#013 - Engineering for Nuclear Security with Cameron Tracy

Cameron is a research scholar at the Standford Center for International Security and Cooperation

In this episode we discuss

• How Cameron went from a PhD in materials engineering to researching global security issues
• A brief history of the role of academia in international and nuclear security
• Nuclear arms reduction 
• Nuclear waste management and hypersonic missiles
• The importance of dialogue between technologists in different nations to create effective international security policy
• How social dynamics shape discourse on existing and emerging technologies
• The ethical considerations and obligations of engineers, particularly in the weapons and defence space
• How engineers from all disciplines can contribute to the field

Full show notes: http://engineeredforimpact.show/cameron

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/w-wInL6KcR8

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:29) Cameron

(00:02:28) Cameron's journey

(00:08:22) Academic landscape of nuclear and international policy

(00:18:50) Disposal of nuclear waste

(00:33:23) The social roles of technologists

(00:41:04) Social context of nuclear waste

(00:48:23) Hypersonic missiles

(01:00:11) How policymakers get information on weapons systems

(01:03:44) Impatial information from institutions

(01:11:14) Ethics of being an engineer

(01:21:44) How to enter policy as an engineer

(01:24:17) Best engineering disciplines for nuclear policy work

(01:27:35) Resources for learning more

(01:28:44) What do you wish you had invented

(01:30:38) Learn more about Cameron

(01:31:40) Outro