The US Just Declassified Dozens of Nuclear Weapons Explosions and Put Them on YouTube

originally posted by: RAY1990
In the early days of nuclear testing some had the idea that the reaction could continue to chain-react. In other words, every atom would eventually go nuclear.

Eh, not really.

The question was, at the time, Bethe had just come up with a (correct, sort of) theory on how the Sun did nuclear fusion, which was eventually christened the Bethe Cycle.

No one had hard numbers on it, except it seemed permissible, which meant it probably happened, at least until they had better numbers. The Bethe cycle depends on carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen.

Teller got worried right at the last that you might be able to set up a Bethe cycle in Earth's atmosphere, using carbon from CO2, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen from water vapor. Oppenheimer, Neumann and a couple of other guys took a look at it, and decided not only could you NOT do that, it was possible that the Sun wasn't doing that either. So no one worried about it further, except that it made a nice headline.

Thanks for sharing,my 10yo son thanks you too.That kid does love him some explosions

originally posted by: skunkape23
Operation "Plumb Bob..."
That was a hell of party.
Surprised the neighbors didn't call the cops.

A couple stills from that. (I believe)







ETA; looks more like operation Teapot.

Some spooky # from high speed cams

a reply to: Bedlam

So..

As I said, some had the idea of it, I never said it halted progress, I never said many would consider it realistic.

Cheers actually, you basically confirmed what I said. But I do appreciate the time you took to fill me in as it were.

It initially got attention and was dismissed.

a reply to: infolurker

I would say get him before and after pictures of the mike test. This was the first hydrogen weapons test of the USA that vaporized an entire island.

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

That kicks ass, thank you! I always wondered what a standard nuke would look like detonated in space. I theorize that the mushroom cloud would look more like a full 360 full on expanding marble. That's what I think.