From pandemics to misinformation: rethinking security today

From pandemics to misinformation: rethinking security today

From Trending Globally: Politics and Policy by The Watson School

April 16, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the interdisciplinary nature of security studies in the context of global threats, including pandemics and misinformation.

From a once-in-a-century global pandemic, to wars in Europe and the Middle East, to the unchecked rise of AI and social media technologies, we are living in an age of threats against humanity that are profound, fast-moving, and interconnected. On this episode, produced in collaboration with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dan Richards talks with two experts from very different fields about the interdisciplinary nature of “security studies”, how the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed experts to think about international security in new ways, and where they see some of the biggest threats to humanity today. Guests on this episode: Rose McDermott is a political scientist and professor of international relations at the Watson School. Jennifer Nuzzo is a professor of epidemiology and director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Learn more about the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Learn more about Brown University School of Public Health’s Pandemic Center

People in this episode

Host: Dan Richards

Guests: Rose McDermott, Jennifer Nuzzo

Topics covered

  • security studies
  • COVID-19
  • international security
  • pandemics
  • AI technologies
  • misinformation
  • global threats

Keywords

  • security
  • pandemic
  • misinformation
  • AI
  • international relations
  • threats
  • epidemiology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Brown University’s School of Public Health

Places: Europe, Middle East

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