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.
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477 views
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 ...
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1answer
178 views
Was the 2003 Bam earthquake caused by nuclear testing?
From New earthquake hits Iran as Khatami denies Bam disaster caused by nuclear test
Meanwhile, the Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami on Tuesady brushed
aside rumors that a nuclear test in Bam ...
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0answers
160 views
Could North Korea build a working nuke in a year?
I'm sure everyone's heard about the threats North Korea has been flinging lately. They have authorized pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the United States - however, according to reports, they are ...
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1answer
312 views
Is it possible to stop a hurricane by nuking it?
To reduce tragedy, loss-of-life and, of course, disaster-relief costs, the idea of somehow stopping a hurricane has been around for some time now.
One of many theories is that a nuke in the coldest ...
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0answers
245 views
Will the internet survive a major (nuclear) war, between regional or global powers? [closed]
In nearly all conflicts going on around the world today, access to the internet has become vital, and controversial. Thankfully, however none of them have seen the world wide web as a target, rather ...
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214 views
Could Iran produce a nuclear weapon in under a year if they wanted to?
For over 30 years, politicians from Israel and the US have said that "Iran will
have a nuclear weapon in less than a year". [Christian Science Monitor timeline of these warnings]
Some more examples:
...
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1answer
430 views
Is global warming irreversible?
I have heard countless times the perils of global warming and how we should all do our fair share to save the Earth for future generations.
Here is but one example from an NPR article: "Global ...
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1answer
1k views
Did a nuclear blast devastate Port Chicago on July 17, 1944?
On July 17, 1944 at the Port Chicago naval base, near the San Francisco Bay area, an explosion of epic proportions occurred on a dock handling munitions.
The Evening Independent, Jul 18, 1944, via ...
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308 views
Could a global nuclear war damage planet earth structurally in a significant way? [closed]
Assuming that a global nuclear war would mean use of the whole global nuclear arsenal, is it possible for a global nuclear war to release enough destructive energy to damage our planet in a ...
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2answers
2k views
Can cockroaches survive a nuclear war?
I am sure most people will have heard this claim in some form or another:
Cockroaches are so resilient that they will survive the nuclear holocaust.
source
Is this true?
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1answer
588 views
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 ...
10
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2answers
695 views
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 ...
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0answers
193 views
Are the computers connected to missile early warning systems limited by international treaty?
With reference to a question Are there still any companies/academic centers that use mainframes from 60s-70s? on Programmers stack exchange, I answered mentioning the following:
When I was working ...
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2answers
478 views
Would the approach of destroying an asteroid in the film “Armageddon” prevent a global catastrophe?
In the 1998 film Armageddon a group of oil rig workers lead by Bruce Willis are tasked with preventing a large asteroid from colliding with the Earth and wiping out civilization. They succeed by ...
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4answers
3k views
Do we have enough nuclear weapons to wipe out all of humanity?
I have heard several claims that we have enough nuclear weapons to wipe out all of humanity, but has anyone actually done an exact calculation of whether we do?
The claim includes:
All of the ...
