Episodes
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In this episode Nathan discusses WW2 ARP preparations for gas attacks on civilian centres.
Media source: Have Your Gas Masks With You (1941-1946) (youtube.com) I do not own the rights to this clip, used under fair usage.
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In this bonus episode I am joined by Seth Carus, as we explore some of the earliest allegations of biological warfare- as well as the more recent modern developments, which transformed ancient fears, into Cold War era weapon systems.
Do check out these two studies, I think they are great:
Carus, W. Seth. "The history of biological weapons use: what we know and what we don't." Health security 13.4 (2015): 219-255.
Carus, W. Seth. "A century of biological-weapons programs (1915–2015): reviewing the evidence." The Nonproliferation Review 24.1-2 (2017): 129-153.
And also thanks to Adrienne Mayor, who drew my attention to this work on the Caffa siege, and recent work on the spread of the Black Death in the 14th century more broadly.
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/711596
https://hcommons.org/deposits/objects/hc:50220/datastreams/CONTENT/content
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30176-2/fulltext
N.B my remarks on the ability of scientists to produce anthrax spores for the German programme in WW1 reliably has sparked some discussion. And I will return to this. Essentially, it is not currently clear if either purified / extracted/dried spores were employed- or else some form of wet suspension. The latter, which would have likely contained a mix of (likely denatured) vegetative b. anthracis and spores. Or else some form of purified spore suspension. I know right?
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Episodes manquant?
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In this episode I talk about Ian's experience as a Porton Down research volunteer as a serviceman during the 1980's. Ian is eager to contact other former veterans - please email be directly at Bwie20[@]bath.ac.uk.
The most substantive publicly available report on this subject, which we are aware of, is published here:
[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Defence Internet | About Defence | Historical Survey of the Porton Down Servce Vounteer Programme 1939-1989 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)
You can also find details of the cohort medical study here: The Porton Down Veterans Cohort Study | King's College London (kcl.ac.uk)
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In this episode we look at the history of bio-threat assessment. With a review provided by Michael Parker, who has collated a list of threat assessments produced over the past century. You can find further details on the project here! Do check it out!
https://cobrabiosecurity.org/
Further reading:
Sequence-Based Classification of Select AgentsA BRIGHTER LINE
Committee on Scientific Milestones for the Development of a Gene Sequence-Based Classification System for the Oversight of Select AgentsNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Sequence-Based Classification of Select Agents: A Brighter Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12970.
The Select Agent Regulations: Structure and StrictureShreya Kalra ▸Michael Parker (2022)
The Select Agent Regulations: Structure and Stricture | Georgetown Scientific Research Journal (gsrjournal.org)
Opinion: Coronavirus and Regulating Access to High-Risk PathogensOverbearing restrictions on research into toxins and pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 could undermine public health and security in the long run.Michael Parker Shreya Kalra and Bryce Kassalow (2022)
Opinion: Coronavirus and Regulating Access to High-Risk Pathogens | The Scientist Magazine® (the-scientist.com)
Comment from Parker, MichaelPosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan 19, (2022)
Regulations.gov
Improving U.S. Biosafety and Biosecurity: Revisiting Recommendations from the Federal Experts Security Advisory Panel and the Fast Track Action Committee on Select Agent RegulationsAuthors: Clint A. Haines and Gigi Kwik Gronvall (2022)
Improving U.S. Biosafety and Biosecurity: Revisiting Recommendations from the Federal Experts Security Advisory Panel and the Fast Track Action Committee on Select Agent Regulations | Applied Biosafety (liebertpub.com)
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Find Andrej's work over at: https://www.youtube.com/@cbrnacademy
And the video is available here
https://youtu.be/Xf3vW3pWIm8?si=-Mpz5eNteHG61o84
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All clips are from the following trailers. Used under fair usage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWlNe1-5wb8&t=9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWB6Ufh4O98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtKMEAXyPkg&t=25s
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In this episode I discuss pathogens, as well as security screening in the gene synthesis industry- with someone who isn't that sectors namesake- but has done a lot of work relevant to it: Gene Godbold, from Signature Science LLC.
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Another movie special ! The expanse- and the space fungus hypothesis! With Dr Emily Ricotta.
https://www.emilyricotta.com/
I do not own the right to the trailer, which is used under normal critique and review exemptions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0QwBp_da28
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In this movie review special Gwyn Winfield discusses the series 'Fallout'- and touch on the depiction of the environmental effects of nuclear weapons- among other things. Fallout is available on Prime Video.
Gwyn's magazine: https://cbrneworld.com/
Trailer audio used under fair usage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPZwLYEVUK8 (Prime Video).
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In this episode we examine some 19th century chemical warfare plans, which were a prelude to the first large scale use of gas warfare in WW1.
Book link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Admirals-Secret-Weapon-Dundonald-Stephenson/dp/B017AJTSBU
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In this episode, I am joined by Charles Stephenson, who discusses the use of chemical weapons by Italian invaders in the war against Ethiopia in the campaign of 1935-6.
You can find the book he recently published on this topic here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mussolini-Mustard-Gas-Fascist-Way/dp/1399051660
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The second of our movie review specials. This one looking at The Rock (1996).
With Steve Johnson https://x.com/CBRNEsteve?t=_sSXmOA7t4xGzvcW8TUYPA&s=09
I do not own the rights to the trialer used here under fair use.
Epic rap battles
https://youtu.be/_wYtG7aQTHA?si=RltWpU_VOW9xwvHh
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In our first ever movie review special, Dr Saskia Popescu reviews the classics Contagion (2011) and Outbreak (1995).
This episode was edited and produced by the wonderful Nicolas Lureau
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In this episode we consider the long and complex history of Riot Control Agents- from the first world war, to the battlefields of modern Ukraine.
There is also a list of recent statements below made in the context of the OPCW on the Ukraine issue:
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023/11/29-11-2023%20CSP-28%20_Statement%20Germany%20agenda%209d%20RCA%20_0.pdfhttps://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024/01/Combined%20Canadian%20statement%20on%20Subitem%209d.pdf
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023/11/CSP_28_National%20Statement_Ukraine_OPCW_CW_English.pdfaudio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLNMKRqOrMo
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In this episode I discuss the emergence of OSINT and Bellingcat- with a focus on work related to chemical weapons.
Sources:
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/have-chemical-weapons-been-used-ukraine
Book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=bellingcat+book&adgrpid=1172080294039072&hvadid=73255220590861&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=41801&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-73255153838822%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=10776_2102372&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_6o2ld96ezj_e
Bellingcat investigations
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2020/10/23/russias-clandestine-chemical-weapons-programme-and-the-grus-unit-21955/
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2020/01/15/the-opcw-douma-leaks-part-1-we-need-to-talk-about-alex/
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2018/09/20/skripal-suspects-confirmed-gru-operatives-prior-european-operations-disclosed/
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2020/10/22/russian-vehicle-registration-leak-reveals-additional-gru-hackers/
Ukraine riot control agent allegations
Media sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-cJu-6QFC8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBQ604MWZTQ
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In this episode, we examine the development of the French CBW programme post WW-2
Etienne Aucouturier (2023) Biological Warfare. Another French Connection
https://materiologiques.com/en/histoire-des-sciences-et-des-techniques/303-biological-warfare-the-french-conection-9782373612394.html
Olivier Lepick (2008) French Military biological programme, 1947-1972
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299105068_French_Military_biological_programme_1947-1972
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In this episode, I interview Professor Alastair Hay about his work as a toxicologist related to the prohibition of chemical weapons.
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Karl Dewey (2022)
Poisonous affairs: Russia’s evolving use of poisons in targeted killings
https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/poisonous-affairs-russias-evolving-use-of-poisons-in-targeted-kil
https://twitter.com/KarlDewey1
Audio credit: Clip BBC
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A history of the foundation of the French BW programme. You can find a list of Etienne's publications here: https://irfu.cea.fr/Pisp/etienne.aucouturier/
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In this episode, we examine the western gunpowder revolution and consider ideas for poison weapons which were outlined at this time in numerous military manuals.
I am very grateful for the input from:
the stupendous Seth Carus, the amazing Anna Roessing, the unbelievable Una Jacob, the awe-inspiring Alexander Samuel, the terrific Tonio Andrade, and the remarkable Rainer Leng.
Show notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wIibQJYobwyhFNC-OhjnLYkOwVizIjuJ?usp=sharing
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