Comments on: This is what a kiloton looks like

By: Slovenian Guest

Slovenian Guest — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 19:32:07 +0000

And this is why you duck & cover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk-d1b_p5Qg

Notice how merely a few seconds into the video, people are first startled by the bang (the woman in the middle even grabs her ear) with the shockwave following one second later.

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 12:58:57 +0000

As far as I can see the story the press is saying, big surprise, actually probably the truth. It appears a bunch fireworks went off to start the whole thing. I expect all the dust, carbon from the firework, etc. combined created a cloud that then caused the fertilizer to detonate and I mean detonate as in the technical term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detonation

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 12:53:38 +0000

This is a great video (with proper exclamations that it’s awful and terrible). It’s very close.

Beirut explosion in 4K slow motion

https://www.newsflare.com/video/371810/unseen-footage-shows-moment-of-beirut-explosion-in-4k-slow-motion

By: Bob Sykes

Bob Sykes — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 01:20:40 +0000

In 1963, the UK, US, and USSR signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited atmospheric, outer space and underwater testing of nuclear devices. Below ground tests were permitted. The reason for the treaty was the widespread contamination of the atmosphere and ground surface, including crops and farm animals. Think Chernobyl. Other nuclear powers like China, France, India, Israel, and Pakistan have also abided by the treaty.

By: Harry Jones

Harry Jones — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 18:03:16 +0000

Duly noted, Sam. Of course I don’t believe what people say to me. I outgrew that years ago.

However, I take what people do to heart. When those in a position to know aren’t acting scared, I figure the danger is either greatly overrated…

Or they could be fatalists. Fatalism is more a cultural than an individual trait. It comes built into certain belief systems.

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 09:33:38 +0000

Harry Jones says,”I’m not inclined to second guess those who should know better, as it occurs to me they may in fact know better… than I do.”

These days those that know better than you are most likely lying to you so if their story doesn’t make sense then you shouldn’t believe them at all. Many people don’t understand this yet.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 21:53:17 +0000

Does anyone know why there has been no aboveground nuclear testing in recent times?

Do people just not think that it would be incredibly wicked to see a mushroom cloud, filmed by iPhone(tm), brought to you by Twitter(tm), or what…

Come on, military bros, bring back the cool.

Let’s go back to the future.

By: Isegoria

Isegoria — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 19:52:46 +0000

To quote from Flash, then Bang, all you hear in a nuclear explosion is:

1. The crack-like (pistol shot) sound of the abrupt rise in pressure when the shock front arrives (if it takes 1 ms to go from ambient pressure to peak overpressure, that is a frequency of around 1 kHz). 2. The sound of the wind blowing behind the shock front (which is only 40 miles/hour peak wind speed at 10 miles from 1 megaton, but is much higher closer in). 3. Sounds from damage caused like breaking windows, impacts of blown debris.

By: Harry Jones

Harry Jones — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:36:27 +0000

I’m not inclined to second guess those who should know better, as it occurs to me they may in fact know better… than I do.

Wikipedia has a page about ammonium nitrate disasters. I’m reading about the “deflagration to detonation transition.”

By: Slovenian Guest

Slovenian Guest — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 03:31:23 +0000

Related must read Isegoria post: Flash, then Bang