Geopolitics
International affairs, defense, and regional conflicts
#812: Eye in the Sky: How the AWACS Commands the Air
Discover how the Boeing E-3 Sentry acts as a "flying brain," using massive radar to command the battlefield from 30,000 feet.
#790: Mapping Global Power: Inside the U.S. Combatant Commands
Explore how the U.S. military divides the world into geographic zones and the complex power dynamics between regional commanders and the Pentagon.
#767: The Nervous System of War: Decoding Command and Control
Forget the "big board" in a dark bunker. Discover how modern military command has evolved into a high-speed, decentralized digital nervous system.
#766: The Axis of Resistance: Iran’s Unified Multi-Front Strategy
Explore how the IRGC has transformed Hezbollah and the Houthis into a unified, high-tech military front threatening Israel from all sides.
#763: Shadows of the Sea: Submarine Stealth and Navigation
Dive into the silent world of undersea warfare to discover how submarines navigate without GPS and stay invisible to modern tracking.
#757: Is Hezbollah Now Just a Branch Office of the IRGC?
Explore how the IRGC is moving from benefactor to boss, embedding officers directly within Hezbollah's command structure for a looming conflict.
#751: The Frozen Fortress: Why the World Wants Greenland
Greenland is no longer a frozen afterthought. Discover why the Arctic is the new strategic center of global trade and resource security.
#744: The Billion-Dollar Math of Missile Defense Logistics
Beyond the flashes in the sky lies a high-stakes game of logistics. Explore the costs, storage, and supply chains of modern missile defense.
#739: The Nuclear Threshold: Surviving a Worst-Case Strike
What happens if the unthinkable occurs? We break down the science of a nuclear strike and the practical steps for civilian survival.
#738: How Israel Smuggled an Entire War Inside Iran
Discover how local cells and "Ghost Maintenance" paralyzed Iran’s defenses during the Twelve Day War of 2025.
#733: The Strategy Lab: Inside the World of War Colleges
How do modern generals use ancient history to plan for AI warfare? Explore the high-stakes world of professional military education.
#722: The Seven-Day Sprint: Iran’s Nuclear Threshold
Explore the shrinking "window of opportunity" and the high-stakes tactical reality as Iran nears the nuclear threshold.
#718: Jericho’s Shadow: Israel’s Missile Program & Ambiguity
Explore the history of the Jericho program and the strategic "polite fiction" of nuclear ambiguity in an increasingly tense Middle East.
#717: Mach 5 and Beyond: Unpacking Iran’s Missile Arsenal
Explore the 40-year evolution of Iran's missile program and the high-stakes physics of modern hypersonic warfare.
#716: Nuclear Precision: Striking Sites Without the Fallout
Can you strike a nuclear site without a global catastrophe? Discover the science of precision strikes and the tech used to monitor "dark" sites.
#710: Defining the "Crime of Crimes": The Gaza Genocide Case
We examine the history of the term "genocide" and the high-stakes legal battle at the ICJ regarding the conflict in Gaza.
#697: The Nuclear Truck: Iran’s Unified Missile Machine
Are Iran’s missiles just for conventional war? Explore how their ballistic program and nuclear goals are two parts of the same machine.
#696: Pre-Approved Spontaneity: The Secret Air Defense Alliance
How did a secret coalition of rivals stop a massive missile attack? Explore the mechanics of the 2024-2025 Middle East air defense alliance.
#694: Cracking the Mountain: The Power of the GBU-57 MOP
Can you really hide from a 30,000-pound steel spear? Herman and Corn explore the physics and strategic impact of the GBU-57 MOP.
#693: Decoding the Sky: How NOTAMs Telegraph Global Conflict
Think aviation alerts are just technical jargon? Discover how NOTAMs have become the ultimate open-source tool for predicting modern warfare.
#692: The 12-Day War: How Algorithms Redefined Middle East Combat
Herman and Corn revisit the 2025 12-day war, exploring how electronic warfare and regional alliances changed the face of modern combat.
#672: The Silicon Soldier: Anthropic, Drones, and AI Warfare
Herman and Corn break down Anthropic’s move into defense and the technical reality of how AI actually pilots drones on the modern battlefield.
#662: The Geopolitical Graph: Mapping Global Power with AI
Move beyond flat maps. Discover how graph databases and AI reveal the hidden connections and second-order effects shaping our global landscape.
#645: The Return of the Big War: Mapping Global Conflict in 2026
Is the world truly more violent, or are we just more informed? Explore the data behind the global surge in conflict and the return of the "Big War."
#623: Inside Maximum Alert: What Happens When War is Imminent?
When a military hits "maximum alert," it’s more than words. Herman and Corn break down the literal steps from bunkers to tank grease.