Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by M_Grey on Thursday March 16, 2017 @11:12AM
(#13885644)
You're absolutely right, but they're the only thing designed to be. If they work the way they're intended, they kill everything.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by TeMPOraL on Thursday March 16, 2017 @11:28AM
(#13885788)
While it doesn't take much away from the argument, it's worth noting that nuclear weapons, when they don't work the way they're intended, don't kill everything. Nuclear weapons are fail-safe[0], and it's very hard to make them detonate. A slight problem, and you have a very expensive dud.
--
[0] - for "irradiated half the city, but at least it's still standing" values of safe.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by M_Grey on Thursday March 16, 2017 @11:36AM
(#13885879)
Yes, that's one strong benefit they have over chemical weapons, which are basically always going to leak given time, or biological agents, which can be smuggled in a human incubator. The downside of nukes almost exclusively has to do with when they work as intended... otherwise they really are impressive products of engineering.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by Houshalter on Thursday March 16, 2017 @10:17PM
(#13890837)
Does the nuclear material still react even if it doesn't explode? Like a nuclear reactor melting down.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by Houshalter on Thursday March 16, 2017 @09:41PM
(#13890684)
One of the scariest things about nukes is the secondary effects. After the cities burn and civilization falls apart. Imagine all the industries that deal with dangerous materials. Imagine what will happen after they are all simultaneously damaged and/or abandoned by the war. You would have tens of thousands of major industrial accidents occurring all at once.
Vats containing chemicals more dangerous than in Bhopal would leak. Nuclear reactors all over the world would melt down with no one to contain them. Oil wells would rust and burst.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by phkahler on Friday March 17, 2017 @09:19AM
(#13893677)
That's just the zombie apocalypse regardless of what brings down modern society.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by danbruc on Thursday March 16, 2017 @11:25AM
(#13885770)
You could use nukes to seal the wells. [1]
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by phkahler on Thursday March 16, 2017 @05:00PM
(#13889136)
I once commented that a tactical nuke might be a solution to the Fukushima disaster. Just place it correctly and blow the entire mess into the ocean and let it sink. I'm not sure if spent fuel is better sitting on the bottom of the ocean than where it is, but at least it would be kept cool ;-)
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by lb1lf on Thursday March 16, 2017 @04:59PM
(#13889119)
I think I once read that part of India's rationale for developing nukes were to utilize them for peaceful purposes, like blasting dams.
Presumably in Pakistan. /s
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by phkahler on Thursday March 16, 2017 @12:10PM
(#13886195)
I had considered that possibility as I was writing my comment. The irony is rather amusing.
Re:Weapon physicist declassifies rescued nuclear test films
by danbruc on Thursday March 16, 2017 @12:42PM
(#13886466)
Also when I searched for the Russian clip, most results where about using a nuke to end the Deepwater Horizon desaster, for example here. [1] Although it was obviously, at least I hope so, never seriously considered.
Here's a thought. Remember the deepwater horizon oil spill? Imagine the consequences if they had been unable to cap that well. Imagine it still flooding the Atlantic ocean (via the gulf stream) with oil today. Now imagine that all those capped wells all over the place eventually crack and start spewing oil in 100 years due to some unforeseen failure mechanism in the concrete. Where would we end up? Weapons aren't the only tech that can go wildly wrong.