Back in the day when sub atomic physics was being theorized, physics scientists around the world divided into two groups. Newtonian physics and this new physics proposed by Einstein. To the old school scientists, all this particle behavior seemed outlandish. I guess they were wrong….Einstein dropped the bomb on them. Check out these facts about the reality of nuclear bombs!
Nuclear Shadows
As thermal radiation travels from the fireball, any person or object close to the blast is instantly vaporized. Such intensity also causes those people and objects to have their “shadows” permanently burned where they stood.
Electricity
A significant portion of the world’s electricity comes from dismantled atomic bombs. They make up 10% of US electricity and around 20,000 of the bombs used come from Russia.
Godzilla
The Japanese created Godzilla as a reaction to the bombings and he was a metaphor for nuclear weapons. His weapon was his “atomic breath” and he represented the Japanese people’s fear about atomic bombs and the possible re-occurrence.
Albert Einstein
Einstein’s theories helped scientists understand how energy is released and led to the creation of the atomic bomb. When Einstein realized this, the fear of one falling into Hitler’s hands prompted him to write a letter to President Roosevelt, who created the Manhattan Project as a result.
Little Boy
Little Boy was the code name for the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It was made with Uranium, measured 3 meters long and weighed more than 4 metric tons.
Fat Man
Fat man was the code name given to the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. It was made of Plutonium, a substance more powerful than Uranium, measured 3.5 meters long and weighed 4.5 tons.
One Official Survivor of Both Bombings
Tsutomu Yamaguchi had both eardrums ruptured and was severely burned during the first bomb. He found shelter overnight and returned to work the next day in Nagasaki, where he was uninjured by the second bomb. He passed away at 93 years old in 2010.
There are 26,000 Atomic Bombs Today
Made by various countries, this amount of nuclear weapons could wipe out the entire human race. The US and Russia are in possession of the largest portion, with other countries that may include Israel, China, Britain, North Korea, France and Pakistan.
Duck and Cover
After the first bomb dropped, a Hiroshima policeman taught the Nagasaki police the “duck and cover”, which increases the chance of personal protection. Because of this method, not one police officer died in Nagasaki and they were able to organize better relief efforts.
Tourist Attraction
During the 1950s, regular testing of atomic bombs were happening 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Calendars were printed advertising detonation times and the best spots for watching the blasts.
