Spy agencies brief people in power. We brief you. Each week we bring you one story that matters, and a few that don’t!
Your Brief for January 30, 2025: Artificial star power, illegal wine, The Armageddon Papers, a message to the cosmos and more!
News
The Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic measure of humanity’s proximity to catastrophe, has been moved one second forward to89 seconds to midnight—the closest it has ever been. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), which sets the clock annually, cited escalating nuclear threats, risks from artificial intelligence and biological advances, and worsening climate change as key reasons for the shift. BAS chair Daniel Holz described the move as a “stark signal” warning that urgent action is needed. First introduced in 1947 at seven minutes to midnight, the clock has fluctuated over the decades, reflecting global tensions. Last year, it was left at 90 seconds, but this latest update signals an even greater sense of urgency.
Image Credit: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
True Spies
The Armageddon Papers
What secrets do you give away with the twitch of an eyelid—the tap of a finger?
FBI Agent Joe Navarro knows. As an agent, he developed an innate gift for reading body language. But when he came up against a hyper-intelligent US traitor, those skills faced the ultimate test: the consequences of failure? Nuclear.
It’s the 1970s—deep into the Cold War, with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact to the east and the United States and its allies to the west. Both sides have meticulously crafted war plans, mapping out every maneuver, every counterstrike, and every possible enemy tactic should the powder keg ignite. These plans are top secret, entrusted only to those with the highest clearance. But a traitor has sold out his country!
The Soviet Union—through the Czech intelligence service—successfully recruited an American soldier stationed in Germany, Zoltán Szabó. A decorated Vietnam War hero, Szabó began spying for the Czech government—and by extension, the Soviets—just as he was preparing to retire around 1975. But before leaving, he recruited Sergeant Clyde Lee Conrad, a man with even more critical access: he was the custodian of top-secret documents at the 8th Infantry Division in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. And with access to some of the most sensitive intelligence in the Western world, Conrad soon followed in Szabó’s footsteps.
Could you look beneath the mask? Join Joe Navarro in this week’s podcast selection, 'The Armageddon Papers', as he unravels a decade-long investigation into a US military spy ring—one that put nothing less than the safety of the Western world at stake.
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Science
Artificial Star Power
Could fusion energy bring unlimited power?
Scientists in China have set a new record in their quest to recreate the Sun’s energy here on Earth. Researchers at the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) and the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), both part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), sustained a fusion reaction for 1,066 seconds—nearly 18 minutes—marking a major step toward harnessing nuclear fusion as a clean and virtually limitless energy source!
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), first powered up in 2006, is one of several projects worldwide aiming to replicate the process that powers the Sun. By fusing atomic nuclei at extremely high temperatures, fusion could provide a safer and more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. However, keeping the ultra-hot plasma stable is one of the biggest challenges. This latest milestone smashes the previous record of 403 seconds for similar plasma conditions, proving progress toward controlling sustained fusion reactions.
Culture
Lunar New Year
What is the story behind the Chinese Zodiac?
Millions across Asia and beyond are ringing in the Lunar New Year, a 15-day festival marked by family reunions, festive feasts, and traditional customs. The holiday, which begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar, is widely regarded as one of the most important celebrations of the year in China and is also observed in Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and other parts of Asia.
The first two days are about family gatherings, gift-giving, and red envelopes filled with cash—a symbol of prosperity. Each Lunar New Year is associated with an animal from the Chinese zodiac, a tradition rooted in an ancient tale. According to legend, the Jade Emperor invited all animals to a race, with the first twelve to finish earning a place in the zodiac cycle. The clever rat took first place by hitching a ride on the ox and jumping ahead at the last moment—securing its spot at the top of the cycle. 2025 is the year of the Snake, symbolizing wisdom, transformation, and renewal.
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NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 probes, launched in 1977, were designed to study the outer solar system. But they also carried something unique: a message to extraterrestrials. Dubbed the Golden Record, this 12-inch gold-plated copper disc is a time capsule, designed to introduce Earth’s culture, science, and diversity to any intelligent life that might someday find it.
Led by Dr. Carl Sagan and a NASA committee, the Golden Record contains 116 images and sounds from Earth—including greetings in 55 languages, music from diverse cultures, human laughter, and nature sounds like thunder and whale songs. The visuals showcase scientific diagrams, DNA structures, and photographs of human life.
Voyager 1 and 2 are now over 11 billion miles from Earth, traveling beyond our solar system. Though it might take 40,000 years for either probe to reach another planetary system, the record remains a hopeful symbol—a message in a cosmic bottle, waiting for someone, somewhere, to press play.
Image Credit: NASA
Food And Drink
Illegal Wine
A wine so controversial it’s illegal in France?
French winemaker Maxime Chapoutier has created two new wines, a red and a white, but he could be arrested if he tried to sell them in France. His wines are made from a blend of French and Australian grapes which is strictly forbidden under French and EU law.
France takes its wine regulations seriously. The term “terroir” emphasizes that a wine's unique character comes from its environment—soil, climate, and elevation. Wines from a specific region are held in the highest esteem. Blending grapes from opposite ends of the world challenges this tradition, which could make Chapoutier’s creations unthinkable for purists. But there’s a twist: Brexit has made the UK a loophole. Since Britain no longer follows EU food and drink laws, Chapoutier can legally sell his global hybrid wines there, sidestepping the ban in France! UK wine drinkers now have access to something that, across the Channel, is strictly off-limits.
Image Credit: M. Chapoutier
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