Apocalypse How
Seriously...8 Joulu 2020

Apocalypse How

In the first of a series looking at existential threats to humanity, Jolyon Jenkins asks whether an electromagnetic pulse bomb could send us literally back to the dark ages

The arrival of COVID has brought home to us just how vulnerable we are to external threats, but we've been lucky that it hasn't been a lot worse. So what else is out there that might hit us from nowhere? For many years, some campaigners, particularly on the American right, have been talking up the threat of a nuclear weapon, detonated high in the atmosphere, that could, according to a congressional commission, wipe out 90 per cent of the population in the first 12 months, by bringing down the electric grid and frying electronic devices. They claim that China, North Korea, Russia, and even some terrorist groups might be capable of staging such an attack.

Mainstream arms control experts don't give the idea much credence, but they rarely engage with the detail of the argument. So is this a real threat, or just the right's attempt to conjure up an apocalypse that can be survived if you have enough guns, food and defensible real estate?

Presenter and producer: Jolyon Jenkins

Jaksot(484)

Empire of Tea - Episode 1

Empire of Tea - Episode 1

George Orwell described tea as “one of the mainstays of civilization in this country.” But how did this foreign plant become so British? Sathnam Sanghera speaks to Orwell expert Jean Seaton, cultural ...

15 Joulu 202314min

Across the Divide - Episode 1

Across the Divide - Episode 1

Families from the many sides of the Gaza/Israeli dispute share and reflect on their own personal histories and day-to-day existence.

12 Joulu 202328min

Battle Grounds: Culture Wars in the Countryside - Vegans

Battle Grounds: Culture Wars in the Countryside - Vegans

The British countryside is often portrayed as a green and pleasant land - a rural idyll. But under the surface, rural culture wars rage: the Right to Roam, veganism, rewilding. Anna Jones is a farmer’...

24 Marras 202315min

The Reinvention of Italy

The Reinvention of Italy

Anne McElvoy goes on the road in Italy in the latest in her series exploring the convulsions of political and cultural change sweeping through Europe’s great nations. The election last September of th...

21 Marras 202329min

Military Ink

Military Ink

Glasgow’s west end is home to the Primrose Path Tattoo Society where ex-service men & women have gravitated to reflect, celebrate and sometimes come to terms with their lives in the military, all whil...

17 Marras 202328min

How to Spot Potential - Sporting Success

How to Spot Potential - Sporting Success

Kate Mason looks at how potential can be assessed in the world of professional football with Brentford FC player Michael Olakigbe and talent spotter Lee Dykes. From cycling, Dan Bigham tells us how th...

13 Marras 202315min

Archive on 4 - The Greyhound Diaries 2023

Archive on 4 - The Greyhound Diaries 2023

American singer-songwriter Doug Levitt expected his tour to last just the six weeks printed on the face of the Greyhound pass he bought. The idea was to compose a fuller portrait of the United States ...

10 Marras 202357min

How Safe is Maternity Care?

How Safe is Maternity Care?

In 2013, broadcaster and journalist Krupa Padhy, one of the presenters for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, lost her first child because of medical negligence in a London Hospital. Legal action was taken. ...

7 Marras 202337min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
sita
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
kaksi-aitia
i-dont-like-mondays
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
uutiscast
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
mamma-mia
kolme-kaannekohtaa
rss-nikotellen
rss-murhan-anatomia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
aikalisa
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-haudattu
naakkavalta
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
loukussa