Hypervelocity

About Hypervelocity

A podcast about the impact of military technology on strategy and ethics.

Publisher

James Simpkin

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 May 2022

Latest episode

11 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Dec 2025

   Death Machines with Professor Elke Schwarz

   Professor Elke Schwarz (https://www.qmul.ac.uk/politics/staff/profiles/schwarzelke.html) is Professor of Political Theory at Queen Mary University of London. Her work bridges philosophy, ethics and technology to examine how emerging military and digital systems reshape war, violence and political practice. She investigates how autonomous weapons, military AI, drones and the defence-technology complex challenge traditional moral, political and legal frameworks. She is the author of Death Machines: The Ethics of Violent Technologies (https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526114822/) and publishes widely on the ethical implications of algorithmic systems in warfare. In this episode, Elke (https://x.com/ElkeSchwarz) draws on Hannah Arendt's concept of world-alienation to carefully build the case for the emergence of military drones as the logical outcome of a series of developments beginning around the time of the Reformation. Owing to the loss of their property, peasants grounded in local communities and life-worlds were reduced to alienated workers whose basic biological needs for food and shelter became paramount. Later, with the rise of Darwinism, society came to be seen as a biological organism (the body politic) with growth as its teleological goal, and so the ends of statecraft came to be understood as fulfilling the biological needs and health of this organism. Hence, in time, drones emerged as the perfect vector for protecting the body politic from external threats by “excising the cancer of terrorism”, for example. It is not that drones fulfil this role only because they place their pilots beyond physical harm — indeed, drone pilots experience high levels of PTSD — but also because they attempt to place warfare itself in an algorithmic, supposedly neutral technical zone beyond ethical reproach. Ultimately, however, algorithmic drone warfare can never be truly ethical precisely because ethics resides in the uncertain and incalculable terrain where difficult choices must be made. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Political Theory and Technology 02:51 Arendt's Critique of Darwin and Marx 06:02 World Alienation and the Human Condition 09:03 The Nature of Violence in Politics 11:54 Drones: The New Age of Warfare 14:42 Ethics and Algorithmic Warfare 17:27 The Distancing Effect of Drones 20:22 The Role of Machines in Warfare 23:15 Conclusion: The Ethics of Drone Warfare

2. 

   6 Nov 2025

   Military Design Thinking with Dr Aaron P. Jackson

   Dr Aaron P. Jackson⁠ (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fhs.se%2Fsc%2Fprofile-page.html%3Fidentity%3D400.34e184ed194d76ec6153add0&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C87bf5700de464323b46108de11ae2665%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638967637138240933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vhJO7f4NvbxYjZ7UAWd1pIvDg2ddxJqNhYHvdbee82g%3D&reserved=0) is Senior Lecturer in War Studies at Swedish Defence University in Stockholm, Sweden, where he specialises in researching and teaching operational art, military design thinking, and the ontology of military planning processes. Before commencing this role in February 2025, he was an Australian Public Servant for fifteen years. His public service appointments include Commander State Control Centre – Health in the South Australian Department of Health and Wellbeing, in which role he commanded the out-of-hospital elements of the Department’s COVID-19 pandemic response operations. He has also held a variety of roles in the Australian Department of Defence, including as a doctrine writer, where he was the lead author of the second edition of the Joint Military Appreciation Process doctrine, which is the Australian Defence Force equivalent to the United States’ Joint Publication 5.0 – Joint Planning. In addition to his civilian roles, Aaron is a part time Infantry Officer in the Australian Army Reserve. Holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he is a former Commanding Officer of 10th/27th Battalion, The Royal South Australia Regiment, and he has previously deployed on Operations in Iraq, the Greater Middle East Region, Timor Leste, and domestically within Australia. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are exclusively his own. They do not represent the views of any institution with which he is, or was previously, affiliated. In this month&#39;s episode, I speak with Dr Aaron P. Jackson about his book ⁠ (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FMilitary-Design-Thinking-An-Historical-and-Paradigmatic-Analysis%2FJackson%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9781032183169%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOop224NnKiFXsl9JBHHKHg7icgC_z3zGaxE1U4dkl2lEwnffoYl9&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C87bf5700de464323b46108de11ae2665%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638967637138302103%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RwfbrqBydS%2BtTYsqG%2B6LIPGL1q8KDXbMI06sA9JUUEM%3D&reserved=0)Military Design Thinking (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FMilitary-Design-Thinking-An-Historical-and-Paradigmatic-Analysis%2FJackson%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9781032183169%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOop224NnKiFXsl9JBHHKHg7icgC_z3zGaxE1U4dkl2lEwnffoYl9&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C87bf5700de464323b46108de11ae2665%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638967637138343778%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sLTO2ch%2FqFApuJRJyZwxe9uxEin5febZA44yVro9mqQ%3D&reserved=0)⁠ (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FMilitary-Design-Thinking-An-Historical-and-Paradigmatic-Analysis%2FJackson%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9781032183169%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOop224NnKiFXsl9JBHHKHg7icgC_z3zGaxE1U4dkl2lEwnffoYl9&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C87bf5700de464323b46108de11ae2665%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638967637138371272%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OxGSECMUJ6qSzFw%2B1ikZ82csebwxvXQBibQtdSu8xZ4%3D&reserved=0). Military design thinking is an approach to military strategy and problem-solving that emphasises creativity rather than conventional methods, which often rely on linear, analytical approaches that may not adequately address the “wicked problems” encountered in complex and dynamic contemporary conflicts. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Military Design Thinking 02:09 Defining Military Design Thinking 04:59 The Role of AI in Military Design 10:12 Doctrinal Ontology in Military Context 20:51 The Equality of Starting Points in Warfare 28:24 The Impact of the Iraq War on Military Doctrine 40:55 Rethinking Military Problem Solving 44:34 Complex Adaptive Systems vs. Traditional Paradigms 48:58 The Influence of Postmodernism in Military Design 55:56 Wicked Problems and Military Contexts 01:01:06 Challenges in Embedding Design Thinking 01:04:09 Successful Applications of Design Thinking 01:11:46 The Future of Military Design Thinking Academic publications cited during this podcast: 4.12: Nelson &amp; Stolterman (2014), The Design Way (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmitpress.mit.edu%2F9780262526708%2Fthe-design-way%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985554339%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=c%2B9ZVpY0X1Od9VuuP52DHl2ZpgcWPA66ArVRaDstugE%3D&reserved=0). 6.50: Bovet Emanuel, et al (2025), Comprehensive Shield 2025 (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.diva-portal.org%2Fsmash%2Fget%2Fdiva2%3A2004128%2FFULLTEXT01.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985571277%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6SFnebQACkczFM4uHL90tmVfSJFzEZm8EzsHrVrQUDM%3D&reserved=0). 9.31: The Archipelago of Design website (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faodnetwork.ca%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985586644%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QffB0dwwPQvgUWsXa8J5ZbEia%2BtBX3YNwuTJ4Ibuh1o%3D&reserved=0). 10.52: Jackson (2013), Doctrine, Strategy and Military Culture (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublications.gc.ca%2Fcollections%2Fcollection_2013%2Fdn-nd%2FD2-320-2013-eng.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985602039%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RxAlxEbcmQ5pca7fWSR9j7e4JXidGV8%2FEh%2BHY6YQBFI%3D&reserved=0). 21.56: Howard (1974), Military Science in an Age of Peace (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Fabs%2F10.1080%2F03071847409421160&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985617554%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3LRqHCfcfY0JggznKP3etDD8LCxOuD9llZ3gyhenHlc%3D&reserved=0). 27.48: Simpkin (2021),  ⁠Explaining Labour&#39;s Ballistic Missile Defence Policy 1997-2010. (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fetheses.whiterose.ac.uk%2Fid%2Feprint%2F29079%2F1%2FJ%2520Simpkin%2520Explaining%2520Labour%2527s%2520BMD%2520policy%252097-10%2520submitted%252018.6.21.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C2d333b1a1d604e4332f008de1b14843c%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638977972388943786%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=C7noxHgNERhngXv4KVcLlRzahMXzQp8p5UvzUdgh7hY%3D&reserved=0) 30.08: Naveh (1997), In Pursuit of Military Excellence (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FIn-Pursuit-of-Military-Excellence-The-Evolution-of-Operational-Theory%2FNaveh%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9780714642772&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985632811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zL8ELmKwotWrq14dMASijMsIdhdkmRtBDrVgh4gyruo%3D&reserved=0). 33.42: Ryan (2016), A Personal Reflection on Introducing Design to the U.S. Army (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fthe-overlap%2Fa-personal-reflection-on-introducing-design-to-the-u-s-army-3f8bd76adcb2&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985647470%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bRDCt%2FD6Vz5RXiV4qz07LQCqgnJlo9pzYkGDCyNQhk4%3D&reserved=0). 37.56: Mann (1992), Chaos Theory and Strategic Thought (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpress.armywarcollege.edu%2Fparameters%2Fvol22%2Fiss1%2F19%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985663140%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PTQhSTmBHPh6qUdTHWHIrjv%2FdhGcgsiui%2FFbJt8beY4%3D&reserved=0). 56.08: Rittel &amp; Webber (1973), Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2FBF01405730&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985678174%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GZGf86mxcZJ9rpJic%2FzIJVnDjUJ2%2FJ7XIOZyjIQhO7k%3D&reserved=0). 57.07: Nelson &amp; Stolterman (2014), The Design Way (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmitpress.mit.edu%2F9780262526708%2Fthe-design-way%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985692796%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ft2Y%2Bnm81LR%2FtP1hBj9Ii9dE38JFWjzi0J1x0jPk8WI%3D&reserved=0). 59.11: Builder (1989), The Masks of War (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMasks-War-American-Military-Corporation%2Fdp%2F0801837766&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985707215%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ySpUHhx2jas0T19lon7ZgIzrzKLvnehiCNHAqoeJQks%3D&reserved=0). 1.01.22: English (2004), Understanding Military Culture (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FUnderstanding-Military-Culture-Canadian-Perspective%2Fdp%2F077352715X&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985721868%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wJVduZc4BiAU3QHm%2BIvwk%2BSNQnARpxi3mc28RZbFnL8%3D&reserved=0). 1.01.42: Weick (1996), Drop your Tools (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F2393722&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985736272%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tTbadDsNS01HsEG%2BV%2B7xe5zC6N9Ses8cNXo1GUe3WL0%3D&reserved=0). 1.06.05: Weizman (2006), Walking Through Walls (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.radicalphilosophy.com%2Farticle%2Fwalking-through-walls&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985751231%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rLDhRcNsEJ48YfHIMw4iRNJt24JMpYlBEL6DBoWk4i4%3D&reserved=0). 1.06.57: Stanczak et al (2021), Design at the Cutting Edge of Battle (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1080%2F23296151.2021.1905224&data=05%7C02%7Cjsimpkin%40craven-college.ac.uk%7C511dddaa5fc749c4e79d08de194b5f79%7C70f92ad8c2b64691bdb5fda0ba5c4570%7C0%7C0%7C638976008985765923%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=mYuJoxb%2BwgiRh77%2FxRzHzml%2F3aGoU9N98w07TE8sF2M%3D&reserved=0). 1.07.37: Martin (2015), <a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?

3. 

   25 Sept 2025

   Origins of the Just War with Dr Rory Cox

   Dr Rory Cox (https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/persons/rory-cox), Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, is Professor of History at the University of St Andrews, where he has taught since 2011. He studies how ideas shape human history, with research spanning the ethics of war, violence, and environmental history. His book Origins of the Just War: Military Ethics and Culture in the Ancient Near East (https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/origins-of-the-just-war-military-ethics-and-culture-in-the-ancien#:~:text=Cox%20shows%20how%20the%20emergence,urge%20to%20justify%20state%20violence.)(Princeton) won the 2024 Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award. His forthcoming book is Solar: A History of Humanity and the Sun.In this conversation, Dr. Rory Cox (https://x.com/DrRoryCox) discusses his book &#39;Origins of the Just War (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691171890/origins-of-the-just-war?srsltid=AfmBOopvngBNdTCpnvhhBKOVIJ6diNI-Ps9Dlpgxc1fnRD5pGCxOu5Dd)&#39; and explores the evolution of just war theory from ancient civilizations to modern times. He delves into the nature of warfare in the ancient Near East, the cultural perspectives of the Egyptians, Hittites, and Israelites, and how these perspectives shaped their justifications for war. The discussion also touches on the implications of ancient practices in contemporary warfare, the role of religion, and the modern revisionist approach to just war theory. 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Rory Cox and His Work 01:54 Warfare in the Ancient Near East 08:02 Understanding Just War Theory 15:12 Cultural Perspectives on War and Divinity 27:03 Rituals and Omens in Warfare 30:37 Legacy of Ancient Warfare in Modern Contexts 31:33 The Legacy of Vengeance in Warfare 33:03 Religion&#39;s Role in Modern Warfare 36:50 Evolution of Just War Theory 44:34 Modern Revisionist Just War Theory 53:26 Christianity and Just War Theory&#39;s Influence

4. 

   21 Jul 2025

   Mission Command with Major Donald Vandergriff (U.S. Army retired)

   Today’s guest is Major Donald Vandergriff (U.S. Army retired), a distinguished military thinker, educator, and reform advocate with over two decades of service across the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and National Guard. As Director of Adaptive Leadership Training at Nemertes (https://nemertes.com/about/donald-vandergriff/), and the author of multiple influential works, he brings a blend of operational experience and intellectual rigour. In this episode, I speak with Don about his edited volume Mission Command: The Who, What, Where, When and Why (https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Mission-Command-What-Where-Anthology/dp/1546506969). What I really enjoyed about Don's book, and why it was a great fit for Hypervelocity, was how his and the other essays in it delved into the philosophical underpinnings of mission command and current U.S military culture. We tackle the key questions: How did the Prussian's defeat at the hands of Napolean lead Helmuth von Moltke to develop the philosophy of Auftragstaktik - or Mission Command? Why is Mission Command a cultural philosophy and not a social technology? How does the influence of Descartes mean that U.S. Army culture is French? Should U.S. Army culture be less Jominian and more Clausewitzian? Can Weber's theorizing on bureaucracy be used to explain current U.S. Army culture?Does the vast amount of data collected by situational awareness technology weaken mission command by encouraging excessive micromanagement of troops? Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Major Donald Vandergriff 01:53 The Origins of Mission Command 14:38 Moltke's Leadership and the Evolution of Mission Command 23:24 Mission Command as a Cultural Philosophy 29:20 Challenges in Implementing Mission Command 30:19 Empowering Decision-Making in Military Training 31:49 The Influence of French Military Philosophy 39:49 Cultural Shifts: Clausewitz vs. Jomini 43:00 Bureaucracy and Its Impact on Military Culture 46:21 Technology's Double-Edged Sword in Command 51:00 Lessons from Historical Commanders: Rommel's Approach 55:38 Building Trust for Effective Leadership

5. 

   8 Jun 2025

   Atomic Steppe with Dr Togzhan Kassenova

   Host interviews Dr. Togzhan Kassenova about her book, *Atomic Steppe*, exploring Kazakhstan's denuclearization and the human impact of Soviet nuclear testing, revealing individual agency in international relations.

6. 

   2 May 2025

   Reconceptualizing War with Dr Ben Zweibelson

   All comments and opinions are those of the individuals recorded; they do not reflect any official policy or position of the Department of Defense or U.S. government. Dr. Ben Zweibelson (https://x.com/BZweibelson) is an author, philosopher, and a retired Army Infantry Officer with multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ben lectures and publishes on military strategy, operational planning, design thinking, and war philosophy. His latest book, Reconceptualizing War (https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/reconceptualizing-war-.php), was released on April 30th. He has published two other books on the military design movement and innovation in defence applications. Ben earned the Army’s Master Parachutist, Pathfinder, Air Assault, Expert and Combat Infantryman’s Badges, the Ranger Tab, and was awarded four Bronze Stars in combat. He resides in Colorado Springs with his wife and children. His hobbies include getting injured doing jiu-jitsu, snowboarding, and CrossFit. A magnum opus, a tour de force—Dr. Ben Zweibelson’s latest book, Reconceptualizing War (https://www.amazon.com/Reconceptualizing-War-Ben-Zweibelson/dp/1804517291/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XYMKEBO204JR&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mbseCfBR3yYTlELvjPGgSlStCIv_3nG2x9M0dvtz0zVc80jlmdFLJ68m8YUvpygx.hr0ZS85yndb-OhSZ2n2jgMEBZpxjDJ8SjnOyiIIpQ6E&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=reconceptualizing+war&amp;qid=1746040212&amp;sprefix=reconcept%2Caps%2C164&amp;sr=8-1), is all of these and more. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy, and it was a rich feast. If you’ve ever wondered what your favourite strategist, philosopher, or school of thought had to say about warfare, you’re more than likely to find them in the pages of Reconceptualizing War (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reconceptualizing-War-Ben-Zweibelson/dp/1804517291/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3110RAOI7Z8LB&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3JcGEnPOXtXn1HCm3XpAmg.MYs60l2_aFWaFPbjcmIKwbihm0OmMJtZRf5JdC9Zwuo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=reconceptualizing+war&amp;qid=1746039342&amp;sprefix=reconceptuali%2Caps%2C97&amp;sr=8-1). From Clausewitz to Kant, Tolstoy, Engels, Mao, the Futurists, Marcuse, or Deleuze and Guattari—and several dozen more—every time I wondered if a thinker was about to appear, there they were. I especially appreciated how Reconceptualizing War complemented the aims of my Hypervelocity podcast: going deeper to examine the philosophical underpinnings of conflict. The cover art goes hard too. Our conversation delves into the themes of reconceptualising war through various philosophical and theoretical lenses. Dr. Ben Zweibelson discusses the importance of social paradigms, the historical context of anti-fascism, and the evolution of ideological movements like Antifa. The dialogue also explores the theoretical connections between Kant, Clausewitz, and contemporary armed movements, as well as the implications of game theory and the future of warfare in the age of artificial intelligence. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Reconceptualizing War 02:44 – Theoretical Foundations: Burrell, Morgan, and Rapoport 10:48 – Kant, Clausewitz, and Contemporary Movements 17:01 – Antifa: Historical Context and Modern Implications 26:03 – Understanding War: Paradigms and Frameworks 37:48 – Radical Structuralism and Omnism in Warfare 47:49 – The Marxist Vision of Utopia 50:15 – The Enduring Nature of War 52:04 – Game Theory and Warfare 57:57 – Complexity Science and the Afghan Conflict 01:06:28 – Radical Structuralism and Revolutionary Success 01:14:56 – Détente and Radical Structuralism 01:21:47 – Interpretivism and the Limitations of Diagrams All comments and opinions are those of the individuals recorded; they do not reflect any official policy or position of the Department of Defense or U.S. government.

7. 

   9 Jan 2025

   Theorising Future Conflict Out to 2049 with Dr Mark Lacy

   Dr Mark Lacy (https://x.com/lacy_mark), a senior lecturer (https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/security-lancaster/people/mark-lacy) at Lancaster University, joins me to discuss his book "Theorizing Future Conflict: War Out to 2049 (https://www.routledge.com/Theorising-Future-Conflict-War-Out-to-2049/Lacy/p/book/9781032113654)." We explore the evolving nature of warfare, focusing on the impact of new technologies like AI, drones, and cyber warfare. Mark highlights the challenges of predicting future conflicts, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine as a case study. He contrasts the liberal and authoritarian ways of war, emphasizing the potential for AI to make warfare more humane and pose significant risks. Mark also discusses the concept of "protopia" and "necropolitics," and the unpredictable nature of technological advancements in warfare. Questions: 1. Upon the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2049, what lessons will the PLA have learnt about warfare from today's conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East? 2. Is Bakhmut the 21st Centuries Guernica, with drones representing a revolution in military in military affairs without which a combatant has no hope of winning? 3. In what way do drones manifest the protopian and necropolitical aspects of the liberal way of war? 4. I was struck by your thought experiment Drones Over Aleppo 2042: Terrorism in an Age of AI, with its depictions of granular drones delivering humanitarian aid amidst the lawless liminal space of a sprawling refugee camp while searching for a terrorist leader who taunts the West with atrocity deepfakes and who may in fact be an AI. Drawing on Virilio, is it inevitable that the invention of AI entails the AI incident, where AI escapes our control and turns on us, leading to bitskrieg and cybotage?

8. 

   29 Nov 2024

   The Insecurity Trap with Emeritus Professor Paul Rogers

   Emeritus Professor Paul Rogers discusses how ecological, economic, and security issues intersect to create the insecurity trap and proposes practical actions for positive change.

9. 

   13 May 2024

   Pure War with Owain Leyshon and Joshua Hanson

   Owain Leyshon⁠ (https://twitter.com/RaymondKHesle) (Raymond K Hessel) is a philosopher and writer based in Ireland. He focuses primarily on the phenomenology of technology and political philosophy, with a special interest in the ancient Greeks. Owain blogs regularly on Substack and a number of his essays have been published in the collection called Notes from the Pod. ⁠Joshua Hansen⁠ (https://twitter.com/hypertheology) is a US-based cultural theorist focused on hypermodernity and the rise of digital religion. His work aims to demystify contemporary technoculture and operates at the intersection of Academia, Science &amp; the Internet. Hansen published his first book, Tractatus Anti-Academicus, in 2023. It&#39;s been a while in coming but it was great to finally discuss French philosopher Paul Virilio&#39;s Pure War with Joshua and Owain. I&#39;d been introduced to Virilio by their excellent recent course (https://thinkingatlightspeed.gumroad.com/l/viriliocourse) on his work in general. Virilio is perhaps best known as a theorist of speed and the speeding up of society through the appearance of ever faster technology, and of the inevitability of the accident bound up in the arrival of this new technology. His most famous quote is probably &quot;when you invent the plane, you also invent the plane crash&quot;. Indeed, Virilio singles out military technology in particular as a leading vector in the acceleration of society. Or, to paraphrase Virilio, society accelerates at the speed of warfare, and this was the theoretical meeting point where I wanted to converge with Owain and Joshua for our discussion. The main theme emerging from our discussion in this episode was the position of nuclear weapons in Virilio&#39;s theorising. For Virilio, the ever increasing speed of military technology means that the four minute warning is all that&#39;s left of human agency. With the arrival of laser weapons - weapons that literally operate at the speed of light - and autonomous drones, the time frame for human decision making will will shrink to nothing and Pure War will finally be achieved: war which can carry on indefinitely without any human input. Pure War is also prefigured in nuclear Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), since a war that never begins never ends. We also discussed whether nuclear weapons have prevented world war III since their inception, moving to critique the so-called Realist school of MAD from a Virilian perspective, in that it just isn&#39;t realistic enough to believe that the continued existence of nuclear weapons over the longue durée won&#39;t at some point entail accidental nuclear war. Episode Questions: 1. Pure war = Infinite preparation for war. “The invention of the airplane was the invention of the air crash”. Q. Does the invention of nuclear weapons entail the inevitability of nuclear war in Virilio’s schema? 2. Endo-colonisation: an a-national military class opposed to its own civilian population colonises its own territory, leading to the non-development of civilian economies. Q. How are the militaries of the great powers a greater threat to their own populations than their supposed enemies 3. Nuclear Monarchy: nuclear weapons gives us a new humanism founded on destruction. The weapon present by &quot;divine right&quot; at the heart of our society. Yet the military man is not an intersessionist priest, he is an executioner because he does not care about death, only killing. Can Virilio&#39;s thought be used to counter nuclear annihilation? 4. Holy War: Nuclear war is Just War with technological characteristics, encouraging the complete release of apocalypse level violence. As Christians, can Virilio&#39;s fear that belief in an afterlife encourages war and Girard&#39;s notion that war arises from a mimetic spiral of violence due to lack of a belief in the Christ scapegoat, be reconciled? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

10. 

    16 Feb 2024

    The Eye of War with Associate Professor Antoine Bousquet

    Antoine Bousquet (https://twitter.com/AJBousquet) is Associate Professor at the Swedish Defence University, Stockholm. He is the author of The Eye of War: Military Perception from the Telescope to the Drone (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eye-War-Military-Perception-Telescope/dp/1517903475) (University of Minnesota Press, 2018) and The Scientific Way of Warfare: Order and Chaos on the Battlefields of Modernity (Hurst, 2009). He has contributed an array of peer-reviewed articles (https://www.fhs.se/sc/profile-page.html?identity=400.e32d0a1179806b08bf9f3f0) and book chapters on subjects that include nuclear war, the revolution in military affairs, jihadist networks, complexity theory, violent aesthetics, nihilism, and the conceptualisation of war. In today&#39;s episode we interview Antoine Bousquet, an associate professor at the Swedish Defense University, on his book &#39;The Eye of War.&#39; The book offers a unique historical account of military perception, from the invention of the telescope to the modern-day drone. Bousquet talks about the evolution of military strategies and technologies such as the use of linear perspective, geographic information systems (GIS), and lasers. He also discusses the concept of global surveillance and the challenges posed by operations that blend into civilian society, such as suicide bombings. Additionally, Bousquet delves into the implications of autonomous drones and the complex issue of agency in war, as well as the possible legal recourse for the use of autonomous weapons. 00:02 Introduction to the Eye of War 01:11 Understanding the Concept of the Eye of War 03:22 The Evolution of Military Perception 04:39 The Role of Linear Perspective in Modern Military Technologies 14:11 The Impact of Laser Technology on Military Perception 26:37 The Influence of Digitized Mapping and GIS on Military Strategy 41:05 The Emergence of Hyper Camouflaged Warfare 50:16 The Future of Autonomous Drones in Warfare 58:38 Conclusion: The Changing Landscape of Military Perception Questions: 1. What does the Eye of War refer to within the context of your book? 2. How did the development of linear perspective during the Renaissance give rise to the modern military technologies of sensing, targeting and mapping? 3. By &quot;marshalling photons into a lethal beam&quot;, does the laser represent the fulfilment of the &quot;martial gaze&quot;; the Gorgon&#39;s stare that at once completes the &quot;alignment of perspective with annihilation&quot; while threatening to blind the very eye that gave rise to it? 4. Contra Borges, with the emergence of digitised mapping and geographic information systems (GIS), can the map now exceed the territory? 5. Has the success of global surveillance given rise to the &quot;hyper-camouflaged&quot; suicide bomber, whose &quot;fluid military concealment&quot; in plain clothes right at the heart of civil society leads to the &quot;endo-militarisation of peace&quot;, dissolving any delineation between military and civilian space? 6. With the rise of autonomous drones, do we face the total alienation of all human agency from military perception? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

11. 

    29 Jan 2024

    Disarming Doomsday with Dr Becky Alexis-Martin

    Dr Becky Alexis-Martin (https://twitter.com/MysteriousDrBex) is a pacifist academic at the University of Bradford (https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/balexismartin/). Her work explores nuclear warfare, social justice, humanitarian and environmental issues, and human rights. Her expertise is focused on nuclear geographies and decolonising disarmament policy in the Pacific. She has authored over sixty-five news articles, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles. Her first book, “Disarming Doomsday: The Human Impact of Nuclear Weapons Since Hiroshima” (https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745339207/disarming-doomsday/), critically considers the social, cultural, and spatial harms perpetuated by nuclear warfare and was the recipient of the 2020 L.H.M. Ling Outstanding Dr. Becky Alexis Martin explains how geographers identified isolated spaces for nuclear testing, often disregarding the presence of indigenous communities. Dr. Martin also delves into the geotechnologies used in nuclear warfare, highlighting the military origins of technologies like GPS and satellite imaging. She discusses the use of cartography in public safety nuclear preparedness initiatives, pointing out how it was used to downplay the destructiveness of nuclear weapons. The conversation also touches on the connection between Cold War nuclear strategy, game theory, and modern post-apocalyptic computer games, highlighting the tendency to abstract war to a game. Dr. Martin emphasizes the importance of geography in understanding and addressing the impacts of nuclear weapons and the role of geographers in contributing to a nuclear-free world. She also shares her experience as a delegate and speaker at the United Nations for the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, underscoring the significance of the treaty in promoting nuclear disarmament and supporting affected communities. 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Becky Alexis Martin 00:14 Exploring Nuclear Geographies and Decolonizing Disarmament Policy 00:27 Discussion on Dr. Martin&#39;s Book &#39;Disarming Doomsday&#39; 01:07 The Role of Geography in Nuclear Warfare 03:08 Impact of Nuclear Tests on Indigenous Communities 04:23 The Role of Geotechnologies in Nuclear Warfare 05:11 The Dehumanization in Nuclear Test Locations 06:12 The Class Character of Nuclear Testing 07:32 The 2021 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 09:47 The Role of Geotechnologies in Modern Warfare 12:01 The Use of Cartography in Masking the Destructiveness of Nuclear Weapons 18:47 The Connection Between Cold War Nuclear Strategists and Modern Computer Games 32:53 The Role of Geography in a Nuclear Free World 34:51 Dr. Martin&#39;s Experience at the United Nations 39:55 The Importance of Geography in Understanding and Resolving Conflict 46:40 Conclusion: The Future of Geography in a Nuclear Free World Questions You quote the geographer Yves Lacoste: &#39;Geography serves, first and foremost, to wage war&#39;, and mention the work of Halford Mackinder. How has the academic discipline of geography been used to assist in the development of nuclear weapons, particularly in relation to indigenous peoples upon whose land many nuclear tests were carried out? Nuclear Geotechnologies: Geographical Information Systems (GIS), GPS, Remote Sensing, spatial modeling, laser range finding, digital mapping, satellite imaging; are the geotechnologies of nuclear warfare simply geography under another name? Mythologies of Risk: How has cartography, such as public safety nuclear preparedness initiatives under the guise of &#39;Protect and Survive&#39;, been used to mask the destructiveness of nuclear weapons? Apocotainment: You draw a connection between Cold War nuclear strategist Hermann Kahn, Game Theory, War Gaming, geotechnologies such as topographic modelling and environment generation, and the eventual production of computer games such as &#39;Missile Command&#39; and modern post-apocalyptic computer games such as &#39;Fallout&#39;. Would you agree with the claim that the common thread linking each of these elements together is &#39;Apocotainment&#39;: a tendency to abstract war to a game? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

12. 

    22 Nov 2023

    Breathless War with Italo Brandimarte

    In this episode, my guest Italo Brandimarte (https://twitter.com/i_brandimarte) discussed his journal article &#39;Breathless war: martial bodies, aerial experiences and the atmosphere of empire (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13540661231153259).&#39; Italo&#39;s article covers the use of poison gas by the Italian air force in the Abyssinian War. We covered the following questions: Why do you think that the usual discussions of aerial warfare tend to split between the strategic, technical and the ontological plane on one hand, and the intimate, embodied and phenomenological on the other, and how does your use of concepts such as the &#39;envelope&#39;, the &#39;weather&#39;, and &#39;warfare beyond the human&#39; in your analysis overcome this split? Why was it that imperial Italy had come to frame its desire for imperial dominance so strongly through the frame of the weaponisation of the air in the Abyssinian war? If the Futurist conception of aerial warfare resisted the full fusion of human subject and machine in the &#39;dissolution of the body as a locus of elemental sensing&#39;, what is different about modern drone warfare in which this seems to be the goal? What is the relationship between Mussolini&#39;s use of poison gas in Ethiopia and the use of gas chambers by the Nazis? When Italy is bombing Ethiopia, Italy sees aerial bombardment as the act of an advanced civilisation, yet when Nazi Germany bombs Europe, aerial bombardment is seen as a barbarian tactic. How are hierarchies of imperial dominance inscribed in the logic of: civilised=bomber, uncivilised=bombed? Italo Brandimarte is a PhD Candidate in Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. His research is broadly concerned with the relations between the techno-scientific and the bodily dimensions of war and security, particularly with reference to racial and colonial violence. In his current project – provisionally titled ‘The Technology of Empire: War Experience and the Embodied Production of the International’ - Italo develops a theory of war experience that takes seriously the role of technology in the imperial history of world politics. Some of the findings from this research have been published in the European Journal of International Relations. His previous work on the politics of measurement in global counterterrorist surveillance has appeared in International Political Sociology. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

13. 

    16 Sept 2023

    Hacking the Bomb with Professor Andrew Futter

    Professor Andrew Futter (https://twitter.com/andrewfutter) specialises in contemporary nuclear weapons issues, specifically emerging technologies and their impact on nuclear strategy, stability and arms control. His work is centred on raising international awareness of nuclear risks, and shaping the climate of ideas that ensures governments and policymakers can make the best decisions possible. In this interview we discussed Andrew&#39;s book, Hacking the Bomb: Cyber Threats and Nuclear Weapons (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hacking-Bomb-Threats-Nuclear-Weapons/dp/1626165645), which covers how &quot;the increasing sophistication of hacking and cyber weapons, information warfare capabilities, and other dynamics of the cyber age are challenging the management, safeguards, and warning systems for nuclear weapons.&quot; 1. One of the most counter-intuitive differences you point out between nuclear weapons and cyber operations is that whereas nuclear weapons need to be openly declared in order to exhibit their coercive power, cyber capabilities must be kept secret in order to maintain the enemies wariness of how they might be used. Instead of cyber warfare being seen as a separate field to nuclear warfare, to what extent could cyber operations be used a precursor to kinetic conflict in order to electronically degrade the enemy&#39;s nuclear weapons before a shot has been fired? 2. Why is the human being still the weakest link in nuclear cyber security? 3. You mention Peggy Morse, the Director of ICBM systems at Boeing, saying that the age of some nuclear command and control systems, such as 8-inch floppy discs, could actually protect the US nuclear deterrent from cyber threats. Do you think archaic computer systems could actually be being used by nuclear proliferators such as North Korea to prevent cyber infiltration by the US and others? 4. By using commercial Windows operating systems rather than more secure Linux based systems on its Vanguard class submarines, is the UK&#39;s nuclear deterrent at risk of cyber disablement? 5. How might the ever increasing sophistication of ballistic missile defences and cyber operations constitute a serious threat to assured retaliation or even be viewed as facilitating a nonnuclear first-strike capability, thereby ushering in a third nuclear age? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

14. 

    9 Jul 2023

    Turning Fylingdales Inside Out with Dr Michael Mulvihill

    Dr Michael Mulvihill (https://twitter.com/thMnsandthInstr) is a Research Associate at the University of Newcastle&#39;s. His recent project, &#39;Turning Fylingdales Inside Out: making practice visible at the UK’s ballistic missile early warning and space monitoring station&#39; was a multimedia art project intending to demystify nuclear weapons through showing that they are made of everyday materials: the original panel sections of the geodesic domes covering RAF Fylingdales were made of laminated cardboard, for example. In our discussion, Michael explained that the pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear sides often mirror each other in their rhetoric by showing powerful images of nuclear weapons. Whereas by revealing the mundanity of nuclear construction through his audio-visual (https://fylingdalesarchive.org.uk/item/one-key-magic-okm-worldly-noise-and-electronic-atmospheres/) and very tactile (https://corridor8.co.uk/article/michael-mulvihill/) artwork, Michael&#39;s work helps to break this spell and remind us that nuclear weapons are human created things that we control, not some godlike structure that rules over us. We built them, so we can take them apart too. We also talked about the BBC Arena documentary, A British Guide to the End of the World (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usiGRhHvVU8), based on Michael&#39;s PhD thesis, which covered British nuclear testing at Christmas Island and the effects it had on British forces participants who were there at the time. Questions I very much connected with your story of trying to run home from school within the four minute warning. Similarly, I think seeing RAF Fylingdales and RAF Menwith Hill on childhood trips to Scarborough planted subconscious questions around nuclear war that emerged years later in my PhD thesis. To what extent do you feel your work is an attempt to gain some kind of control over that fear of nuclear war that concerned you so much as a child? Do you feel that your sculptures and artwork are an attempt to gain close-at-hand control over global forces of nuclear deterrence? To what extent do you feel that your work is an attempt to create a nomadic war machine to disrupt the assemblages of nuclear war? Something akin to Deleuze and Guittari’s Warrior-Animal-Weapon as Artist-Hair-Paintbrush? Can we overcome what Gunter Anders calls the ‘Promethean gap’ between the embodied limits of human imagination and the enormous powers that nuclear weapons bestow, whereby ‘We can bomb to shreds hundreds of thousands, but we cannot mourn or regret them’? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

15. 

    13 Sept 2022

    Radical War with Dr Matthew Ford and Professor Andrew Hoskins

    In this first episode of Hypervelocity I was delighted to speak with Dr Matthew Ford and Professor Andrew Hoskins about their new book, Radical War: Data, Attention and Control in the Twenty-First Century. In Radical War, Matthew and Andrew recount how the smartphone, social media and big data are revolutionising the conduct and experience of war to the point that the battlefield is now everywhere. We began our discussion by defining the concept of 'radical war', finding it to differ from earlier definitions of war due to the interpenetrated nature of conflict in the modern era where everyone with a smartphone can view and participate in real time combat. Next, we explored whether Baudrillard's claim that 'the Gulf War did not take place' is only amplified in an era of Radical War, finding that whereas Baudrillard pointed to hyperreal warfare as a highly polished and sanitised spectacle by legacy media, instead 'radical war' represents a splintering of realities with as many different interpretations of a conflict as there are subscribers to social media platforms. We then clarified how the concepts of data, attention and control in Radical War stand in contention with Clausewitz's trinity of warfare consisting of state, people and armed forces, particularly through the way in which the smartphone disintermediates combatants and citizens. Finally, we discussed whether the European wars of religion caused by the invention of the printing press prefigure potential future conflicts brought about by the retreat of opposing groups into social media echo-chambers (the audio for this last question can be accessed by subscribing to tier three of the Hypervelocity Patreon). Radical War is available from: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/radical-war/ Dr Matthew Ford is Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex; founding editor of the British Journal for Military History; and author of Weapons of Choice. His research interests focus on military innovation, socio-technical change, the epistemology of battle and strategy. Matthew has written extensively about military-technical change, especially as it relates to the infantry and their experience of battle. Publications: https://sussex.academia.edu/MatthewFord Twitter: https://twitter.com/warmatters Professor Andrew Hoskins is Professor of Global Security, University of Glasgow; and founding editor of the journals Digital War; Memory, Mind &amp; Media; and Memory Studies. His research and teaching furthers interdisciplinary understanding of how and why human society is being transformed by digital tech and media, and the consequences for forgetting, memory, privacy, security, and the nature, experience and effects of contemporary warfare. Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew-Hoskins Blog: https://www.andrewhoskins.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewhoskins Thank you kindly for listening to the Hypervelocity podcast. If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing below so that the impact of military technology on strategy can be explored further Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hypervelocity Blog: https://www.microliberations.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/microliberation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8d_gG_2lTBIFK7Xl1ism5A --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

16. 

    19 May 2022

    Introducing Hypervelocity

    Hypervelocity: a podcast about the impact of military technology on strategy. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hypervelocity/message

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

12

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

68

Contact Hypervelocity

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.