Big Ideas Lab

In the mid-1990s, global treaties and a U.S. moratorium on nuclear testing marked a turning point in reducing the nuclear threat. As Cold War tensions eased, U.S. nuclear test and production sites fell silent for the first time since 1945. But, as the years passed, a new threat to U.S. nuclear deterrence emerged—one that no technology has ever escaped: time.To address this, the U.S. government launched the Stockpile Stewardship Program. This groundbreaking initiative shifted the focus from building new weapons to using cutting-edge science and technology to maintain the nation’s nuclear stockpile. By leveraging advanced, science-based methods, the program ensures the safety, security, and reliability of its aging weapons—all without the need for nuclear testing.Today, we’re taking you behind the scenes of a key component of the Stockpile Stewardship Program: modernization. We’ll explore how this effort works, why it’s essential, and what it means for the future of national security.-- Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series. Executive Produced by Lacey Peace. Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle. Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle. Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell. Narrated by Matthew Powell. Video Production by Levi Hanusch. Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Derek Wapman, Associate Deputy Director for Stockpile Modernization at LLNLPeter Raboin, Program Manager for the W80-4 Life Extension Program at LLNLJuliana Hsu, Program Manager for the W87-1 Warhead Modification Program at LLNLBrought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

After the first successful atomic bomb test in 1945, code-named Trinity, a new era in global politics began. Unlocking the power of the atom sparked a race among world governments—not just to build bigger weapons, but smaller, cheaper, and more agile ones. Achieving this would require rapid iteration to stay ahead.In 1955, the Atomic Energy Commission purchased 3,400 acres of farmland near Livermore. This barren stretch, later known as Site 300, became the proving ground for the Lab’s most ambitious innovations. What unfolded there would shape the future of weapons development—and change the course of history.-- Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series. Executive Produced and Written by Lacey Peace. Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle. Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle. Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell. Narrated by Matthew Powell. Video Production by Levi Hanusch. Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Valerie Dibley, Site 300 Manager at LLNLBrian Cracchiola, Explosive Operations Manager for the Strategic Deterrence Directorate at LLNL Jeff Florando, Associate Program Director for Hydrodynamic and Subcritical Experiments in the Weapons Physics and Design Program at LLNLBrought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

In the 1960s and 70s, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were pushing the boundaries of nuclear weapons technology.  But these breakthroughs came with a daunting question: Now that nuclear technologies existed, how could the world manage their risks and keep people safe?Enter NARAC, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center. Built on Livermore’s expertise in nuclear physics and supercomputing, NARAC was created to predict the spread of hazardous materials in the atmosphere during emergencies. From Chernobyl to Fukushima to Three Mile Island, NARAC’s scientists have worked on some of the hardest problems of our time—helping to assess risks, save lives, and inform critical decisions.This episode dives into the origins of NARAC, its groundbreaking mission, and how it continues to prepare for the unthinkable.-- Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series. Executive Produced and Written by Lacey Peace. Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle. Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle. Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell. Narrated by Matthew Powell. Video Production by Levi Hanusch. Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance): John Nasstrom, Chief Scientist for NARAC at LLNLLydia Tai, Health Physicist at LLNLLee Glascoe, Program Leader at LLNL for the Nuclear Emergency Support Team Katie Lundquist, Model Development Lead for NARAC at LLNLBrought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

For decades, it was an ambitious dream: to create a supercomputer powerful enough to tackle humanity's most complex problems. Now, that dream is a reality. On November 18, 2024, El Capitan made history as the world’s fastest supercomputer, surpassing two exaflops of speed. Join us as we explore how this monumental achievement is set to redefine national security, revolutionize scientific research, and spark breakthroughs that could change the world as we know it.