episode, we lived #ShootYourShot and watched the movie Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) where an NBA legend joins forces with a little league player to protest nuclear weapons. Could a child’s peaceful act of resistance against nuclear war inspire the world to Global Zero? What is the history of anti-nuclear weapon movements in the 1980s? If your chartered jet is exploded by an evil nuclear illuminate, is that technically a traveling violation? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and Pranay Vaddi (@PranayVaddi), a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, answer these questions and more.
Before we assemble our Dr...
2019-08-121h 58
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #38: Six String SamuraiIn this episode, we plucked Six String Samurai out of the cult movie bin to talk about the zany nuclear plots of this post-apocalypse western Kung Fu musical mashup. How would the power of rock and roll unite the wasteland after a nuclear war? Would Las Vegas be a target during the Cold War? Can this version of Buddy Holly handle the overpressure of ruling Lost Vegas? Tim Westmyer (@NuclearPodcast) and Gabe answer these questions and more.
Before we our post-Bomb sanity snapped, we recommend checking out:
• Fallout video game series, especially Fallout: New Vegas
• Mariachi, 1992 movie
• Red Elvises, band
• Dick Dal...
2019-07-141h 14
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #37: ChernobylIn 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...
2019-06-242h 50
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #36: Seven Days In MayIn 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...
2019-05-282h 21
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #35: Game Of ThronesIn this episode, we debate one of the most important questions in international relations and nuclear policy today: are the dragons in Game of Thrones more like nuclear weapons or conventional air power? Does George R.R. Martin deploy the dragons as analogs for nuclear weapons? Do dragons serve more of a conventional air power or close air support role in the story's military battles? Perhaps the dragons themselves aspire to be artists and bakers rather than being typecast as weapons of war? Tim Westmyer (@nuclearpodcast) and Dr. Michael C. Horowitz (@mchorowitz) answer these questions and more.
Before winter gets...
2019-05-1254 min
Super Critical PodcastDr. Strangelove - Authors of Mass Destruction Podcast EpisodeWe 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...
2019-04-0756 min
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke #12: Starship TroopersIn 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 sl...
2019-04-011h 43
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #34: Nuke Themed Escape RoomIn this episode, we convened a team of nuke nerd to play an Escape Room with a nuclear weapon scenario. Did it help (or hurt) to have a background in nuclear weapons policy? How accurate can an Escape Room capture the complexities of nuclear war? How many red buttons were pushed to the limit in the making of this episode? Tim Westmyer and special guest Will Saetren (@willsaetren) answer these questions and more.
Before we look for more clues, we recommend checking out:
-BGNlab YouTube series by Scott Nicholson
-Spin Master Games - Escape Room The Game - “Nuclear Countdown”
-Kee...
2019-03-0149 min
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke #11: 99 LuftballonsIn this episode, we tuned the radio to the song 99 Luftballons (or 99 Red Balloons) by the band Nena and talked about its connections to nuclear weapons, the Cold War arms race, and anti-nuclear protests. How did the threat of intermediate range nuclear missiles in Europe inspire Nena to write this catchy dirge? What happens when early warning systems confuse 99 balloons for UFOs and nukes? What artist will win their Grammy with a song about the dangers of Gamma Rays? Tim Westmyer and returning special guest Will Saetren (@WillSaetren) answer these questions and more.
This is the 11th in our Mini-Nuke...
2019-02-101h 13
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #33: Sum of All FearsIn 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 Co...
2019-01-232h 34
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #32: THEM!In this episode, we followed chirping sounds in the desert and discovered GIANT RADIOACTIVE ANTS in the movie THEM! (1954). What happens to insects exposed to radiation in the real world? How did nuclear testing and atomic monster movies change public opinion on nuclear weapons? Where was Ant-man when the people Alamogordo needed him to calm these killer atomic ants? Tim Westmyer and returning special guest Tim Collins (@WarAndCake), PhD candidate studying British nuclear history, answer these questions and more.
Before we nuke more insects to see what happens, we recommend checking out:
-Jonathan Schell, The Fate of the Earth, 1982
-Barry...
2018-12-262h 06
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #31: Mission: Impossible - FalloutIn this episode, we worked out our plutonium cores while watching the movie Mission: Impossible –Fallout. How easy is it for a rogue scientist – Norwegian or otherwise – to build a nuclear bomb if they got access to a plutonium core? Why do apocalyptic terrorist organizations seek nuclear weapons? When does Wolf Blitzer find time to report the news between all his movie shoots? Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guest James Finnegan answer these questions and more.
Before we nuke more insects to see what happens, we recommend checking out:
-Ronin (1998 movie)
-Fatman and Littleboy (1989 movie)
-Matthew Gault, “Mission Impossible Fallout Missed i...
2018-11-191h 41
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #30: Nukes vs. AsteroidsIn 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...
2018-10-221h 33
Super Critical PodcastEpisode #29: Madam SecretaryIn this episode, we took a break from studying our nuclear attack plans binder to watch an episode from the TV show Madam Secretary called Night Watch (Season 4, Episode 22). What happens when the President gets the call that nuclear missiles are incoming to the United States? What systems are in place to prevent mistakes and accidents from signaling false reports? Why don’t they rename the Presidential Emergency Satchel to the Nuclear Skeeball? Tim Westmyer and special guest Jamie Withorne (@JamieWithorne) answer these questions and more.
Before we receive our text message notifying us about our all expenses paid trip to...
2018-09-301h 08
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 28: Atomic AlcoholIn this episode, we stepped up to the bar and ordered a couple rounds of Atomic Alcohol. The podcast collected ten examples of nuclear themed wine, cocktails, and beer with names, history, or other interesting connections to nukes. Why do breweries and wineries go to the nuclear well so many times? Could a beverage change how you think about the atom? How many drinks can the podcast team have and still sound reasonably intelligent? Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guests Will Saetren (@WillSaetren) and Eric Gascho (@EricGascho) answer these questions and more.
Before the bartender announces last call for atomic...
2018-08-202h 29
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 27: Atomic TrainIn 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)
-Mic...
2018-07-222h 08
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 26: The Hunt for Red OctoberIn this episode, we did a deep dive on the nuclear plot of The Hunt for Red October (1990). Is bigger necessarily better for the Red October? Just how bad would it be if the United States could no longer tracker Russian submarines? How easy is it for a cook to hotwire a submarine launched ballistic missile? Tim Westmyer and special guest Boris take a break from their vacation in Las Vegas to answer these questions and more.
Before we listened for the pings of a slot machine (hopefully more than just a single ping), we recommend checking out:
-Douglas Waller...
2018-06-251h 47
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 10 - Back to the FutureIn this episode, we loaded up our DeLorean with plutonium and popcorn so we could talk about the heavy nuclear plot of the movie Back to the Future. How safe was the nuclear time machine? Why was Doc Brown cavorting with Libyan terrorists? Does the Mr. Fusion come in as many colors as a Kitchen-Aid mixer? Tim Westmyer and returning special guest Kevin answer these questions and more.
This is the tenth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with a smaller slice of nuclear weapons plot than our usual full-sized episodes.
Before we activated our time circuits...
2018-05-311h 50
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 25: Blue Sky & Nuclear Test Site VisitIn this episode, we did some atomic tourism, first to the Nuclear Test Site and then on the emotional journey that is the 1994 melodrama, Blue Sky. How does a mild mannered nuclear test site scientist navigate radioactive cover-ups and family crises? What was it like visiting the former nuclear test site in Nevada? How do you convince your friends it would be more fun to record a podcast in a hotel room than to wander the Las Vegas Strip? Tim Westmyer and special guest Clark answer these questions and more.
Before we get on our horses and ride off into...
2018-04-231h 23
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 24: Nuke Cage PodcastIn this April 1st edition of the Nuke Cage Podcast, we rage about the multitude of movies where Nic Cage takes on nuclear, chemical, biological, and conventional weapons in a post-Cold War security environment. How accurate are the movies Face/Off, The Rock, Next, and Lord of War? Why has Nic Cage done so many of these films? Can we make Nic Cage an honorary NEST member already? Tim Westmyer and Tristan Volpe answer these questions and more. Follow the podcast @NukeCage and Tristan @ TeeAndersVolpe.
Before we go looking for some VX rockets, we recommend checking out:
-Super Critical Podcast...
2018-04-012h 05
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 23: WatchmenIn this episode, who watches the Watchmen? Spoiler alert: we did and got super critical about the nuclear war plots of the Watchmen comics and movie. What will keep us from moving the Doomsday Clock to midnight? How would the Cold War play out if Nixon had a walking nuclear superhero? Does Dr. Manhattan make house calls? Tim Westmyer and special guest Luis Navarro answer these questions and more.
Before we meditate our way through the multiverse, we recommend checking out:
-Doomsday Clock Timeline, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, https://thebulletin.org/timeline
-Richard Bensam (editor), Minutes to Midnight: Twelve...
2018-03-072h 48
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 22: The Man in the High CastleIn this episode, we stormed The Man in the High Castle television show to explore nukes in a world where Germany and Japan won World War II. What difference would a Nazi nuclear bomb have made in the war? How would Japan go about getting their own nuclear weapon in secret? Who is Joe Blake and why should we care? Tim Westmyer and special guest Tim Collins answer these questions and more.
Follow Tim Collins, PhD candidate studying British nuclear history, on Twitter @WarAndCake.
Before we meditate our way through the multiverse, we recommend checking out:
-Superman: Red Son (2003)
-Wolfenstein...
2018-02-213h 05
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 21: Ladybug LadybugIn this episode, we compared the Hawaii ballistic missile threat false alarm in real life and the 1963 film, Ladybug Ladybug. What does an elementary school do when the nuclear attack warning bell goes off? How did Americans respond to similar false alarms during the Cold War? What happens when it is North Korea’s turn to experience an IT problem? Tim Westmyer and Gabe answer these questions and more.
Full movie available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Io7O_V08E
Before we start our long walk uphill to home after school, we recommend checking out:
-Episode #14: Tw...
2018-01-1959 min
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 9: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullIn this episode, we passed the nuclear test of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. How did Indiana Jones end up facing down a nuclear mushroom cloud? Can a lead-lined fridge serve as a decent fallout shelter? Is Indiana Jones an immortal superbeing? Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guest Alex answer these questions and more.
This is the ninth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with a smaller slice of nuclear weapons plot than our usual full-sized episodes.
Before we locked the fridge door, we recommend checking out:
-Nightbreaker (1989 TV movie)
-Doom Towns: The...
2018-01-161h 46
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 8: The LeftoversIn this episode, we pondered the nuke plot mysteries of HBO's The Leftovers, especially season 3. How easy is it for a random French sailor to launch a nuclear missile? Can forcing the president to kill one person make them think twice about starting nuclear war? What the heck was the departure anyway? Tim Westmyer and Joel answer these questions and more in Joel’s last episode as a regular co-host.
This is the eighth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with a smaller slice of nuclear weapons plot than our usual full-sized episodes.
Before we departed, we re...
2017-12-261h 43
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 20: OctopussyIn this episode, we paid our respects to the late Roger Moore and all the times he stopped a nuclear war by watching the movie Octopussy. Could a rogue Soviet commander trick Europe into disarming its own nuclear weapons? Why did the United States have so many nukes in Europe? How easy is it for James Bond to disarm a nuke while wearing clown makeup? Tim, Gabe, and returning special guest Alex answer these questions and more.
Thanks to our listeners for dealing with the November 2017 hiatus of episodes while Tim moved into a new place and barely survived holiday...
2017-12-101h 59
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 19: FalloutIn this episode, we wandered into the wasteland and played the Fallout video game series. What does this particularly popular post-apocalypse tell us about life after nuclear war? Is the video game series realistic in how it portrays nuclear devastation? How much can you mix together comedy and utter bleakness before you go a little insane? Tim and special guest Lucy Steigerwald answer these questions and more.
Follow Lucy on Twitter at @LucyStag and her Apocalypse Project at www.TheStagBlog.com.
Before our Rad count gets too high, we recommend checking out:
-Metro 2033 video game series
-Lovely Umayam, “Why the Ex...
2017-10-092h 33
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 18: Star Trek First ContactIn this episode, we decide to break the ice and watch the Star Trek movie First Contact. Is global thermonuclear war a necessary prerequisite for realizing the utopian vision of Star Trek? How did a Titan II ICBM help humanity go where no man has gone before? Why did Zefram Cochrane get a statue before Lily Sloane? Tim, Gabe, and special guest Manu Saadia (author of Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek) answer these questions and more.
You can follow Manu Saadia on Twitter @Trekonomics. We greatly enjoyed his book, Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek (May 2016).
(Tim edit on 9/18...
2017-09-181h 32
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 7: The InterviewIn this episode, we sat down with North Korea to conduct a podcast about The Interview (2014). Is North Korea’s nuclear weapon program a laughing matter or something to worry about? How does the Kim family stay in power? How to do you show ‘em what your worth when fireworks are banned in your city? Tim Westmyer and special guest Gabe answer these questions and more.
This is the seventh in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with a smaller slice of nuclear weapons plot than our usual full-sized episodes.
Before we look to see if our tourist trip...
2017-08-211h 21
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 17: The Butter Battle Book by Dr. SeussIn this episode, we went to the children’s section of the library to read The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss. Does this 1984 book have anything to tell us about the dangers of the Cold War arms race? What is the right age to start talking to your kids about nuclear war? Why wasn’t there a Goosebumps book about nuclear winter? Tim, his sister Diana, and his 7-year old nephew Jairus answer these questions and more.
Before we fly/hop away in our Utterly Sputter, we recommend checking out:
-Ellen Goodman, “Dr. Seuss and the Bomb,” New York Times, A...
2017-07-171h 05
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 16: ThreadsIn this extra long episode, we ruined all our sweaters by pulling at the 1984 TV movie, Threads. What would nuclear war look like to average people in an average city in the United Kingdom? How did the British plan to survive a nuclear attack? How do you mind the gap when the gap is a 100-meter crater at a radioactive ground zero? Tim and his special guest co-host Tim Collins (@WarAndCake) answer these questions and more.
Before we the news anchors switched to local sports and the weather, we recommend:
-When the Wind Blows, 1986
-The books of Jonathan Schell, including...
2017-06-192h 48
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 15: Special BulletinIn this episode, we tuned our TV dial to watch the 1983 TV movie, Special Bulletin. How would local broadcast news cover a nuclear terrorism incident? How would the federal government and the news media handle this crisis? WWWBD (What Would Wolf Blitzer Do)? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more.
Before the news anchors switched to local sports and the weather, we recommend:
-Countdown to Looking Glass, TV movie,1984
-Peter Kuran, How to Photograph an Atomic Bomb (VCE, 2006)
-One Day in September, documentary, 1999
Also check out our website, SuperCriticalPodcast.com, for more resources related to the topic of this...
2017-05-151h 57
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 14: Twilight Zone - The ShelterIn this episode, we sought shelter in the Twilight Zone and watched the 1962 episode, “The Shelter.” What was the deal with everyone building fallout shelters in the 1960s? Would you share a cozy shelter with friends and neighbors who neglected to build one? What should you prioritize in your shelter: food, water, medicine, a surround sound system, or a Jacuzzi? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more.
Before we double lock our fallout shelter door, we recommend:
-Nukes of Hazard, Hosted by Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation
-“Bart’s Comet,” The Simpsons (February 5, 1995)
-Twilight Zone Podcast, Hosted by Tom Ell...
2017-05-011h 22
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 6: JawsIn 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/les03N
Before we start looking...
2017-04-051h 21
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 5: Batman v SupermanIn this episode, we teamed up to discuss the portrayal of nuclear weapons in the 2016 superhero movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Just how easy is it to nuke a moving target in space? Do nukes still pack a punch for today’s movie audiences? Why can’t Superman and Batman just talk about their feelings? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more.
This is the fifth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we overthink movies with not enough nuclear nonsense for a full-sized episode but nonetheless demand over thinking. For the short nuke scene discussed in the movi...
2017-03-131h 19
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 13: Star WarsIn this episode, we built a Death Star and made Alderaan pay for it! While waiting for the check to clear, we overanalyzed the Death Star as a stand-in for nuclear weapons throughout the Star Wars movies but especially in Rogue One (2016). How much did the franchise borrow nuclear weapon imagery? What similarities are there in the strategies for using either nuclear weapons or Death Stars? Will the Empire ever consider investing its resources more into galactic poverty reduction and less into overly vulnerable battle stations? Tim and Joel answer these questions and more.
We also play a round of...
2017-02-221h 45
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 12: Terminator MoviesIn 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 Accide...
2017-01-111h 53
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke #4: The MartianIn this episode, we had a lot of time on our hand after being marooned on another planet, so we watched the 2015 science fiction/comedy The Martian. How dangerous are plutonium fueled Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators? Does cosmic radiation doom Matt Damon life on Mars? Why does every Mars movie need an impossible sandstorm? Tim and special guest host Gabe answer these questions and more. We also hear from Chris Mariasola who breaks down the maritime/space law in the movie for us.
This is the fourth in our Mini-Nuke episode series, where we find movies that do not have enough...
2016-12-261h 05
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 11: Independence DayIn 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...
2016-11-211h 50
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 3: The "Daisy" AdIn 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, 2...
2016-11-0748 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 10: Nuclear War Card GameIn this episode, we flipped over the Monopoly board to make room to play the dark comedy Nuclear War Card Game from 1965. Does having a background in nuclear policy help win a card game about nuclear war? Will the horrors and intensity of nuclear weapons translate to a card game? Can three loving couples survive three hours of pretending to nuke each other? Tim and his elite team of board game competitors answer these questions and more.
Before we decided this game was too dark and switched to playing Candy Land, we recommend checking out the sources below about the...
2016-10-041h 01
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 2: Blast from the PastIn this special episode, we venture out of our cozy fallout bunker to watch the 1999 romantic comedy, Blast from the Past.
This is the second in our new series within the podcast -- Mini-Nuke episodes -- where we find movies that do not have enough nuclear nonsense for a full-sized episode but nonetheless demand over analyzation.
Tim and a special guest -- his sister, Diana -- delve into the history and use fallout shelters. Ranging from the overkill shelter in the movie to the more modest versions you'd find in backyards during the Cold War, this episode tells you everything...
2016-09-141h 10
Super Critical PodcastMini-Nuke 1: Star Trek BeyondIn this special episode, we suppress our emotional sides and explore the logic behind the 2016 science fiction adventure movie, Star Trek Beyond. This is the first in our new series within the podcast -- Mini-Nuke episodes -- where we find movies that do not have enough nuclear nonsense for a full-sized episode but nonetheless warrant some over analyzation.
We go into needless detail about Spock's radioactive jewelry gift to Uhura, which also doubles as a handy tracking device. This plot device has real life inspiration in Trinitite or atomsite glass, a glass byproduct of nuclear detonations in the desert that...
2016-08-3037 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 9: Fail-SafeIn 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...
2016-08-111h 53
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 8: The PeacemakerIn this episode, we leave our boring jobs and become Jason Borne Bureaucrats, because we watch the 1997 action-thriller, The Peacemaker. How easy is it to steal a Russian nuclear warhead? What the heck does SS-18 mean? Is it really a good idea to try and stab a plutonium core and smash it with a gun? We answer these questions and more.
Apologies for the audio issues in this episode. We went mobile from our usual podcast studio and we think some of the wires got frayed in the process. The problem was identified and vaporized. There is some great content...
2016-07-051h 50
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 7: G.I. Joe - RetaliationIn this episode, we are still unaware of what the other half of the battle is, but we do know some things about the 2013 action movie, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. How can a villain trick the world into global nuclear disarmament? Does the U.S. military really have plans to steal Pakistan's nuclear weapons? Does The Rock action figure come with a kung-fu grip? We answer these questions and more.
If you don't want to watch the full movie, you can watch these key scenes on YouTube ("Might be a better option than the whole movie."-Tim):
-The Atomic Summit...
2016-05-231h 58
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 6: Star Trek - Assignment: EarthIn the second part of our two part Star Trek marathon, we continue to boldly overanalyze what no one had deemed necessary to overanalyze before: the nuclear nonsense in the fail Star Trek spin-off pilot, Assignment: Earth. Why did countries think it was a good idea to put nuclear weapons in space? What does it look like when a nuke goes off in the vacuum of space? Is it still okay these days to name your cat Isis? With the continued help of our special guest and Star Trek enthusiast Gabe, we answer these questions and more.
Before we attempt...
2016-04-2559 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 5: Star Trek - The City on the Edge of ForeverIn 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...
2016-04-181h 16
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 4: Broken ArrowIn this episode, we eject from our aircraft and land on John Woo's 1996 slow-motion action opera, Broken Arrow. What happens when a disgruntled Air Force pilot decides to steal from his employer? Does an underground nuclear explosion set off an EMP? Is it really that easy for nuclear bombs to fall out of airplanes? We answer these questions and more.
Before we find the nukes we are looking for, we recommend reading Dr. Stephen Younger's The Bomb: A History (HarperCollins, 2009) and James Mahaffey's Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters, (Pegasus, 2014).
Other sources to check out include :
-Footage...
2016-03-121h 19
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 3: WarGamesIn 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...
2016-02-011h 12
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 2: Mission Impossible: Ghost ProtocolIn this episode, our mission -- we chose to accept -- is to talk about the nuclear nonsense in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Can you nuke a city to save a city? Why is there always an "abort the launch" button? Would the Nuclear Football deflate if it is in Siberia? We answer these questions and more.
Before the podcast self-destructed, we recommended Bruce Blair's The Logic of Accidental Nuclear War (Brookings, 1993) and Alexi Arbatov's The Equation of Security (2000). Other sources to check out:
-"The Russian Nuclear Button," Foreign Policy, May 27, 2010
-"Adventures of the 'Nuclear Briefcase,'" Strategic...
2016-01-2641 min
Super Critical PodcastEpisode 1: True Lies[For new listeners starting the podcast at episode #1, welcome! Also, I promise that the audio quality improves once we get better equipment and learn how to do this right!]
In this first episode of our podcast, we go undercover with the 1994 action spy comedy (masterpiece?) True Lies. What does this movie tell us about nuclear terrorism? Can a nuclear warhead really be confused for a snow cone maker? Why wasn't Tom Arnold at least considered to play the new James Bond? We explore these questions and more.
Books recommend in this episode: On Nuclear Terrorism by Michael Levi (Harvard Press, 2007...
2016-01-241h 00
Imaginary WorldsPolitics of ThronesGame of Thrones is huge in every way. Why does this medieval fantasy with knights and castles speak to our time? Politics. There are a surprising number of international relations experts that see parallels between the the jockeying for power in Westeros and our post-Cold War landscape. I talk with Dan Drezner from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Tim Westmyer from The Rising Powers Initiative about how Daenerys Targaryen wields her trio of dragons like a nuclear triad, and why King Joffrey was like Kim Jong Un. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
2015-04-0819 min