Nuclear bomb tests 1945-98
 

This video kinda disturbed me. I came across it by accident while trying to find old videos of structural tests. (The iconic videos of buildings being blown away)

This really disturbed me, as much of a video game as it looks like, with the "scores" being kept. It is very much real, and very scary.

The US and Russia should be ashamed of themselves. France, you guys did a great job attempting to catch up, your nuke spam was impressive at one point.

If this was a video game, the USA would have gotten all time high score.

I feel sorry for anyone living in the SW.

Without further ado.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7...eature=related

I am not a tree hugger, but why has so much of our progress come out of trying to destroying one another?

Just seems counterproductive.

Over 2000 nuclear detonations and Earth and Humanity are still here.

Apparently its hard to hurt a giant ball of nickel and iron, and Humans are difficult to kill off. :up:

That's exactly what I thought :yep:

Wouldn't want to live in Kazakhstan or Nevada though! ;)

I found that interesting and was pleased to learn the UK didn't add too much to the total.

Very true!:D But we survived Ice Ages, and lived hand to mouth (hunter, gatherers, humans are a unique animal) for millions of years to reach this point. We teach the next generation thanks to the gift of languages, that can be translated amongst each other. We strive to improve, and are one of the most adaptive species on this planet.

But we are still animals, and our want to kill one another is based on the primal need to sustain our own seed, and kill anothers off.

Kinda like if you put 2 (non gelded male) alpacas in the same pen, they will attempt to bite or kick each other in the testicles.

This video is a good demonstration on how the actions of a few brilliant men, could change the fate of nations. And even how we could potentially end ourselves.

Hats off to the Japanese artist who made this, truly a meaningful and moving piece.

Yikes! That is an amazing piece of work. Kinda sad when I think that most of those tests took place in my life time. Disappointed would be a better word. How did we survive this long? Divine intervention.:DL Or just lucky.

I knew that the French tested in the Sahara but didn't realise there were that many in Australia. Wow Nevada sure took a pounding.:nope:

Only some of them were atmospheric and as for the effects on humans, we could always ask the residents of some islands in the pacific.

Wow! Who knew?

Actually the effect on the health on the global population was never fully addressed. Are we sure that all the cancer, leucemia etc is only due to smoking, or cell phone radiation or whatever? We shooted out and put in "planetary circulation" radionuclides with large "half lifes" some of which will gladly "set" in living organisms (strontium anyone?). We have created an additional "radioactive backround" in which we all live in. Is it dangerous? I don't no. Should it be investigated? Yes. Why isn't it? Because if there had been and/or continue to be negative/adverse effects the global community would eventually seek compensation fron those who did the testing.

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And of course Amerika has to have almost more Nuclear explosions then everyone else combined. :hmmm:

This was what I thought on first watch.

I cannot speak for other countries, but a few of them shots for the US were underwater, and caused so much contamination (even in our limited sense of contamination then), we actually ceased underwater tests because of how it vaporized the water, and spewed radioactive water vapor for miles. A few ships actually survived the shot I am referring to, though I cannot recall the name of the shot without looking it up.

We set off more than 1k of them, does it matter the name at this point?

I understand Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, but why did we need to test 1k plus nukes? Were they 1k plus different designs? You too Russia. WTF is wrong with us?

Britain Kudos for your (relative) restraint.

Edit: Sorry, I am usually a harsh kinda fella, but this hit something in me. Pardon my sensitivity.

Enrico Fermi estimated the megatonnage of the first test by ripping up paper, and estimating based on how the shockwave moved it as he dropped it.
See my point?

Whaa? You mean to tell me those Brits detonated a nuke in Nevada!? We must retaliate NOW!

I think we were testing stuff we bought off you - try before you buy!

If you are looking for old test footage, my advice would be to check out Trinity and Beyond which contains a lot of previous (pre '95) unreleased material.

For us with an odd sense of humor, I can also recommend watching Atomic Cafe, mostly about the 50's perception and naivité regarding the A-bomb. A film which made my laughter about one scene often stick in my throat when I saw the next scene. It's available on YT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOUtZOqgSG8

It also has a great soundtrack, been looking for the record for years.
My favourite song of the movie: Jackie Doll & His Pickled Peppers- When They Drop The Atomic Bomb :rock:

You knew what to do,
when seeing a nuclear flash, hide under your table or hold that briefcase up.
In case you were close, just take a shower and use this decontamination powder.
:dead: