The authoritative guide to ensuring science and technology make life on Earth better, not worse.

Watch the 2025 Doomsday Clock announcement on January 28


Stephen J. Cimbala

Stephen J. Cimbala is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Penn State University, Brandywine and the author of numerous books and articles on international security issues.


Articles by Stephen J. Cimbala

How the fog of war in Ukraine increases the risk of escalation

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Risk

Biden focused on strategic stability. His successor should embrace arms control

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Weapons

A game plan for dealing with the costly Sentinel missile and future nuclear challenges

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Analysis, Nuclear Weapons

Can minimum deterrence save nuclear arms control?

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Analysis, Nuclear Weapons
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: TASS News Agency. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0.

Putin’s nuclear warnings: heightened risk or revolving door?

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Analysis, Nuclear Risk, Nuclear Weapons

Even in the face of Russian aggression, a nuclear ‘Eurodeterrent’ is still a bad idea

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Weapons
Artist's concept shows future ICBM blasting into sky

Rethinking the US strategic triad: When it comes to nuclear platforms, how many are enough?

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Risk, Nuclear Weapons
This screen shot from a US Defense Department video clip shows a Russian Su-27 fighter jet flying near an American Reaper drone in March, over the Black Sea near Crimea, spraying what the Defense Department says is jet fuel.

Putin’s “bluff”: a cautionary note about underestimating the possibility of nuclear escalation in Ukraine

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Risk, Nuclear Weapons
Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system with two 9M723K5 missiles, at a Russian demonstration of military technology in 2017. The Iskander system is reported to be capable of firing ballistic missiles that can carry a tactical nuclear warhead. Photo by Vitaly Kuzmin

Karaganov’s case for Russian nuclear preemption: responsible strategizing or dangerous delusion?

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Risk, Nuclear Weapons
The military applications of AI

Artificial intelligence: challenges and controversies for US national security

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear Weapons
Then-US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issue a joint statement announcing their pursuit of a New START treaty in London in April 2009. (White House photo by Pete Souza.)

Reviving arms control, post-Ukraine: Why New START still matters

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Nuclear Weapons
P5 Press Conference at the United Nations. April 2013. Credit: U.S. Mission Geneva / Eric Bridiers. Accessed via Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/us-mission/8663813428 CC BY-ND 2.0.

Nuclear arms control: Still necessary, but more difficult than ever

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Lawrence J. Korb | Analysis, Opinion