Most Replayed Moment: Here's What Happens When A Nuclear Bomb Drops! These Countries Will Be Safe! - The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett Recap

Podcast: The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett

Published: 2026-01-16

Duration: 23 minutes

Guests: Annie Jacobsen

Summary

Annie Jacobsen delves into the grim realities of nuclear war, describing the immediate aftermath of a nuclear strike and discussing potential safe havens like New Zealand and Australia. She emphasizes that nuclear war is preventable through leadership and public policy.

What Happened

Annie Jacobsen outlines a harrowing scenario of a nuclear bomb strike, starting with the devastation caused by the initial explosion. The thermonuclear light, reaching 180 million degrees, ignites everything within a nine-mile radius, leading to massive fires and ultimately a nuclear winter.

She mentions Professor Brian Toon's work on nuclear winter, pointing out that climate models now predict the aftermath more accurately. The discussion includes a chilling quote from Nikita Khrushchev, indicating that survivors might envy the dead due to the collapse of society and law.

Jacobsen explains that the survivors of a nuclear war would face a world without law, order, or government, as bunkers would eventually fail. She mentions Craig Fugate's insights on how survival would push humanity back to its most primal state.

The conversation touches on the potential safety of regions like New Zealand and Australia, where agriculture might still thrive, offering a chance for survival. Jacobsen shares her personal relief at being in New Zealand amid geopolitical tensions.

She compares the potential impact of nuclear war to the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, emphasizing the need for man-made solutions to this man-made threat. Jacobsen highlights the importance of leadership, using President Reagan's shift in nuclear policy as a hopeful example.

Jacobsen stresses the need for reducing nuclear arsenals, citing the drop from 70,000 to 12,500 warheads as progress. She remains optimistic about further disarmament efforts but leaves the final goal of zero nuclear weapons to experts.

The episode explores the analogy of AI potentially triggering nuclear war, with Jacobsen assuring that current systems are predominantly analog to prevent such scenarios. She discusses the complexity of nuclear command and control communications, emphasizing their classified nature.

Finally, the episode considers the inherent human propensity for war, with anthropologists suggesting that humans can be trained to think differently. Jacobsen remains hopeful that humanity can move toward seeing adversaries as potential allies rather than enemies.

Key Insights

• A nuclear explosion can generate temperatures of up to 180 million degrees, igniting everything within a nine-mile radius and potentially leading to a nuclear winter.
• Current climate models predict that the aftermath of a nuclear war could result in a nuclear winter, with survivors facing a world without law, order, or functioning government systems.
• Regions like New Zealand and Australia may offer a higher chance of survival in the event of a nuclear war due to their potential for continued agricultural productivity.
• Global nuclear arsenals have decreased from 70,000 warheads to 12,500, indicating progress in disarmament efforts, though the ultimate goal of zero nuclear weapons remains a topic for experts.