Neuroscience, tech & security @UCL in London, @Georgetown, @NDU_EDU, & @CSIS in DC. New book with @StMartinsPress @panmacmillan on the brain and war: WARHEAD.
Joined September 2011
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8 Oct 2025
Thanks @IgnatiusPost for discussing my new book published yesterday, Warhead: How the brain shapes war and war shapes the brain, at @UKinUSA. Amazing audience @KembaWalden46 @IskanderRehman @RJohnsonCCW1 and so many more. Thanks all.
Available now! amazon.com/Warhead-How-Brain…
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We need to solve problems and produce results! ft.com/content/16265b82-4dd0… A shorter third runway at Heathrow is better than none
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This is a mistake - although it’s not clear whose fault it is. Berlin pulls plug on Franco-German fighter jet via @FT
ft.com/content/c13f2931-f2b5…
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Great to speak on war and the brain with former GCHQ head @SirDavidOmand and the always insightful David Runciman - and to sign the paperback of my new book, Warhead!
Thanks @DanMilmo for @guardian coverage theguardian.com/world/2026/j…
US & UK booksellers here: intelligentbiology.co.uk/
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We cannot be safe if we don’t invest in the productive parts of the economy - everything (benefits, health, defence) is paid for by a productive economy…
ft.com/content/80dd187e-5146… Ministers told to cut budgets to fund boost to UK defence spending
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Incredible Chinese tech.
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Western countries need to get more serious with more scientists, engineers and business people - and less lawyers. We must compete.
Xi Jinping gives China’s crack scientists new jobs inside government
economist.com/china/2026/06/…
from The Economist
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Small by US or Chinese standards - but important!
ft.com/content/326aa9fd-dcb3… Europe is finally flexing its innovation muscles
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Thanks @DanMilmo for putting this together - we will need to program morality into military AI for autonomous systems and we will do it.
My book describes some key components. Will machine morality be perfect? No. But better than ignoring this challenge.
theguardian.com/world/2026/j…
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Alas, we can’t always have a human “in the loop” - not if we want to compete with serious adversaries. We need to get over this idea. Then we can introduce proper moral constraints instead of having a pointless discussion about an impossible dream. ft.com/content/a21607ce-c25b…
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Thanks @JNilssonWright - worth listening to for your insightful questions!
🎧Next episode of 'On Geopolitics, Currents' is out now!
Conflict & Neuroscience: How The Brain Shapes War & How War Shapes The Brain, with @JNilssonWright & @nicholasdwright
Apple bit.ly/3RfWTaH
Spotify bit.ly/4fAN8ha
YouTube bit.ly/4ffPylq
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Nicholas Wright retweeted
🎧Next episode of 'On Geopolitics, Currents' is out now!
Conflict & Neuroscience: How The Brain Shapes War & How War Shapes The Brain, with @JNilssonWright & @nicholasdwright
Apple bit.ly/3RfWTaH
Spotify bit.ly/4fAN8ha
YouTube bit.ly/4ffPylq
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Fascinating: AI guardrails stripped from Meta and Google models in minutes via @FT
ft.com/content/5630ed79-a263…
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Thanks @JNilssonWright !
Thanks @nicholasdwright Great conversation and fascinating book which all of us should be reading.
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Thanks @JNilssonWright for a great discussion - on Iran and on what massive elephants in the room that many people in western societies are ignoring today.
#5 of 'On Geopolitics, Currents' is incoming!
'Conflict & Neuroscience: How The Brain Shapes War And How War Shapes The Brain' with @JNilssonWright & @nicholasdwright
🎧Available soon
Apple bit.ly/3RfWTaH
Spotify bit.ly/4fAN8ha
YouTube bit.ly/3RC1aVS
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Some psychology:
(1) what are the rules for police chasing criminals - not what the public expect. That expectation violation increases the impact on victims.
(2) the <18yo people doing this mostly value its social rewards - target that on social media.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y9…
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Some psychology:
(1) these are job “cuts”. No, staff levels will rise rapidly (just not as rapidly as expected).
(2) NHS debates are emotionally charged so false claims of “financial ruin” are made. No, just previous planned increases are a costly waste.
ft.com/content/f7e0196e-c2aa…
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Chinese AI groups pull ahead of US rivals in video generation race via @FT
ft.com/content/9804b1de-653b…
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Defence tech start-up Anduril doubles valuation to over $60bn via @FT
ft.com/content/000673dd-1832…
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Singapore’s @straits_times on the who’s ahead in the China-US tech competition ahead of Pres. Trump’s visit. Thanks @lminzhang
straitstimes.com/asia/east-a…
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