[MUSIC PLAYING]
Kathleen Kingsbury: I'm Kathleen Kingsbury,
and I oversee 'The New York Times Opinion' section.
This week, we're launching a project that looks at the growing threat of nuclear war.
According to our yearlong reporting effort,
the possibility of a nuclear strike
is now more likely than any time since the Cold War.
Archived Recording: Vladimir Putin has warned NATO countries
they risk nuclear war if they send troops to Ukraine.
Archived Recording: [NON–ENGLISH SPEECH]
Kathleen Kingsbury: All nine nuclear nations are believed to be modernizing their arsenals.
And the treaties meant to stop nuclear war between the US and Russia are all but gone.
As part of our project, we decided to tell the story of what's at stake
by illustrating one way nuclear detonation could unfold today.
It's based on testimonies of people who have survived atomic attacks
and deep research from experts.
What you'll hear next is this scenario brought to life in sound.
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Archived Recording: An olive green big rig drives slowly down a remote highway.
It winds through fields that stretch out on either side