This section is for major, multi-year research projects that do not fall under the “Writing and Research” heading. Click the sub-headings for more information.
NUKEMAP
NUKEMAP is an interactive nuclear weapons effects simulator created by Alex Wellerstein in 2012. It has been used by over 20 million users globally, and several variants have also been developed. It has been featured extensively in news media as well as cited and used by scholars in peer-reviewed publications.
Reinventing Civil Defense
The Reinventing Civil Defense project seeks to develop new communication strategies regarding nuclear risk that have high potential to resonate with a public audience. Building on the prior history of Civil Defense, we will identify what an effective, non-partisan, level-headed approach to nuclear risk communication looks like in the 21st century.
The President and the Bomb
The President and the Bomb is an overarching research endeavor into the question of whose finger should be on the metaphorical button: how should nuclear use authority operate? By looking at the history and politics of nuclear use authority, we hope to develop a broader framework for what kinds of systems produce the least likelihood of ill-advised nuclear weapons use.
Oregon Road ’83
Oregon Road ’83 is a post-apocalyptic road trip video game meant to give a viscerally-realistic look at what the United States might have looked like after a full-scale nuclear war with the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. Developed with the help of dozens of undergraduate artists, programmers, researchers, musicians, and writers, and with a grant from the Outrider Foundation, the game is anticipated for release in early 2024.