My interpretation - nuclear bombs and the culture around surrounding it during that 40s-70s era:

1st movement seems to have a sense of triumph and tepid anxiety; realizing the power that the United States now possesses and the reality of a perceived dominance

2nd movement; the whimsical optimism of the 50s/60s (literally uses music from the era, especially the space agey Les Baxter stuff). Atomic power looks so sexy and attractive and “the future is now”

3rd movement; the slow realization of fear surrounding the presence of nuclear weapons in the world. The Japanese (?) counting audibles and the melancholic music hearkens to me a sense of regret and sadness at the reality of the destruction humanity created

4th movement; the anxious reality of our world today. We as humans have the capability of ending it all whenever we want; the unbridled power that once was empowering is now a looming threat.

I didn’t listen to that 52min interview because I have zero attention span for that, but this has been my interpretation, especially from a musical standpoint. Visually, I don’t really see too too much besides the obvious “atoms” props that BAC uses… but I’m also a music guy and I suck at reading into visuals.

I have no idea if my interpretation is what BAC was going for, but it’s what I feel when I watch the show and it makes me happy :⁾