How China Navigates the Risk of Nuclear Escalation
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Release Date: 04/23/2025
Navigating Simultaneous Nuclear Challenges
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Ankit Panda sits down with Vipin Narang for a wide-ranging conversation on the challenges the United States faces in an increasingly complex nuclear landscape. They explore China’s nuclear modernization, what risks Washington may need to accept, and much more. Image: via DVIDS
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Iran’s Future in the Nonproliferation Regime
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Jamie Kwong joins Ankit to unpack recent developments in the Middle East and their implications for nuclear nonproliferation. They discuss how Israeli and American counter-proliferation strikes could shape Iran’s trajectory within the global nonproliferation regime and much more. Image: via Wikimedia Commons
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Europe’s Deterrence Dilemma
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Ankit sits down with Paul van Hooft to discuss the complex challenges of maintaining nuclear deterrence as traditional U.S. security guarantees come into question. They explore the challenges facing France, the United Kingdom, and NATO allies in developing credible deterrence strategies, the role of conventional weapons, and the risks of nuclear proliferation on the continent. Image: 2nd. Lt. Paige Bodine via
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Who Will Shape the Third Nuclear Era?
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Ankit sits down with Ben Zala to discuss his research team's new book, The Global Third Nuclear Age: Clashing Visions for a New Era in International Politics. They talk about the fundamental drivers of the third new nuclear age, categories of nuclear states, and the increasingly important role of strategic non-nuclear weapons. Image: Department of Defense via .
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At The Precipice of Armageddon
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
On this special episode of Thinking the Unthinkable, Ryan joined Ankit for a live podcast recording and party at WOTR HQ to celebrate the launch of Ankit’s new book: In their wide-ranging conversation, Ryan and Ankit delve into the history of nuclear weapons and their renewed importance in international politics. They also discuss the impact of emerging technologies on nuclear deterrence, the unraveling of arms control treaties, and what comes next, among other topics. Image:
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Defusing the Nuclear Crisis Between India and Pakistan
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Ankit sits down with Christopher Clary to unpack the most serious crisis between India and Pakistan in recent decades. How did these two nuclear-armed neighbors go from the brink of war to de-escalation? Image: via Wikimedia Commons.
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The Risks of the Latest India-Pakistan Crisis
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
On this episode of Thinking the Unthinkable, Ankit sits down with Sameer Lalwani to discuss the risks involved in a military conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. This episode was recorded after the April 22 attack in Kashmir that prompted the current round of tensions and before India launched strikes on Pakistan, and digs into the risks in the event of an attack. Image: via Wikimedia Commons
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How China Navigates the Risk of Nuclear Escalation
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Ankit sits down with Fiona Cunningham to discuss her new , Under the Nuclear Shadow: China's Information-Age Weapons in International Security, which makes a compelling argument about Chinese nuclear modernization and U.S.-Chinese nuclear escalation.
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The Intersection Between Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
Edward Geist joins Ankit on this episode of Thinking the Unthinkable to talk about nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence. In particular, they discuss themes from Edward's recent book: , and its themes, such as the limits of what computers can and can't do, the problems associated with adapting AI systems to deal with military deception, as well as what an AI-enabled and deception dominant world might look like. Edward is a policy researcher at RAND.
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Historical Lessons for Modern Missile Defense
Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
On this episode of Thinking the Unthinkable, Ankit continues to explore missile defense capabilities in the context of the Trump administration's interest in building a Golden Dome for America. James Cameron, an associate professor of modern North American history at the University of Oslo, joins the show to discuss arms control efforts between the United States and the Soviet Union, and how it pertains to modern missile defense debates in Washington and elsewhere.
info_outlineAnkit sits down with Fiona Cunningham to discuss her new book, Under the Nuclear Shadow: China's Information-Age Weapons in International Security, which makes a compelling argument about Chinese nuclear modernization and U.S.-Chinese nuclear escalation.