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Horns of a Dilemma

Horns of a Dilemma

Texas National Security Review 305 Episodes Aug 18, 2026

Brought to you by the Texas National Security Review, this podcast features lectures, interviews, and panel discussions at The University of Texas at Austin.

Episodes

Virtuous Violence and the Psychology of Nuclear Escalation
Virtuous Violence and the Psychology of Nuclear Escalation Aug 18, 2026 52:41 In this episode, we speak with Paul Slovic, Rose McDermott, and Cmdr. Daniel R. Post about their recent TNSR article "When Our Minds Go Nuclear," arguing that nuclear strategy too often assumes rational, stable decision-making despite decades of psychological research on bounded rationality and bias. Drawing on survey experiments based on the Sagan and Valentino Iran war scenario, they discuss how
How the Soviet Collapse Shaped North Korea
How the Soviet Collapse Shaped North Korea Aug 3, 2026 43:05 We are joined by Dr. Benjamin R. Young to discuss his TNSR article, "Saving Socialism: What North Korea Learned from the Collapse of the Soviet Union." Dr. Young argues that the fall of the USSR profoundly influenced Pyongyang's grand strategy. Rather than embracing reform, he explains that North Korea interpreted the Soviet collapse as a failure of ideological fervor and leadership. He contends t
Deep Ocean Danger: Unveiling the Threats to Global Connectivity
Deep Ocean Danger: Unveiling the Threats to Global Connectivity Jul 21, 2026 39:25 This episode, we are joined by Charles Mok, author of the TNSR article "Toward Undersea Cable Resilience: The Case for Global Collaboration." He speaks on the rising pace of attacks on undersea cable infrastructure and why these vulnerabilities remain under-discussed despite carrying about 99% of intercontinental data. Mok explains how growing geopolitical tension, choke points, and greater depend
25 Years of the  US-China Commission: Taiwan, Tech Competition, and Over-the-Horizon Risks
25 Years of the US-China Commission: Taiwan, Tech Competition, and Over-the-Horizon Risks Jul 7, 2026 38:56 Twenty-five years after its founding, how has the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission shaped American strategic policy? In this episode, we feature a panel discussion examining the evolution of major power competition. Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens sits down with Randall Schriver (Chairman of the Board, Institute for Indo-Pacific Security) and Mike Kuiken (Distinguished Visiting Fellow
Iran's Nuclear Tightrope: Between Power and Peril
Iran's Nuclear Tightrope: Between Power and Peril Jun 23, 2026 41:25 As the United States and Iran negotiate an end to recent hostilities, the strategic implications of Tehran's nuclear latency are more urgent than ever. In this episode of our podcast, Eric Brewer unpacks the realities of Iran as a nuclear threshold state. He argues that maintaining a threshold capability forces Tehran to walk a dangerous tightrope, balancing the perceived deterrence of adversaries
New Tech, Old Traps: The Persistent Pitfalls in Military Innovation
New Tech, Old Traps: The Persistent Pitfalls in Military Innovation Jun 10, 2026 37:45 National security scholar Herbert S. Lin joins us to discuss his latest TNSR article, "On Optimism About New Military Technologies." Lin argues that political incentives and cognitive traps like the "fallacy of the last move" often blind planners to the complex, systemic realities of new capabilities. He also maps out the crucial distinction between artifactual hardware and architectural technolo
The Balance of Control and Vulnerability: Cyber and Nuclear Risks
The Balance of Control and Vulnerability: Cyber and Nuclear Risks May 27, 2026 35:02 Dr. Jacquelyn Schneider joins us to discuss her article, "Cyber Operations and Nuclear Stability: Networked Instability." Moving beyond Hollywood analogies and pop-culture fears, Schneider argues that common understandings of how cyber operations impact nuclear stability are often misguided. Throughout the conversation, she unpacks three specific pathways to escalation—deliberate, inadvertent, and
Challenges and Opportunities for AI in Military Systems
Challenges and Opportunities for AI in Military Systems May 13, 2026 40:52 Michael Horowitz discusses his recent TNSR article, "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Strategic Stability." We tackle misconceptions about AI, how militaries have long used algorithms, and why use cases and data matter—especially when nuclear applications rely on simulated data. He examines human-machine teaming, automation bias and algorithm aversion, and risks from faster, "machine-spee
Beyond the Hype: The Reality of Precision-Strike Weapons in Ukraine
Beyond the Hype: The Reality of Precision-Strike Weapons in Ukraine Apr 29, 2026 46:09 Cameron Tracy joins to discuss his TNSR article on "technological surprise" and "normalization through use" in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He explains how forecasting about warfare often overweights extreme scenarios and is reinforced by professional and organizational incentives, producing hype with little accountability. We discuss drones, Russia's failure to gain air superiority, and four case stu
Psychological Biases in the Era of Nuclear Weapons and AI
Psychological Biases in the Era of Nuclear Weapons and AI Apr 15, 2026 44:19 Political psychologist Rose McDermott discusses her article on how systematic judgment biases can undermine nuclear deterrence and strategic stability, especially under emerging technologies like AI. McDermott explains Kahneman's Type 1 (fast, intuitive) versus Type 2 (slow, analytical) thinking and how four biases—overconfidence, the planning fallacy, the illusion of validity, and the prominence
Understanding Schelling's Nuclear Paradigms with Francis J. Gavin
Understanding Schelling's Nuclear Paradigms with Francis J. Gavin Apr 1, 2026 48:48 Francis J. Gavin, chair of the TNSR editorial board, joins us to discuss his article, "Strategic Stability and Its Limits: Reflections on Schelling." Gavin explains why Thomas Schelling remains foundational to nuclear strategy despite being an economist, and argues that "strategic stability" is often invoked without clear definition. He highlights tensions between mutual vulnerability and US exten
Strategic Stability in a Rapidly Changing World
Strategic Stability in a Rapidly Changing World Mar 18, 2026 34:14 Harold Trinkunas, the Deputy Director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation, and a senior research scholar at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, recently helped assemble our special issue on emerging technologies and strategic stability. In this episode, he previews the issue by explaining how Cold War deterrence assumptions rooted in

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