Matthew Bunn
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matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn
@matthew-bunn.bsky.social
480 followers 130 following 290 posts

Father, husband, citizen, professor, focusing mainly on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy issues. Faculty lead for Harvard's Managing the Atom project: www.belfercenter.org/programs/managing-atom
My website: matthewbunn.scholars.harvard.edu .. more

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Matthew Bunn is an American nuclear and energy policy analyst, currently a professor of practice at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. He is the Co-principal Investigator for the Belfer Center's Project on Managing the Atom. .. more

Political science 44%
Engineering 24%
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matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 19d
Proud to have been part of 50 years of work to reduce the danger of nuclear war at the Harvard Kennedy School, detailed in this new account in the Kennedy School's magazine. The effort is more urgent and essential than ever. www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-rese...
Inside the Kennedy School’s long fight to prevent nuclear catastrophe
For generations, the insights and engagement of Harvard Kennedy School scholars have strengthened nuclear strategies and reduced dangers.
www.hks.harvard.edu

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 10h
Surprise, surprise: when you intentionally traumatize government employees it becomes harder to recruit good people for those jobs.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Justice Department struggles as thousands exit — and few are replaced
The Justice Department has lost thousands of experienced attorneys and backfilled a fraction of the open jobs, in part because of a lack of qualified candidates.
www.washingtonpost.com

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 14h
We need negotiations leading to full IAEA inspections and some form of agreed caps on Iran's capability -- but there's little reason to be optimistic about that right now.

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 14h
There's no doubt that the strikes dramatically reduced Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities. But they also have substantially increased Iran's motivation to move toward nuclear weapons. My guess is that the change of an Iranian bomb in 10 years increased, rather than decreased.

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 14h
Any diplomatic agreement that left us with no agreed limits on Iran's program, no inspections of Iran's HEU, and completely dependent on intelligence success to determine if Iran was moving toward nuclear weapons would be seen as a terrible accord. But that's where the 12-day war left us.
The Dangerous Stalemate Over Iran’s Nuclear Program
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

jenniferweeks83.bsky.social
Jennifer Weeks @jenniferweeks83.bsky.social · 14h
With so much national political noise, it's easy to overlook successes close to home. My first article for @earthislandjournal.bsky.social Journal looks at the movement to build trails for people of all abilities, including those on wheels @appmtnclub.bsky.social www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
Walk This Way — Or Roll
Amid federal cuts to alternative transportation projects, states like Massachusetts are leading the way in creating universally accessible trails for hikers of all abilities.
www.earthisland.org

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

jonatomic.bsky.social
Jon B. Wolfsthal 🤯 @jonatomic.bsky.social · 16h
My friend @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social is brilliant. And he is gifted in his ability to explain the complex and dangerous realities of nuclear weapons in a way any could and everyone should understand. Congrats to the @thebulletin.org for making him do so.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=czyk...
What you should know about nuclear weapons
YouTube video by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
www.youtube.com

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 2d
A few years ago, I wrote a book chapter assessing the key obstacles to nuclear growth in China on a scale large enough to play a major part in decarbonizing their energy system and how technology and policy might address them.
www.cambridge.org/core/books/a...
Enabling a Significant Nuclear Role in China’s Decarbonization (Chapter 4) - Foundations for a Low-Carbon Energy System in China
Foundations for a Low-Carbon Energy System in China - December 2021
www.cambridge.org

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 2d
ICYMI, NYT story a couple weeks ago on how China surged past the United States in building nuclear power plants.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How China Raced Ahead of the U.S. on Nuclear Power
The United States was once the undisputed leader in atomic energy. Now it is trying to catch up.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

nicolegrajewski.bsky.social
Nicole Grajewski @nicolegrajewski.bsky.social · 2d
New post on the history of Soviet and Russian hydronuclear tests axesandatoms.substack.com/p/the-questi...

Reposted by Matthew Bunn, Amir Attaran, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

markmackinnon.bsky.social
Mark MacKinnon @markmackinnon.bsky.social · 2d
“If Trump wants to save the lives of Nigerian Christians… all Trump has to do is restore the American aid that was estimated to be saving the lives of more than a quarter-million Nigerians each year.”

Bang-on (as usual) from @nickkristof.bsky.social
Opinion | Trump Aid Cuts Kill More Christians Than Jihadists Do
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

managingtheatom.bsky.social
Project on Managing the Atom @managingtheatom.bsky.social · 3d
Please join MTA on November 14 at 1pm Eastern Time if you are interested in learning more about MTA fellowships and the application process. More information (including the Zoom registration link) can be found here: x.com/managingthea...

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 3d
Today's NYT story on where we are on climate today compared to when the Paris accord was signed is interesting in several ways -- including showing just how bad we collectively are at projecting energy futures. The solar and coal projections in they cite were hilariously wrong.
10 Years After the Paris Climate Agreement, Here's Where We Are
Has anything really changed in the decade since the Paris Agreement was reached? Actually, quite a lot.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn, Francesco Saraceno

jasonfurman.bsky.social
Jason Furman @jasonfurman.bsky.social · 5d
Jobs numbers, per ADP. Back in the black but not by much--and 3-month moving average basically zero.

Reposted by Matthew Bunn, Gordon Pennycook, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 15 more

gregsargent.bsky.social
Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 6d
These big wins will embolden Dems to take on Trump's lawbreaking and show there's a price for GOP enabling of him. Folks hate to hear this, but normal patterns are asserting themselves: Liberalism isn't dead, Rs are likely to lose in 2026, and Trump is really unpopular, not a magical exception.

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 6d
If we want nuclear energy to play a major role in addressing energy and climate challenges, we need to think through the key obstacles to, and risks of, large-scale growth, and what better technologies and policies might do to mitigate them. I offered some thoughts.
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1gkmt...
www.dropbox.com

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 6d
Often forgotten part of Dick Cheney’s legacy. For more, see Susan Koch’s excellent account.

ndupress.ndu.edu/portals/68/d...

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 6d
“It makes everyone afraid when the guy in charge of America’s nuclear weapons doesn’t appear to know what he’s talking about.” Quoted in NYT.
Trump Doubles Down on Nuclear Tests. His Energy Secretary Differs. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/u...
Trump Doubles Down on Nuclear Tests. His Energy Secretary Differs.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

coreyah.bsky.social
Corey Hinderstein @coreyah.bsky.social · 7d
President Trump's interview on 60 Minutes did very little to clarify his stance on the United States resuming full-scale nuclear tests for the first time in more than three decades. Let's look at some of his statements. 1/11

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Matthew Bunn, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 1 more

shashj.bsky.social
Shashank Joshi @shashj.bsky.social · 8d
Looks like extraordinary cowardice. "...following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation law suit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 8d
Two studies from committees of the National Academies concluded there was no technical need to resume nuclear explosive testing.
2002: nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1047...
2012: nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1284...
nap.nationalacademies.org

matthew-bunn.bsky.social
Matthew Bunn @matthew-bunn.bsky.social · 8d
For the moment, Energy Secretary Chris Wright sensibly says the Trump admin. is NOT planning actual nuclear explosive tests -- just tests of all the other parts of the weapons. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump energy secretary says no nuclear explosions for now
After the president called for resuming nuclear testing “immediately,” the official said the administration is planning only system tests.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Matthew Bunn, Amir Attaran , and 6 more

clancyny.bsky.social
Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 10d
A Nature poll found that 75% of U.S. researchers are considering leaving the country.

Guyz, even the *historians* are leaving or contemplating / likely to go. Including, at least 3 historians that I know of in my subfield. 😢
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending'
A poll from the journal Nature found that 75% of researchers in the U.S. are considering leaving the country. That includes a man who’s been dubbed the "Mozart of Math." Stephanie Sy examines what’s b...
www.pbs.org

Reposted by Kori Schake, Joanna Bryson, Matthew Bunn , and 3 more

bellingcat.com
Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 10d
Children tear-gassed. Teenagers tackled to the ground. Bellingcat analysed footage of clashes between federal officers and civilians after a judge issued a restraining order on crowd-control tactics in Illinois: www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
Tear Gas, Pepper Balls Among Weapons Deployed Against Illinois Protesters
A judge issued a restraining order on crowd-control tactics by federal agents, including those involved in Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago region.
www.bellingcat.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn, David L. Anderson

atomicanalyst.bsky.social
Stephen Schwartz @atomicanalyst.bsky.social · 10d
Here’s something really graphic for Halloween:
At top, a black and white chart labeled "Normal Distribution," showing a curved line that starts low at the left, curves up and peaks in the middle, and returns to the same low position on the right. At bottom, a black and white chart labeled "Paranormal Distribution," showing the curved line transformed into a typical ghost (a floating white sheet draped over an upright body) with two dark dots for eyes.

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

nukestrat.bsky.social
Hans Kristensen @nukestrat.bsky.social · 10d
Well, whad’ya know. Russia allegedly launched missile with a range it said it didn’t have.

Reuters cites sources in the Ukraine FM saying 23 9M729 GLCMs were fired since August and more back in 2022. Missile violated INF treaty and caused US to pull out. www.reuters.com/business/aer...
www.reuters.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

councilonstrategicrisks.org
Council on Strategic Risks @councilonstrategicrisks.org · 10d
Recording now available! Listen in to catch up on last week's conversation with @andrewfacini.com, Lily Boland, and @elianajjohns.bsky.social.

📼 Event video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkyr...

📑 Full report: councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/10/23/t...

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

nti.org
Nuclear Threat Initiative @nti.org · 10d
For 33 years, all U.S. presidents, including President Trump during his first term, preserved the moratorium on explosive nuclear testing because they understood testing would do more harm than good to U.S. national security.

The same logic applies today: It is unnecessary, unwise, and unwelcome.
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

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Matthew Bunn, Linda J. Skitka , and 1 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 10d
A checklist: "The Times editorial board has compiled a list of 12 markers of democratic erosion, with help from scholars who have studied this phenomenon."

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
brendannyhan.bsky.social Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 10d
An authoritarian...

stifles dissent/speech
persecutes opponents
bypasses legislature
uses military domestically
defies courts
declares false emergencies
vilifies groups
controls info/media
controls universities
creates cult of personality
uses power for profit
manipulates law to stay in power
Opinion | In Trump’s America, Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article)
Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

kingstonareif.bsky.social
Kingston Reif @kingstonareif.bsky.social · 11d
"US nuclear arsenal currently safe, reliable: STRATCOM nominee"
US nuclear arsenal currently safe, reliable: STRATCOM nominee - Breaking Defense
Vice Adm. Richard Correll said that Trump's announcement does not necessarily mean detonating a test weapon — noting that neither China nor Russia has conducted a nuclear explosive test in recent memo...
breakingdefense.com

Reposted by Matthew Bunn

atomicanalyst.bsky.social
Stephen Schwartz @atomicanalyst.bsky.social · 11d
Not coincidentally, today is the National Day of Remembrance for Nuclear Weapons Workers, established by Congress in 2009 to honor those who designed, built, tested, and maintained our nuclear stockpile, and also mined, hauled, milled, and enriched uranium for making nuclear bombs and warheads.
Remembering America’s Nuclear Weapons Program Workers
Remembering America’s Nuclear Weapons Program Workers
www.dol.gov