Science and Global Security: From Nuclear Weapons to Cyberwarfare and Artificial Intelligence

This course provides students with a basic technical understanding of the science and technology relevant to current and emerging national and global security issues. Topics covered in this course include nuclear weapons, biotechnology and biosecurity, delivery systems for weapons of mass destruction, cyberwarfare, global surveillance, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence. In the second half of the semester, students work in small teams on in-depth case studies exploring a current or emerging global-security issue of their choice and combining both technical and policy analysis.