Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
Why officials and experts fear biological weapons
Posted
August 4, 2026
Views
2,281
Likes
97
Engagement
4.25%
August 4, 2026
2,281
97
4.25%
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2:40Now PlayingBiological weapons are more "disconcerting" and "the greatest overall threat" compared to nuclear weapons because the barrier for entry is "so incredibly low," author Annie Jacobsen says.
"The barrier for entry is so low," according to high-ranking officials, that "a bad actor with a nefarious mind in a basement with very little knowledge of biology can make a biological weapon," she told PBS News' Geoff Bennett.
She also added that U.S. emergency response agencies, including the Pentagon and Federal Emergency Management Agency, consider biological threats "near extinction level" events.
Jacobsen, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author, looks at how weaponized pathogens could lead to a civilization-ending event in her new book, "Biological War: A Scenario."
Jacobsen joined Geoff Bennett for the latest episode of PBS News' podcast, Settle In, to discuss her book and more.
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