nuclear weapons

The new version of Alex Wellerstein's NUKEMAP nuclear detonation simulator is now online. This version includes better modeling, casualty calculation, fallout simulation and 3D imaging (using Google maps). Have fun, though currently the server is running slow.

Today is the 68th anniversary of the Trinity test, the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. It is the usual date given for the start of the Atomic Age, though CP-1 went live two and a half years earlier. A crude fission device detonated in the desert of New Mexico with an energy release of...

Was listening to NPR's show where they discussed nuclear weapons. The question I want to present to those who want to maintain a nuclear stockpile is: which non-nuclear nations around the world SHOULD acquire nuclear weapons? Although many of them have signed treaties that they wouldn't...

A comet is coming! But fear not humanity is putting aside its differences and we are sending up a series of nuclear interceptors. Except that they all need to be 200 megaton monsters and we won't have a launcher capable of lifting them for over a year (and that's assuming the ad-hoc plan of...

Of course we know that the USA did get them first in some part because America was fortunate to be a refuge for many of the worlds greatest physicists during the terrible times of the second world war. And it's well known that Germany had a nuclear weapons program that floundered when a lot of...

http://news.yahoo.com/uss-most-powerful-nuclear-bomb-being-dismantled-071325260.html Interesting. Check this bit: :eye-poppi

Just an idle thought while I trek home: is it still a distinct and realistic risk that humanity could have a nuclear war? Not just a tactical use of them, in a battlefield situation, but a global exchange a la war games etc. Are we more or less at risk of such a conflagration leading to a...

Well how hard is it? I have some knowledge about particle physics and related things but i have no practical knowledge about hard it would be. Let's discard the missile. What things would you need? How easy would it be for people to discover the project? I mean you see the US and the Soviets...

I've been pondering the effect of nuclear weapons on the world order and plan to start a thread on it. (please keep your powder dry for that one). As a rule nuclear weapons have prevented war. It occurred to me however that Israel already had nukes in '67 and '73. In '73 the state was very...

The people wetting themselves over at the BA blog over Starfish Prime has gotten me wondering: was the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty a prudent measure or a hasty overreaction? Certainly a nuclear test done badly was potentially extremely dangerous but, then again, so is TNT. But TNT is useful and so...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100513/ts_ynews/ynews_ts2052 The Soviets did it 5 times before. Just detonate a 10 killiton nuclear weapon at the leak..and watch it get buried in 100 million cubic yards of rock. that should stop the leak. why won't they use this method?

Now that the Cold War is over, and a American-Russian conflict over Europe is all but fantasy, do we still need nukes? I say we still need nukes. Not to protect us from Russia or even China, but to let other countries know that if they dare attack us, we can utterly vaporize them. so how...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/06arms.html "To set an example, the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary. Mr. Obama’s strategy is a sharp shift from those adopted by his predecessors and seeks to...

2003: 70% US Americans believed Saddam Hussein and 9-11 were connected. 2010: 70% US Americans believe Iran has nuclear weapons.

OkayI'll dare to broach the subject Let's look at the advantages: No troops necessary. It drives home the point that they are NOT inaccessible. It can be done anonymously by drone. The perpetrator could be us, Israel, India, Europe, Russia, Pakistan It's what the great generals of WW2 would...

There's a rather large, or at least potent, American armada on it's way to the Middle East. I was wondering if this armada is susceptible to destruction via a tsunami created by nuclear weapons, while within the Persian Gulf. I'm not sufficiently interested in this to do any significant...

A program on the Science Channel tonight laid out a situations where the US decided to not deflect a comet with nuclear weapons and instead merely evacuated the impact area with massive international help. Aside from the ridiculous idea that the international community would help the US in such...

http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Iran/223305 Iran's leader made another speech denouncing the 'Zionist' Empire infront of the families of Lebanese and Palestinian martyrdom operations. Developing nuclear weapons, denying the holocaust, and arming extremist militia's who attack Israel. Is...

Weird, I was driving back to work this luchtime, and as I neared the RAF base near my workplace a massive police escort (1 car and 1 truck either side, as well as several bikes and a load of cars blocking the traffic from one direction of a set of lights) came past with a large armored van in...

Link Dang. Gonna have to find another excuse to bomb them and steal their oil now. Suggestions?

I think the present government in Pakistan is illegal and needs to go. We need to remove ANY aid from them NOW. And we need to disable their nuclear capability at the same instant. And the only way to do that is one or two LARGE nuclear weapons on their stockpile and their production...

So much fuss about the Iranian nuclear program, but there are other countries that are getting nuclear capabilities. Jordan, U.S. Sign Nuclear Agreement AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The United States has signed an accord with Jordan aimed at supporting the peaceful development of the kingdom's...

Why should Israel be allowed to have nuclear weapons?

Departing from the thread that has decended into complete anarchy, I wish to create a rational, critical debate on President Ahmadinejad's true feelings towards Israel, and if he really wishes to 'wipe it off the map'. And if we can allow him to possess these means to an end. Is he is a raging...

No sane person wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon or the ability to produce one. But most experts agree that inorder to effectively ruin Iran's nuclear capabilities we would have to strike multiple targets, some of which are deep under ground. Even if it was possible to destroy every...

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/13/nkorea.talks/index.html One more step in the right direction. I think I can predict NK will try to stall for time again, but it's facing up to the inevitable, I think.

So, we Brits are to have a new fleet of nuclear submarines, courtesy of prime minister Blair/Browne. For only £20 billion. What do you think, folks? Is this a good investment? Is PM Blair & company doing very nicely indeed, thank-you very much? Are these immensely expensive submarines likely to...

Someone posted this on another site... Like you might have guessed, we were talking about Iran being in the process of getting nukes, and what they would do with them. Discuss...specifically what the quote says.

I would like to throw out this question: Is there any situation where you would sanction the use of nukes? Personally, I can't think of any such situation. Can you?

Hello, I was looking for books/links/articles on the 'skepticism' side of the true capability of Suitcase Nukes.