May Newsletter: Pandemic and New Hire

Post Date May 08, 2020
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Dear friends,

We are amidst the most severe global event in decades. The COVID-19 pandemic is unfortunately showing all too clearly how certain threats can devastate human society and individual lives around the world. We at GCRI offer our condolences to those who have lost loved ones and stand with those working to pull through this tragic ordeal. We are not pandemics experts, but we are pursuing opportunities to apply our background in catastrophic risk to the ongoing pandemic response. For more on our perspective on …

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The Defense Production Act and the Failure to Prepare for Catastrophic Incidents

Post Date April 16, 2020
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GCRI Special Advisor for Government Affairs Jared Brown has a new essay in War on the Rocks about the Defense Production Act and the US’ systemic failure to prepare for catastrophes like the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Brown writes in his essay that “the executive branch’s ad-hoc application of the Defense Production Act’s authorities to this pandemic is Exhibit A of how our government, across multiple Republican and Democratic administrations and throughout the national security enterprise, has failed to develop or adapt the Act’s tools for …

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January Newsletter: GCRI Is Hiring + Call For Advisees/Collaborators

Post Date January 30, 2020
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Dear friends,

I am delighted to announce that GCRI is currently hiring for the position of Junior Research Assistant and Project Manager. This is a great opportunity for someone seeking to make an impact and advance their career in global catastrophic risk. Additionally, GCRI has recently launched a new advising and collaboration program for people at all career points interested in our active AI projects. Please see below for details of both of these items. They are both made possible by a generous recent donation from …

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GCRI Session at the 2019 Society for Risk Analysis Meeting

Post Date July 22, 2019
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Category announcement, risk analysis

GCRI is hosting a session on Global Catastrophic Risks at the 2019 meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) in Arlington, VA. SRA is the leading professional society for all types of risk. SRA brings together researchers from many disciplines as well as professionals from government, industry, nonprofits, and other sectors.

GCRI Director of Research Tony Barrett is chairing the session. It will feature talks by GCRI Executive Director Seth Baum, GCRI Special Advisor for Government Affairs Jared Brown, GCRI Senior Advisor Gary Ackerman, University …

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July Newsletter: Asteroid-Nuclear Risk Analysis

Post Date July 16, 2019
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Dear friends,

One reason it is important to analyze the global catastrophic risks quantitatively is that some decisions involve tradeoffs between them. An action may reduce one risk while increasing another. It’s important to know whether the decrease in the one risk is large enough to offset the increase in the other.

This month, we announce a new paper that presents a detailed analysis of one such decision: the use of nuclear explosives to deflect Earthbound asteroids away. Nuclear deflection is an option under active consideration by …

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March Newsletter: Policy Outreach

Post Date March 28, 2019
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Category newsletter, outreach

Dear friends,

This month, GCRI welcomes our newest team member, Jared Brown, who will serve as GCRI’s Special Advisor for Government Affairs. Until recently, he worked at the US Congressional Research Service, building practical knowledge of the workings of the US government, especially with respect to emergency management and homeland security. Now, he is applying this knowledge to global catastrophic risk. His work supports the broader global catastrophic risk community’s policy outreach efforts, especially with the US government. We at GCRI are grateful for Mr. Brown’s …

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