HRHSpence wrote:

The experience of WWII has taught us not to use nuclear bombs on the same planet we live on. (or on any world that people live on.)

That is a lovely and aspirational sentiment, Spence, but given that there are still thousands of nuclear warheads trained on the US, Russia, and various other states, subject to policy decisions, human error, or mechanical error, I can’t take much comfort there just yet.

Surtac wrote:

They are, Star, but there are none such here in Canberra.  Apparently there is only one IMAX theatre in Oz that meets Nolan's preferred technical capabilities for showing this film as he intended it, and that one is in Melbourne. To my eyes, it was perfectly acceptable visually on the standard cinema screen where I saw it locally.

I'm still contemplating your questions above, Star, as I absorb the impact the podcast has had on me.
But I think the short answer is to consider the decision to use the weapons from the contemporary contexts. My reading over the years has always implied it was a fairly straightforward decision based on the extent of forecast Allied casualty rates expected in a full scale invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, casualties that would be borne primarily by American forces.  (I've seen those numbers quoted somewhere but I can't remember exactly where atm.)

The estimates I remember were over 1 million allied deaths, and many, many, more Japanese deaths.  And I agree, it was a military decision. At that point, ethics and similar concerns had been shelved for the duration. 
 

I finished Nick Harkaway's Titanium Noir.

I have to call it out as one of the best SFnal and crime crossovers that I've read since China Mieville's The City and the City  or Warren Ellis' The Gun Machine.

While definitely SF in setting and world building, it shows its love for the old hardboiled private detectives of Raymond Chandler or Walter Mosley, as well as the early tartan noir of William McIlvaney or Bill Knox, with its spare prose and matter of fact descriptive style.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.  In the immortal words of Molly Meldrum, do yourselves a favour.

Provenance was the last book of Annes's that I tried to read, and I bounced out of it pretty hard at the time - I don't recall exactly why. 
But I've heard good things about this newer one so I shall give it a try soon..
 

Iirc I liked Provenance a lot, but not as much as the others. All need a reread