NOVEMBER 30, 2020
In this edition of Comm(Unity), we bring you a conversation with Christian Brose on the future of warfare. We also dive deeper into the recent assassination of another high-profile Iranian official, take a look at North Korea’s nuclear program and deliver good news about Paris’ famous bookshop, Shakespeare and Company.
Weekly Episode
Recap the conversation — In a future defined by artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and other emerging technologies, if the U.S. fails to modernize and innovate, it risks losing the next war. Join Christian Brose, author of The Kill Chain, Head of Strategy at Anduril Industries and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss why the U.S. urgently needs to modernize and adapt its battle network.
Moderated by Lieutenant General Michael Moeller (USAF, Ret.), Pratt & Whitney Military Engines.
Stream Now.
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Read this article on the Militarization of Artificial Intelligence and the challenges in understanding the effects of AI on warfare
Weekly Article Roundup
Follow along with the CTWAC staff on this week’s article roundup (with some special recommendations!):
Our world is not getting safer or more secure, and some experts hold that our defense strategy relies on strengthening alliances
See why GEN Mattis and others look to our allies for security
On Friday it was announced that Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian nuclear scientist and senior officer in the IRGC, was assassinated
How will Iran react to another high-profile assassination?
The National Assembly is the last standing democratically elected institution in Venezuela, which is about to change
A rigged vote will end the opposition’s control
The world knows Yemen is in the midst of a war and major humanitarian crisis, but there is a ‘crisis within the crisis’ — Yemeni children
Over 2 million Yemeni children are in need of urgent assistance
One of the topics our MUN students are debating is food security; check out why food systems must be a solution for people and the planet
Agriculture will play a large part in the generations to come
Weekly Entertainment
READ
Learn how a small, poor country like North Korea developed a nuclear bomb and why we have to live with it
LISTEN
This podcast shares conversations with water experts on topics ranging from innovation and tech to resource recovery
STREAM
A filmmaker befriends an octopus in a South African kelp forest and learns more about the mysteries of her world
PLAY
Calling all wannabe spies! Play the CIA’s game ‘Break the Code’ by deciphering a code in order to decrypt a secret message
COOK
In this recipe – part anecdote, part directions – we learn what roti jala is, how to make it and what to eat with the delicate, lace-like Malaysian crepe
Global Good News
Shakespeare And Company, Paris’ Beloved Bookshop, Asks For Help And Gets 50 Fold Increase
The famous bookstore in Paris, Shakespeare and Company, was once a de facto office for authors like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. The owners asked their customers for help after pandemic restrictions left them in danger of closing. Read more about the result of their plea below!
Read More.
Weekly Cartoon
Check in next week for another CTWAC exclusive cartoon:
We are so excited to finally start two weeks of virtual Model United Nations debates, discussions and resolutions. We at the Council are so proud of these Model United Nations student delegates. This year, they have taken each challenge in stride and gone above and beyond to engage with their world. We can’t wait to keep you updated with their progress and solutions to the world’s biggest problems. Model United Nations 2020 in session!
Nicole Struth
Director of Education and Special Projects
Image Credits: [1] Christian Brose & Lt Gen Michael Moeller: headshots courtesy of guests; [2] MUN student: Spencer Sloan; [3] Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iranian Defence Ministry; [4] My Octopus Teacher: film cover image via Netflix; [5] Roti Jala: Photo And Food Styling By Mehreen Karim via Bon Appetite; [6] Shakespeare and Co: Cropped from original / Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY via Wikimedia Commons; [7] Cartoon: Caroline Schaefer; [8] Nicole Struth: Caroline Schaefer
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