Anniversity of the Big Bang: From theory to fact

[Platapus]

Sixty-eight years ago.

The first atomic explosion occurred at just about 0530 on 16 July 1945 at the Alamogordo bombing and gunnery range in New Mexico. The area is now part of the White Sands Missile Test Range.

It was a Plutonium implosion device containing 6.2kg of 239PU mixed with 3% gallium. This was surrounded by 2,112 kg of high explosives.

Of the 6.2kg of 239PU about 1KG of 239PU underwent fission (17%). Of that 1,000 grams that underwent fission, about 1 gram was converted into energy. One gram.

The final yield was 18.6KT of TNT equivalent which was about twice as big as was predicted, hence many measuring devices were destroyed or damaged.

About 9 years later there were reports of giant ants but that's another story.

[Red October1984]

Happy Anniversary to the beginning of the end.

[mapuc]

Wonder how big the explosion would have been, if every gram went into fission(or what they call it)

Markus

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Platapus

About 9 years later there were reports of giant ants but that's another story.

It's true. I saw it on da interwebs.

[BrucePartington]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

Happy Anniversary to the beginning of the end.

It's not too late, we may still survive the current raging insanity mankind is going through. But I think some important changes are necessary, if we are to succeed.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by BrucePartington

It's not too late, we may still survive the current raging insanity mankind is going through. But I think some important changes are necessary, if we are to succeed.

I fear we'll learn it the hard way.

[BrucePartington]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

I fear we'll learn it the hard way.

I agree. I have thought about this issue for a long time. We may get to see very hard times on earth in our lifetime.
But it is my belief mankind will survive to go on and finally become a "type 1" civilization. We are on the threshold of "type 1", the internet itself is proof of it.
The only thing keeping us apart now is the time zones...we all need to sleep at the end of an all-nighter evading the DD's wrath. Very tiring business indeed.

[August]

Read the thread title thought:

Originally Posted by August

Read the thread title thought:

Same...

[vienna]

Wonder how big the explosion would have been, if every gram went into fission(or what they call it)

I recall reading and hearing about the first test a bet was being made among the designers of the bomb as to the extent of the blast, a sort of "How Big" pool. Also, when the first blast was ignited, there was a genuine concern as to whether the blast would trigger off an unending, all consuming chain reaction...

<O>

[soopaman2]

Posted this awhile ago, but is relevant.



Humankind scares me.

Just think of the RADS we released as a people!

[vienna]

Just think of the RADS we released as a people!

When I was in high school, I was in Jr. ROTC. They would show us Army and DOD films about various subjects. Among those films were several about atomic bomb tests. One that always stuck in my mind was a test involving a large numbers of live troops at the test site who, after the blast has run it's course, were ordered to march towards "Ground Zero". I remember bringing up the point that the area was highly radioactive (something I had learned in science class) and wasn't it an extreme hazard to the troops to send them into the area. The Army sarge in charge simply replied "They are following orders as you shall do one day"...

<O>