Devices designed to create extremely large explosions by exploiting nuclear processes within atoms. Fission devices use energy released by slitting large nuclei; fusion devices use the energy released by merging small nuclei. Many devices use fission to trigger fusion.
Questions tagged [nuclear-weapons]
56 questions
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Did Turkey and Greece attempt to gain control of NATO nuclear weapons to use on each other during the Cyprus crisis of 1963-1964?
The following quote from an article on arstechnica.com, talking about PAL codes required for arming US nuclear missles, states that Turkey and Greece were attempting to gain control of nuclear weapons to use on each other in the 1960s:
The codes,…
Mikko Marttila
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Does Israel have nuclear weapons?
According to Wikipedia's page on Israel and weapons of mass destructioni:
Israel is widely believed to possess weapons of mass destruction, and to be one of four nuclear-armed countries not recognized as a Nuclear Weapons State by the Nuclear…
Persian Cat
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Did nuclear tests on the Marshall Islands cause increased cancer rates?
The Marshall Island have been the site for many nuclear tests by the United States. While it has a small population of around 69,000, they have benefitted by receiving around $759 million dollars in compensation over the years for those nuclear…
Brian M. Hunt
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Could a single nuclear EMP kill 90% of Americans within one year?
From the latest doomsday scenario:
At a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on October 12th, experts warned that the greatest existential threat to the country may come from the detonation of a nuclear EMP bomb. It could kill as many as 90…
Fizz
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Did the fallout from American nuclear tests kill hundreds of thousands of American civilians?
A recent paper has been making the social media rounds, that estimates the number of American deaths due to radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons testing to be between 340,000 and 690,000 between 1951 and 1973.
Here is one such article in Quartz:…
RToyo
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Was Truman told that the first atom bomb was going to be used on a military target?
In his diary entry for July 25, 1945, US President Harry S. Truman wrote:
This weapon is to be used against Japan between now and August 10th. I have told the Sec. of War, Mr. Stimson, to use it so that military objectives and soldiers and sailors…
ike
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Is the RS-28 Sarmat missile capable of destroying an area the size of France?
The Daily Mail claims
Russia has unveiled chilling pictures of its largest ever nuclear missile, capable of destroying an area the size of France.
Who estimated this level of destructive power? Based on what evidence? A weapon capable of…
Sklivvz
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Is there a Soviet doomsday device called "Perimeter" or "Dead Hand"?
I stumbled upon an article on wired.com which told details about an automatic nuclear retaliation system build by the soviets in the mid-eighties. This system is supposed to ensure destruction of the US even if the Russian chain of command is wiped…
sum1stolemyname
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Is measuring the size of a nuclear cloud with your thumb an approximate indication of whether you're in the radiation zone?
Due to the upcoming release of Fallout 4, I've stumbled upon several claims about the stance of the iconic Vault Boy:
Basically, those stated that the Vault Boy was doing the following:
If you see a mushroom cloud from an atomic bomb, you're…
Aserre
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Was the crew dropping the "Tsar Bomba" nuclear bomb given only a 50% chance to survive?
Background
The Tsar Bomba was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever created. On 30 October 1961 the Soviet Union experimentally detonated the bomb after dropping it from a plane above Nova Zembla. A second plane was nearby to gather data on the…
William H. Fields
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Did Hiroshima change the layout of its streets subsequent to the war?
The following anecdote has gone viral, seen as a gaffe by someone ignorant of the atomic bombing of the city.
From The morning catch-up: a Battlebus poll, a surprising secrecy advocate and a majestic gaffe
Finally (thanks to Iain Macintosh), Daniel…
Andrew Grimm
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Is a clean, well painted house more likely to survive a nuclear attack than a dirty, unkempt one?
This article links to a film that claims:
a clean, nicely painted house is more likely to survive a nuclear attack than its dirty, run-down neighbors.
Is there any truth to this claim, or were the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association…
John Bensin
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In July 2022, did China have more nuclear weapons than Domino's Pizza locations?
China, Russia, and Pakistan are the only countries in the world that have more nuclear weapons than they do Domino's Pizza locations.
8 Solid Minutes of Useless Geographical Facts!, YouTube (6m45s), 27 July 2022 (1.4M views at the time of…
Rebecca J. Stones
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Did Netanyahus recent presentation on Iran's nuclear program contain no new information?
"Arms Control Wonk" Jeffrey Lewis claims in Foreign Policy:
There was nothing new in Netanyahu’s presentation ... Moreover, the archive contains little or no information that wasn’t already available to the IAEA and the rest of the world at the…
mart
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Was the ancient Indian city of Mohenjo-daro destroyed by a nuclear weapon?
This Youtube video of the History Channel documentary Ancient Aliens, Season 3 Episode 9 makes the claim that the ancient Indian city of Mohenjo-Daro was destroyed by a nuclear weapon, and that the ancient Indians recorded this in the Mahabharata as…
March Ho
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