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Strength in Numbers

Strength in Numbers

By: Foreign Policy
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 Introducing Strength in Numbers, a podcast that looks at how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are shaping national security. In each episode, we’ll look at the critical materials powering these trends and how this technology is being used on the battlefield and ask key policymakers and experts how to use these tools to make sure the United States stays competitive against potential adversaries. Strength in Numbers is a show from the University of Virginia’s National Security Data and Policy Institute, produced by FP Studios. Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Can the U.S. Build What It Needs?

    Can the U.S. Build What It Needs?
    Feb 25 2026
    U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Jack Reed join Strength in Numbers to share their assessments of the defense industrial base. Does the United States have access to the tools and materials needed to be secure? How is the country adapting to technological changes on the battlefield? And is the United States going to be able to outbuild competitors—or is it simply too late? Additional reading: Chinese Investment in Mineral Resources — National Security Data and Policy Institute Building a Glass Fortress: China’s Delicate Trade Dominance in Critical Materials — National Security Data and Policy Institute NSDPI Co-Launches the 2026 Data-to-Impact Challenge — National Security Data and Policy Institute
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    23 mins
  • Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and Control

    Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and Control
    Feb 18 2026
    Evan Smith, CEO and co-founder of Altana, joins host Jennifer Strong to assess the state of critical mineral supply chains today. Who controls the materials? Why is such a vital part of national security controlled by an economic adversary? And, more importantly, what can be done to regain control of this important resource? Margaret Foster, a data scientist and scholar at the University of Virginia, then joins the podcast to share how she uses data and artificial intelligence to identify and mitigate potential supply chain chokepoints. Additional reading: Microelectronics Supply Chain Analysis — National Security Data and Policy Institute Microelectronics Supply Chain Analysis: Critical Components — National Security Data and Policy Institute Microelectronics Supply Chain Analysis: Vulnerability — National Security Data and Policy Institute Microelectronics Supply Chain Analysis: Lock-In and Substitutability — National Security Data and Policy Institute
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    28 mins
  • Emerging Technologies and a New Era of Strategic Anxiety

    Emerging Technologies and a New Era of Strategic Anxiety
    Feb 11 2026
    How is artificial intelligence shaping the big questions in national security today? Host Jennifer Strong is joined first by Zack Kass, former head of Go To Market at OpenAI, to hear his take on how this new technology is nothing short of “revolutionary.” Then the National Security Data and Policy Institute’s executive director, Phil Potter, shares how AI is quickening the pace of change and driving current national security concerns. Additional reading: Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Supply Chain — National Security Data and Policy Institute The Social Foundations of China’s Artificial Intelligence Policies — National Security Data and Policy Institute
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    37 mins
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