S7 E7: 100 Seconds to Midnight: Countdown, the Finale

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:05.280
Hi guys. I'm Courtney and I'm
Lisa, and we are the hosts of

2
00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:09.240
the Book of the Dead, a
true crime podcast based out of New Jersey,

3
00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:14.599
where we tell you about the most
obscure cases that you may have never

4
00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:18.239
heard of. So join us in
the Book of the Dead library for another

5
00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:22.440
chapter of the Book of the Dead. Wherever you get your podcasts. Hi

6
00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:28.000
guys, are you looking for your
next true crime podcast? Do you craze

7
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:34.000
stories that have mystery and suspense?
Well, look no further introducing Love and

8
00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:40.280
Murder, the podcast that dives deep
into the world of relationships gone horribly wrong.

9
00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.880
Every week, I take you on
a journey through the dark side of

10
00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:49.399
love, where passion turns into obsession, families become enemies, and romance turns

11
00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:56.920
to murder. From mysterious mysteries to
suspenseful suspense, I dive deep into cases

12
00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:00.960
of love gone wrong. So why
should you listen than to Love and Murder

13
00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:07.239
Because this is not just another true
crime podcast where your partners in crime not

14
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:15.480
guilty. You are storytellers and your
weekly dose of suspenseful entertainments. How many

15
00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:19.280
times have I said suspenseful? So
what are you waiting for? Join the

16
00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:23.040
Love and Murder family, and become
part of the LAMB community. Tune in

17
00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.879
every week for a new episode that
will keep you hooked. Go ahead,

18
00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:33.040
hit that subscribe button now Love and
Murder because you're either someone's last love or

19
00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:37.120
their first murder. Love and Murder
available on all major podcast platforms, not

20
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.280
for true crimers under eighteen must be
an applejuice drinking enthusiasts, but not really.

21
00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:42.079
Side effects include enjoining another true crime
podcast, becoming a LAMB, learning

22
00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:45.239
logic and how to deal with your
problems in a healthy manner and not turn

23
00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:47.480
into murder. Waiting for the next
episode of Love and Murder to drop every

24
00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:49.879
week. Visit my website at www
dot Murder and love dot com and remember

25
00:01:51.680 --> 00:02:01.920
all love and no murder. See
you soon. Darkcast Network, come on

26
00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:06.079
over to the dark Side. We're
really nice people once you get past the

27
00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:15.039
true crime and scary science. Hello
and welcome to Cause of Death one hundred

28
00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:23.000
seconds to midnight. I'm your host, Jackie Murante. This episode is the

29
00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:29.080
season finale of Countdown and that sentiment
has been announced by the Board of Atomic

30
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.879
Scientists. They made the announcement on
January twenty third of twenty twenty four.

31
00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:40.759
They have referred to this time as
a moment of historic danger. Quote.

32
00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:47.120
This year, the Science and Security
Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists leave

33
00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:53.879
the hands of the doomsday clock unchanged
due to ominous trends that continue to point

34
00:02:54.039 --> 00:03:05.360
the world toward global catastrophe end quote. It is still ninety seconds to midnight.

35
00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:12.159
While the board addressed several concerns involving
disruptive technologies, biological threats, and

36
00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:17.719
climate change, the first mention was
nuclear arms and the possibility that one country

37
00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:24.400
or another might push the button.
In February of twenty twenty three, Vladimir

38
00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:32.000
Putin announced his decision to suspend the
new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. In all

39
00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:38.039
honesty, he really doesn't have that
power, but Vlad will be Vlad.

40
00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:44.400
There are no real indicators that Russia
has exceeded the treaty's limits, but they

41
00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:51.280
really haven't been participating in data exchanges, inspections, or other transparency measures that

42
00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:58.280
prove that the country has indeed reduced
arms. Last March, Putin announced the

43
00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:03.599
deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus,
but there have been no indicators that any

44
00:04:03.639 --> 00:04:11.800
weapons have been moved into or out
of that area. Russia has right around

45
00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:19.959
five thousand, nine hundred and ninety
seven nuclear weapons at its disposal. Last

46
00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:27.879
October, Russia's Duma voted to withdraw
Moscow's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

47
00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:33.720
Treaty. Putin has told many outlets
that he won't resume nuclear testing unless the

48
00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:39.720
US does, but on March twenty
first, twenty twenty three, he met

49
00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:46.720
with China's President Xi Jinping in Moscow. Out of this meeting, an agreement

50
00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:51.920
between China and Russia was born.
China may provide military aid to Russia in

51
00:04:53.040 --> 00:05:00.399
exchange for help building China's nuclear forces. China currently has about four hundred and

52
00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:06.319
ten nuclear weapons. China and the
US are standing warhead to warhead, and

53
00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:12.680
this could lead to a nuclear arms
race between the two. A recent consensus

54
00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:18.600
report by the Bipartisan Congressional Commission on
the Strategic Posture of the United States stated

55
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:25.360
that the United States and its allies
must remain ready to deter and defeat both

56
00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:31.319
Russia and China. I'm going to
let that sit there for a minute.

57
00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:40.839
The report went on to recommend quote
fully and urgently executing the US nuclear modernization

58
00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:47.079
end quote. The US has roughly
five thousand, four hundred and twenty eight

59
00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:53.959
nuclear warheads. Many of these are
scattered throughout five other nations, Turkey,

60
00:05:54.240 --> 00:06:01.160
Italy, Belgium, Germany and the
Netherlands. Talks between the US and Iran

61
00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:06.480
have completely broken down since Iran has
supported Russia in the war in Ukraine.

62
00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:15.240
Iran's arm status remains unclear. International
monitors have been increasingly unable to capture any

63
00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:19.800
data on the status of nuclear weapons
produced in Iran, and Iran really isn't

64
00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:26.120
divulging any information to anyone. In
all honesty, we have no idea whether

65
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:30.360
Iran has any nuclear weapons at all, but we do know that they're working

66
00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:34.199
on it. They've had the means
to produce facile material for a long time,

67
00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:39.720
and they could produce a small number
of weapons in a few weeks if

68
00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:44.519
they really wanted to. For Iran, it's more a matter of time.

69
00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:50.560
This is particularly worrisome considering the escalation
of the war in Israel and Gaza.

70
00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:58.480
That war could spread across the Middle
East like wildfire. Israel has ninety nuclear

71
00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:03.920
warheads at their disposal. That doesn't
seem like a lot, but Israel possesses

72
00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:10.120
enough fissile material to produce up to
two hundred more in a short period of

73
00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:16.199
time. North Korea put themselves on
the nuclear map back in the eighties,

74
00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:23.439
so they've been added a good minute. They've conducted six nuclear weapons tests.

75
00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:27.879
The first was in two thousand and
six, then two thousand and nine,

76
00:07:28.279 --> 00:07:33.160
twenty thirteen, twice in twenty sixteen, and the last in twenty seventeen.

77
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:41.279
Last March, several photographs were released
showing a row of warheads that were smaller

78
00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:46.399
than the previous ones they had developed. These can be deployed on shorter range

79
00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:53.480
missiles. In April, the country
claimed that they had successfully tested a solid

80
00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:59.560
fuel ballistic missile. These missiles can
be moved and launched quickly, making it

81
00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:03.920
less likely for the target to respond
in time. South Korea has asked to

82
00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:09.279
play a larger role in the nuclear
commitments of the US to defend itself.

83
00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:20.360
North Korea currently has thirty nuclear weapons. The twenty fifth anniversary of nuclear testing

84
00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:24.519
in India and Pakistan passed last May, and both of those countries continue to

85
00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:31.319
accumulate weapons and delivery systems. They
point those weapons at one another in a

86
00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:37.600
never ending conflict. India is known
to have one hundred and sixty four nuclear

87
00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:43.840
weapons, and Pakistan has one hundred
and seventy. While France and the UK

88
00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.519
seem to live in relative peace with
the rest of the world, they've also

89
00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:52.519
accumulated nuclear stores. France has two
hundred and ninety nuclear weapons and the UK

90
00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:58.000
has two hundred and twenty five.
This all adds up to a total of

91
00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:03.240
twelve thousand, five hundred and twelve
known nukes, but there could be more

92
00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:11.960
or less. These weapons are many
times more powerful than the bomb that was

93
00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:16.519
dropped on Hiroshima back in World War
Two. If one of them was detonated

94
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:22.799
today, it would kill an estimated
five hundred and eighty three thousand, one

95
00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:30.399
hundred and sixty people instantly. In
his paper on the Probability of Nuclear war,

96
00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:35.480
Martin E. Hellman quoted Hiram Maxim, the inventor of the machine gun,

97
00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:39.320
as saying, quote, only a
general who was a barbarian would send

98
00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:45.759
his men to certain death against the
concentrated power of my new gun. End

99
00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:54.759
quote. General Douglas MacArthur addressed the
Philippines Congress in nineteen sixty one. Quote

100
00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.519
you will say at once that although
the abolition of war has been the dream

101
00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:05.279
of man for centuries, every proposition
to that end has been promptly discarded as

102
00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:11.519
impossible and fantastic. But that was
before the science of the past decade has

103
00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:16.919
made mass destruction a reality. The
argument then was along spiritual and moral lines

104
00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:24.799
and lost. But now the tremendous
evolution of nuclear and other potentials of destruction

105
00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:30.879
has suddenly taken the problem away from
its primary consideration as a moral and spiritual

106
00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:39.679
question and brought it abreast of the
scientific realism end quote. Hellman is best

107
00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:46.039
known for the invention of public key
cryptography. This technology enables secure Internet transactions.

108
00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.320
The algorithm was developed by Hellman and
Whitefield Diffy in nineteen seventy six and

109
00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:58.200
is still used today. This is
how we transfer money between bank accounts,

110
00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:05.919
Venmo, PayPal and Hellman is a
cryptologist and a mathematician, and today he

111
00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:11.840
uses his skills to estimate the probability
of nuclear war. Hellman argues that with

112
00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:16.200
each new discovery in weapons technology,
mankind hopes that by building them, they

113
00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:22.879
will never be used. Society's envision
a cold war that keeps us from attacking

114
00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:26.240
one another because we know that by
using these weapons we will destroy ourselves.

115
00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:33.080
In reality, this possibility doesn't exist. It can't happen. Every new invention

116
00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:39.879
becomes a tool. Eventually, Hellman
believes that there is a one hundred percent

117
00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:45.559
certainty that man will destroy himself with
nuclear weapons if only given enough time.

118
00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:50.720
While Hellman understands that the genie is
out of the lamp and it's impossible to

119
00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:56.440
put it back in, he also
knows that this genie is probably going to

120
00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:01.360
destroy mankind. In his paper,
which was originally written in nineteen eighty five

121
00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:09.639
and updated in two thousand and eight, he explains probability quote. The inevitability

122
00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:16.000
concept can best be understood by analogy
to finance. It does not make sense

123
00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.519
to talk of an interest rate as
being high or low, for example,

124
00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:26.200
fifty percent or one percent, without
comparing it to a specific period of time.

125
00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:31.320
An interest rate of fifty percent per
year is high, an interest rate

126
00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:37.080
of fifty percent per century is low, and the low interest rate of one

127
00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:43.480
percent per year, builds up to
a much higher interest rate, say one

128
00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:50.639
hundred percent, when compounded over a
sufficiently long time end quote. He goes

129
00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:54.919
on to say, in the same
way, it does not make sense to

130
00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:58.639
talk about the probability of nuclear war
being high or low. For example,

131
00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:05.639
ten percent versus one percent, without
comparing it to a specific period of time,

132
00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:13.039
for example, ten percent per decade
or one percent per year. Having

133
00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:16.879
gotten the units right, we might
argue whether the probability of nuclear war per

134
00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:22.639
year was high or low, but
it would make no real difference. If

135
00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:26.600
the probability is ten percent per year, then we expect the holocaust to come

136
00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:31.440
in about ten years. If it's
one percent per year, then we can

137
00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:37.840
expect it in one hundred years.
We have pulled the trigger on this macabre

138
00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:41.759
game more often than is imagined.
Each action on our current path has come

139
00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:46.960
chance of triggering the final global war, and if we keep pulling the trigger,

140
00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:54.320
the gun will eventually go off.
Each small war in Iran or Iraq,

141
00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:58.960
or Vietnam or Afghanistan is pulling the
trigger. Each threat of the u

142
00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:03.799
S use of violence, as in
the Cuban missile crisis, is pulling the

143
00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:07.399
trigger. Each day that goes by
in which a missile or a computer can

144
00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:13.879
fail is pulling the trigger. The
only way to survive Russian Roulette is to

145
00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:20.600
stop playing. The only way to
survive nuclear Roulette is to move beyond the

146
00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:26.360
war. In the same sense that
the civilized world has moved beyond human sacrifice

147
00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:31.440
and slavery end quote. He's right. The only way to ensure that no

148
00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:35.960
one pulls the trigger for the final
time is to stop conflict before it starts.

149
00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:43.399
But that statistically unlikely as well by
one hundred percent. Let's take a

150
00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.960
break to hear from our sponsors.
Then we'll be back to discuss some of

151
00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.799
the current potentials. Spring is coming
and I'm preparing my garden beds and pots

152
00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:58.840
for growing. Soon I'll be starting
seeds, and you know where I'll be

153
00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:03.399
headed for all my life. I
supplies. That's right, I'm going to

154
00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:09.320
True Leaf Market. I'm pretty new
to growing, and this year True Leaf

155
00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:15.120
Market has added a new tool to
their website to help me grow like a

156
00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:22.720
pro. It's the seed Finder Quiz. I love this. It helped me

157
00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:28.440
choose the best varieties of plants for
my growing zone, my level of experience,

158
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:33.039
and the characteristics of the vegetables.
In no time at all, I

159
00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:39.559
had chosen several varieties of melons,
tomatoes, corn beans, and peppers.

160
00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:46.159
I'm still building my order, so
I've saved my choices to my catalog and

161
00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:50.159
I'll be back in a few days
to shop more. And gather everything that

162
00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:56.879
I need. Check out as simple
and delivery is super fast. It doesn't

163
00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:00.200
matter what you plan to grow.
They have vegetables, seeds, herb seeds,

164
00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.480
flowers, and grains. You can
buy as much as you need,

165
00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:11.639
from small quantities for backyard gardens to
bulk for large farming operations. Their prices

166
00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:17.840
are reasonable too. I can buy
small packets of seeds starting at two dollars

167
00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:23.120
and forty nine cents. Organic seeds
start at two dollars and ninety nine cents.

168
00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:30.919
Right now, trueleaf Market is offering
my listeners ten dollars off any purchase

169
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:37.840
of fifty dollars or more with promo
code COFD ten at checkout. Go to

170
00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:47.320
www. Dot trulyafmarket dot com and
check it all out. It doesn't matter

171
00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:52.039
whether you're new to growing or a
pro. Truelyaf Market has all the growing

172
00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:56.639
supplies you need and they have PDF
docs that will guide you through the process

173
00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:03.279
of growing. Go take a look
at trueleaf Market, use the seed finder

174
00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:07.680
quiz and browse the PDFs. Then
get all the supplies you need for a

175
00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:15.519
great growing season. Head to www. Truleafmarket dot com and use promo code

176
00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:22.039
COFD ten at checkout. For ten
dollars off any purchase of fifty dollars or

177
00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:29.319
more with free shipping in the lower
forty eight States on purchases of over seventy

178
00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:34.640
five dollars. Go get your grow
on with True Leaf Market. Forty percent

179
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.960
of Americans have a hard time swallowing
pills, and I'm one of them,

180
00:17:40.599 --> 00:17:45.799
so I really did not want to
get on a vitamin regimen, even though

181
00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:49.880
I needed it. When it's time
to take your vitamins, large capsules and

182
00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:56.319
pills are out of the question.
We know gummy vitamins exist, but they're

183
00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.079
full of sugar and they get stuck
in your teeth, and they only contain

184
00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:06.000
a fraction of the nutrients you need. Since I found Easy Melts, I

185
00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:11.319
am over the moon to take my
vitamins every morning because luckily, Easy Melts

186
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:17.200
has discovered the ultimate vitamin sweet spot, vitamins that melt in your mouth,

187
00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:22.640
taste like a treat, and are
packed with nutrients ready for absorption, all

188
00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:29.160
without an ounce of sugar. If
you want to try a really, really

189
00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.960
great vitamin product for a limited time, Easy Melts is giving Cause of Death

190
00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:40.400
Listeners a free three months supply of
Vitamin D three with your first purchase.

191
00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:48.799
To claim your free D three visit, try dot Easymelts dot com slash cod

192
00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:52.839
Say goodbye to the old way of
taking your vitamins and say hello to the

193
00:18:52.880 --> 00:19:00.240
easy way. You will not regret
trying this product. To claim your free

194
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:07.240
three visit, try dot easy Melts
dot com slash co D. That's try

195
00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:15.839
dot e the letters z Melts dot
com slash c D for a free three

196
00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:22.839
months supply of vitamin D three with
your first purchase. The US and China

197
00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.759
are puffing up for another Cold war, and Russia has been threatening to use

198
00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:32.039
her nuclear power against the world for
almost a year now, with rumors that

199
00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:37.359
nuclear warheads have been moved to Belarus
for testing. The countries surrounding Ukraine are

200
00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:44.640
becoming increasingly nervous that the conflict could
spill over into their lands. There is

201
00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:49.160
a real possibility that Germany, Italy, France and Belgium could have their defenses

202
00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:56.440
ready just in case. Last year, China and Russia announced a no limits

203
00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:00.759
partnership, but Putin denies that there
are military ties between the two countries.

204
00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:07.279
Consider this, between the ongoing war
in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle

205
00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:12.200
East that could affect the flow of
trade through Yemen's bat El Mandeb Strait,

206
00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:18.759
and the possibility that China could attack
Taiwan. These three things could force the

207
00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:23.720
US into a crisis with China,
Russia, and Iran. These three countries

208
00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:29.039
have opposed the world order that the
US and her allies put into place eighty

209
00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:33.960
years ago. This partnership has the
intention to tear down the existing world order,

210
00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:41.160
and the US is at the heart
of that world order. While the

211
00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:45.839
US was focusing on eliminating terrorism in
the Middle East, they reconstructed their military

212
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:51.440
and lowered the industrial base for defense
to the point that they cannot provide the

213
00:20:51.559 --> 00:20:57.680
quantities of weapons that a war against
China and Russia would demand. Russian and

214
00:20:57.799 --> 00:21:04.039
Chinese military forceses came together last year
five times to perform military exercises in the

215
00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:10.279
Sea of Japan and the East China
Sea. China is growing its navy,

216
00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:17.200
and Russia possesses some very high end
military technologies. If Russia should share those

217
00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.720
with China, the balance of power
in that part of the world would change

218
00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:26.160
quickly, and together China and Russia
could become the most powerful military forces in

219
00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:32.200
the world. By the end of
twenty twenty three, the US began looking

220
00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:38.799
to Iran's nuclear arms acceleration on the
heels of several drone attacks. The International

221
00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:48.319
Atomic Energy Agency the IAEA reported that
Tehran has boosted production of weapons grade uranium.

222
00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:55.200
The IAEI verified the increased rate of
production when inspectors traveled to the facilities

223
00:21:55.279 --> 00:22:00.119
in Nantanes and Fordeaux. At the
end of November twenty twenty three, those

224
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:07.119
facilities had produced around nine kilograms of
uranium per month. This was up from

225
00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:12.319
June of twenty twenty three, when
facilities were producing about three kilograms of uranium

226
00:22:12.359 --> 00:22:18.799
per month. The IAEA issued a
warning to Iran that they were close to

227
00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:26.119
the limit of production allowed. Iran's
atomic energy chief, Mohammed Islami, responded

228
00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:30.519
to the warning with the Nile quote, we did nothing new and we are

229
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:36.920
doing the same activities according to the
rules end quote. Could the world be

230
00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:41.759
headed to another Cold War? Honestly, it seems as if the Cold War

231
00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:47.359
only ended on paper. Treaties between
NATO and non NATO countries were broken years

232
00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:52.160
ago despite promises to dismantle their toys
and go home. The threats from Russia

233
00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:57.160
and North Korea and China have loomed
over the world since those countries gained access

234
00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:04.440
to nuclear technology. That technology is
no secret now everyone has it. The

235
00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:11.680
only thing that holds most countries back
from production is money. The nuclear arms

236
00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:15.559
race is comparable to keeping up with
the Joneses. Everyone wants a nuke in

237
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:19.480
their backyard, and those who can't
have one in their backyards don't matter.

238
00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:25.759
The plan for them is to be
fodder for the winner. But what will

239
00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:32.599
be left contaminated air and water,
land where crops can't grow, People dying

240
00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:37.920
of cancer and starvation. That seems
to be the fate of survivors of nuclear

241
00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:42.880
attack, and most won't survive for
long. I grew up during the Cold

242
00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:48.279
War, and I remember those stupid
drills where we were hiding under our desks

243
00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:51.599
with our books over our heads,
waiting for a bomb to drop on us.

244
00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:56.319
I never knew a time when nuclear
arms didn't exist. I remember,

245
00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:02.720
even as a child, I thought
those drills were stupid. We watched videos

246
00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:07.079
of the bomb dropping on Hiroshima,
and those videos showed the aftermath. People

247
00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:12.400
were vaporized, buildings were destroyed.
I knew there was no way a desk

248
00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:18.640
and a textbook could save me.
I asked my aunt about it once we

249
00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:22.880
were sitting at the dinner table,
and I may have been in like second

250
00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:27.759
or third grade. I asked,
how can we be saved by hiding under

251
00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:34.319
our desks? She glanced over at
my uncle. I'm not sure, she

252
00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:40.079
said. My uncle, who was
always known to tell everyone how the cow

253
00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:44.599
ate the cabbage with no provocation at
all, remained silent when I looked to

254
00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.839
him for answers. That was my
answer. We would not be saved.

255
00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:56.480
These were years when protests were held
demanding that the US put down her arms.

256
00:24:56.119 --> 00:25:00.559
People were standing on the railroad tracks
at Rocky Flats holding signs that said

257
00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:07.240
no more nukes and save our children. They stood outside the gates of Lockheed

258
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:11.000
Martin yelling anti war slogans, and
they marched outside the gates of Lowry Air

259
00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:15.359
Force Base, chanting and demanding that
the US be the first to stop the

260
00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:21.519
arms race. Those people felt like
they were doing something, but I think

261
00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:26.599
they knew they weren't really making a
difference in the arms race. I wanted

262
00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:29.839
to go out and protest with them, but my aunt and uncle were not

263
00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:34.279
about to let me do anything that
would a be construed as anti military and

264
00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:38.799
b get me arrested at the young
age of twelve or thirteen. I really

265
00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.200
don't remember how old I was when
those protests were going on, but it

266
00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:48.279
was around that age. When the
Cold War ended, so did the protests.

267
00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:52.839
We lulled ourselves into a false sense
of security, thinking that the world

268
00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:57.720
had come to an agreement and the
silos that held the warheads would be dismantled.

269
00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:03.079
I didn't realize they hadn't been until
I was in high school and found

270
00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:08.880
the Board of Atomic Scientists and the
Doomsday Clock. I've been watching the clock

271
00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:14.799
and following the reports ever since.
If you'd like to hear the history of

272
00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:18.200
the Doomsday Clock, I did an
episode on that way back in season four.

273
00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:22.920
It was episode one, and it's
called, oddly, the History of

274
00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:29.680
the Doomsday Clock. You might want
to go back and listen. I'm no

275
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:33.920
expert on war, I won't ever
claim to be, but I have enough

276
00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:37.960
understanding on the subject to know that
man has been at war with himself since

277
00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:42.759
the dawn of time. He's always
sought ways to build bigger and better weapons

278
00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:51.039
to kill his enemies that will,
unfortunately never stop. In his paper,

279
00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:56.839
Hellman states that he is not in
favor of disarmament at this point, disarmament

280
00:26:56.920 --> 00:27:02.200
for the US or Russia would be
suicide. Escalation is the only choice.

281
00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:08.119
But can the world's superpowers humble themselves
enough to de escalate? Can they stop

282
00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:15.720
before someone gives the final order?
Is it possible to keep aiming nuclear warheads

283
00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:22.920
at our enemies and maintain peace?
Only time will tell. It's ninety seconds

284
00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:29.119
to midnight, and the world continues
to turn while the most powerful governments align

285
00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:34.599
against one another for a final showdown. Thank you for listening to Cause of

286
00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:40.359
Death one hundred seconds to midnight.
The links to my research, including the

287
00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:44.720
January twenty twenty four announcement of the
doomsday clock, can be found in the

288
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:49.920
show notes. It's worth the read. There are also links to my sponsors,

289
00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:56.480
Easy Amounts where you can take your
vitamins the Easy Way and truelyef Market.

290
00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:02.079
Spring is creeping up on us and
I'm getting ready to start my seeds.

291
00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:07.960
True Leaf Market is my go to
for all my gardening supplies. Please

292
00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.759
feel free to contact me at Jackie
at cause of Death one hundred sex dot

293
00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:18.759
net. You can also leave a
message at the website at www dot cause

294
00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:25.680
of Death one hundred sex dot net. I love hearing from you. The

295
00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:29.240
website is pretty cool, so go
poke around and read the blog, look

296
00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:32.359
at pictures of my dog, and
catch up on all things cause of Death.

297
00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:37.079
Thanks to all who voted in my
latest poll. If you missed that,

298
00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:41.839
I asked if sweet Peas should continue
to be my spokesdog for the show,

299
00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:47.200
and it was unanimous that she should. Sweetpea also thanks you for that.

300
00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:49.799
She was sad that there was one
person out there who thought that her

301
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:56.200
videos were lame. If you'd like
to support the show and keep sweet Pea

302
00:28:56.279 --> 00:29:00.839
intreats, doggy daycare and spa treatments, you can do so on Patreon,

303
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.519
Apple Subscriptions, and Cofi. The
links to all of those are in the

304
00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:11.799
show notes as well. This is
the final episode of season seven, Countdown.

305
00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:15.960
I hope that it's been as interesting
for you as it has been for

306
00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:21.480
me. Next season, we go
back to disease. Season eight is called

307
00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:26.640
Creepy Crawley's and the first episode will
feature my dog, Sweetpea, telling her

308
00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:30.799
story of having whipworm. For those
of you who live for thee hundred seconds

309
00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:34.480
to midnight episodes, don't worry,
there will be a few of those sprinkled

310
00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:38.759
into the next season. Asso Thank
you for listening to Cause of Death one

311
00:29:38.839 --> 00:30:12.440
hundred seconds to midnight where the clock
just never stops ticking down and b