Scott Nolan Smith
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scottnolansmith.com
Scott Nolan Smith
@scottnolansmith.com
Comms @nti.org with a focus on our global biological, AI, and emerging tech programs.

International affairs, global security, science, tech, coffee, travel + more.
☕🗺⚽️📷👨‍💻

📍 Washington, DC area
🔗 http://scottnolansmith.com
How do we harness AI’s benefits while preventing catastrophic misuse in biology?

Join @nti.org for the virtual launch of our new report on safeguarding AIxBio capabilities.

Dec. 3 at 11:00AM ET

Register here: www.nti.org/events/repor...
Report Launch: Safeguarding AIxBio Capabilities to Prevent Global Catastrophe
"Safeguarding Against Global Catastrophe: Risks, Opportunities, and Governance Options at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biology," highlights actions the international community can t...
www.nti.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:57 PM
By cutting aid, “we’re withdrawing an investment in our own security”. youtu.be/foAVxxNhtWI?...
Why cutting aid to buy bombs is making us less safe
YouTube video by The Telegraph
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Building resilient health financing systems requires smarter, data-driven decisions. Check out insights from this expert roundtable on how tools like the upcoming Africa Health Security (AHS) Index can help countries close gaps and strengthen preparedness. www.nti.org/analysis/art...
Smarter Health Financing for Self-Reliance and Resilience Across the African Continent​
Amid a combination of economic slowdown, reductions in official development assistance, rising biological threats, and climate change’s disproportionate impact on Africa, leaders and experts call for ...
www.nti.org
November 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
We are thrilled to welcome Christine Wormuth to NTI today as our new President and CEO! With her impressive leadership background at the Pentagon, the White House, and leading think tanks, we're excited to see how she will steer our organization into the next chapter.
www.nti.org/news/nti-wel...
NTI Welcomes Christine E. Wormuth as President and CEO
A national security leader with more than 30 years of experience in defense policy, strategic planning, and international security, Secretary Wormuth brings an extensive record of leadership and…
www.nti.org
November 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
The U.S. maintains its nuclear arsenal using advanced simulations, continuous monitoring, and rigorous assessments—methods that provide more accurate insights than past explosive tests ever did, explains NTI’s Dimitri Kusnezov, former Chief Scientist at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
How the U.S. Maintains Its Nuclear Arsenal—Without Explosive Testing
The U.S. ended explosive nuclear testing in the 1990s, but that does not mean we are unprepared. In its place, the U.S. uses a science-based program that checks the health of the stockpile…
www.nti.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
The world remains dangerously underprepared for future pandemics. A new G20 High Level Independent Panel report, Closing the Deal, outlines key steps to strengthen global financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

Read the report: bit.ly/pandemicfina...
November 12, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
All countries remain dangerously unprepared for future pandemic threats. The world must work to prepare now, because the cost of inaction is far too high.
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Pandemics are a choice
The end of pandemics is within reach. Why aren’t we acting like it?
www.vox.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:35 PM
"Reprocessing belongs to a bygone era—not today’s nuclear energy resurgence. It has failed on cost, failed on security, and failed to deliver real benefits." www.nti.org/risky-busine...
To Lead in Nuclear Energy, the U.S. and Korea Must Avoid the Reprocessing Trap
One of the most consequential decisions countries will face is whether to take a costly detour into nuclear fuel reprocessing, a technology that has failed every promise it has made.
www.nti.org
November 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
'The BWC has a really important role in shaping the intent of states, making the norm really strong, and making the consequences of violating the norm unacceptable' — @jaimeyassif.bsky.social joins Global Dispatches to discuss the BWC and ways to strengthen the treaty.
youtu.be/H-gbs5T8Nrc?...
When Treaties Work: The Biological Weapons Convention
YouTube video by Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 9:56 PM
USAID saved more lives per dollar than any US agency — delivering impact through cooperation, not coercion. The agency's destruction has caused the deaths an estimated 600,000, mostly children—and the toll will continue to rise.

www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
www.newyorker.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:41 PM
To younger generations, nuclear threats often feel like a thing of the past. Engaging requires new tools, like art and film, to connect with people in ways they understand and humanize the issues. www.nti.org/risky-busine...
Why A House of Dynamite is a Wake-Up Call for Gen Z
To younger generations, nuclear threats often feel like a thing of the past. Engaging Gen Z requires new tools, like art and film, to connect with people in ways they understand and humanize the issue...
www.nti.org
November 5, 2025 at 2:27 AM
“Wise American policy would maintain, rather than disrupt, patterns of interdependence that strengthen American power, both the hard power derived from trade relationships and the soft power of attraction.” www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-rese...
Soft power: Not just winning hearts and minds, but saving lives
Harvard Kennedy School's Professor Joseph Nye has transformed the way we think about international relations.
www.hks.harvard.edu
November 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
"The only way to prevent another catastrophic nuclear detonation is to eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth. We can never be safe while living in a house made of dynamite," writes Hiroshima governor and president of Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace, Hidehiko Yuzaki.
Fictional nuclear threat serves a reminder of the past horrors, potential devastation
The governor of Hiroshima hopes those who watch Netflix's "A House of Dynamite" — in which a deadly missile rushes toward Chicago — think about the risks of nuclear weapons and long term effects an…
chicago.suntimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:04 PM
What if 𝘈 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦 didn’t end at impact? What would ensue in the seconds, minutes, days, and months that follow, and how far would the effects ripple across the region, nation, and beyond? thebulletin.org/2025/10/the-...
The “House of Dynamite” sequel you didn’t know you needed
Assuming that the missile in "A House of Dynamite" carried a several-hundred-kiloton nuclear warhead and detonated directly above Chicago’s Loop, what would ensue in the seconds, minutes, days, and mo...
thebulletin.org
November 3, 2025 at 4:10 PM
"Testing nuclear weapons is unnecessary for U.S. national security, unwise because it will invite our adversaries to do the same, and unwelcome in communities close to the test site." www.nti.org/news/stateme...
Statement from NTI CEO Ernest J. Moniz on President Trump’s Remarks on Nuclear Testing
"Testing nuclear weapons is unnecessary for U.S. national security, unwise because it will invite our adversaries to do the same, and unwelcome in communities close to the test site," said Moniz.
www.nti.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The threat of nuclear weapons spreading is real—and growing. But it’s not inevitable. Here are 5 things the U.S. can do to mitigate these threats. www.nti.org/risky-busine...
5 Big Things the U.S. Government Can Do to Prevent the Spread of Nuclear Weapons
By revamping its strategy, the United States can help build a safer future and prevent a new wave of proliferation.
www.nti.org
October 30, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
From the Suez Canal blockage to Covid-19, we’ve seen how fragile global economic systems can be.

In an interconnected world, the economic ripple effects of nuclear weapons use would be catastrophic.

NTI’s Patricia Jaworek, Isabelle Williams, and Page Stoutland researched these effects. Read more ⤵️
Global Nuclear Effects: Economic and Financial Fallout of Nuclear Use
Despite the high stakes, the economic and financial considerations of nuclear weapons use remain underexplored. This paper examines several decades of research on economic and financial effects of nuc...
www.nti.org
October 29, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Innovation without due diligence is too risky a bet. #Biotech VCs must prioritize safeguards. impactalpha.com/with-oversig...
With oversight lagging, biotech VCs must lead on safety
Biosafety and biosecurity must become standard components of biotech VC due diligence. Learn why life sciences investors need to lead on risk management as oversight lags behind innovation, and how ea...
impactalpha.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM
“I am concerned that this bill could cause damage to pharmaceutical supply chains that are important for saving lives here in the U.S. and internationally.” — @jaimeyassif.bsky.social @nti.org www.science.org/content/arti...
Congress close to passing law that would freeze out certain Chinese biotechs
Latest version of Biosecure Act could raise costs for academic biology labs in an effort to prevent theft of Americans’ health data
www.science.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
"For the future of humanity, let’s hope that the movie wakes people up to the nuclear nightmare festering in our house of dynamite and gets leaders back to the negotiating table." variety.com/2025/film/ne...
Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘House of Dynamite’ Is a Wake-Up Call on Nuclear Weapons
Kathryn Bigelow's 'House of Dynamite' is a wake-up call on nuclear weapons.
variety.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE is now streaming on @netflix.com. If you walk away from the film with questions, we have answers.

Head to NTI.org/a-house-of-dynamite to learn more.
Breaking Down A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE
NTI breaks down the nuclear themes in "A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE," a new film from Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, opening in theaters October 10, 2025 and available on Netflix on October 24...
NTI.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Scott Nolan Smith
We are pleased to announce that Christine Wormuth, a defense and national security leader who recently served as Secretary of the Army, is joining the Nuclear Threat Initiative as our new President and CEO.

Learn more about her now. ⤵️
www.nti.org/news/nti-boa...
October 22, 2025 at 7:49 PM
“The march of conspiracy thinking from the margins to the mainstream now guiding public policy should be a wake-up call for all Americans. People are literally going to die from it as a result.” apnews.com/article/vacc...
Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century
More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections – vaccines, milk safety and fluoride – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year.
apnews.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM
𝘈 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦 isn't just a dramatic thriller—it's a wake-up call to the reality of nuclear risk and how close we are to catastrophe. www.vox.com/future-perfe...
October 15, 2025 at 8:09 PM
You've got questions. @nti.org has answers. Breaking down the nuclear themes in "A House of Dynamite," a new film from Kathryn Bigelow, in theaters today and available on Netflix on October 24. www.nti.org/analysis/art...
Breaking Down A House of Dynamite
NTI breaks down the nuclear themes in "A House of Dynamite," a new film from Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, opening in theaters October 10, 2025 and available on Netflix on October 24...
www.nti.org
October 10, 2025 at 1:13 PM