Time lapse map of every nuclear explosion ever on Eearth

[rootsrat]

Japanese artist Isao Hashimoto has created a beautiful, undeniably scary time-lapse map of the 2053 nuclear explosions which have taken place between 1945 and 1998, beginning with the Manhattan Project’s “Trinity” test near Los Alamos and concluding with Pakistan’s nuclear tests in May of 1998. This leaves out North Korea’s two alleged nuclear tests in this past decade (the legitimacy of both of which is not 100% clear).

https://memolition.com/2013/10/16/time-lapse-map-of-every-nuclear-explosion-ever-on-earth/

[phazer11]

I knew there were a scary amount of nuclear explosions and tests but to be honest after watching that video I'm quite surprised we have an atmosphere left, let alone problems with the ice caps.

[EssArrBee]

Most of those tests were done with small explosions, measured in Kilotons. Some were much many orders of magnitude bigger and the biggest the US ever tested was due to a mistake made with calculating reactions, like 12 Mt I think. The Russian Tsar Bomba which the largest nuclear device ever detonated was around 25 Mt and weighed around 27000 kg. The US also made some bombs in the 25-30 Mt range, but the program was canceled because missiles became so advanced that getting bombers in range with payload that heavy would be futile. If we dropped around 20 of our largest bombs at the same time it would probably kill all human and animal life on the planet due to the atmosphere blanketing the planet in radiation.

 

What gets me is how most of Russia's tests were near the southern border of the USSR and that's were all the people live, while Siberia is just completely devoid of civilization and they barely tested out there. At least the US did most of its testing in the desert of NM, NV, AZ, and off the west coast. I've been to Los Alamos a few times, plus worked at White Sands and it is really sad to see areas that will not sustain life, just big ugly holes were mountains used to be. If only we put that much passion into researching diseases or going to space.

[phazer11]

Most of those tests were done with small explosions, measured in Kilotons. Some were much many orders of magnitude bigger and the biggest the US ever tested was due to a mistake made with calculating reactions, like 12 Mt I think. The Russian Tsar Bomba which the largest nuclear device ever detonated was around 25 Mt and weighed around 27000 kg. The US also made some bombs in the 25-30 Mt range, but the program was canceled because missiles became so advanced that getting bombers in range with payload that heavy would be futile. If we dropped around 20 of our largest bombs at the same time it would probably kill all human and animal life on the planet due to the atmosphere blanketing the planet in radiation.

 

What gets me is how most of Russia's tests were near the southern border of the USSR and that's were all the people live, while Siberia is just completely devoid of civilization and they barely tested out there. At least the US did most of its testing in the desert of NM, NV, AZ, and off the west coast. I've been to Los Alamos a few times, plus worked at White Sands and it is really sad to see areas that will not sustain life, just big ugly holes were mountains used to be. If only we put that much passion into researching diseases or going to space.

 

Private companies are the way to go, there's been some advancements in rocketry and manned space flights beyond government programs.