Nuclear weapons… they’re intimidating! Not just because they can destroy us, but because the subject seems so big and impossible to take in. But we can help! When former Secretary of Defense William Perry started the William J. Perry Project in 2012, his goal was to help the general public understand enough about this thorny topic to be educated citizens making informed decisions. Only then would we have a chance to change course from the current dangerous path that we are on. Now with AT THE BRINK, Dr. Perry’s granddaughter, Lisa Perry, is continuing this educational role. The podcast is the centerpiece of this effort, talking about the dangers of nuclear weapons and the stories of those fighting to protect us. Most episodes are carefully researched documentary podcasts focusing on different episodes from the nuclear age. We have also released several shorter “special episodes” which are more timely and feature a more standard interview style.
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A podcast about humanity’s most terrible weapon, and the stories of those who have shaped its history.
We created a weapon that could end humanity — but can we control it?
Scattered around the world, under the control of opposing nations, exists some fifteen thousand nuclear weapons. The most powerful destructive force ever created, these weapons have the capacity to devastate the entire planet several times over. When former Secretary of Defense William Perry declared he believed that the danger of a nuclear catastrophe was greater today than any time in history, his granddaughter, Lisa Perry, set out to discover why. Featuring the personal stories of presidents, cabinet members, congressmen, nuclear physicists, atomic bomb survivors, military officials, and activists, At The Brink is a primer for every world citizen to learn how we can step back from the brink.
Host: Lisa Perry @LisaAtTheBrink
Featuring: Dr. William J. Perry, 19th U.S. Secretary of Defense @SecDef19
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HOSTS
Lisa Perry
The Host
Lisa Perry is the Digital Communications Director for the William J. Perry Project and creator and host of the AT THE BRINK podcast. Lisa was motivated to enter into the nuclear field after her grandfather, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, wrote a book declaring nuclear weapons a greater threat to human existence today than ever before. She joined his foundation in order to help better translate nuclear issues for her post-Cold War generation. Inspired by her grandfather's many intimate accounts of dealing directly with the nuclear threat, Lisa conceived of the idea for a podcast that explored the personal impact of the often difficult-to-grasp issues surrounding these weapons.
Dr. William J. Perry
The Visionary
In a remarkable career that has spanned academia, industry, entrepreneurship, government, and diplomacy, Bill Perry has dealt firsthand with the changing nuclear threat, most notably as Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton. His 2015 memoir, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink, is a personal account of his lifelong effort to reduce nuclear dangers. He founded the William J. Perry Project to educate the public on these dangers. In 2020 Perry co-authored along with Tom Collina THE BUTTON: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump. He is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor (emeritus) at Stanford University. He is a husband, father of five, grandfather of eight, and a great-grandfather of six. He continues to travel the world in pursuit of his goal to eliminate the danger of nuclear weapons.