7 ms·
Well one thing they didn't mention is that these kind of blasts create enormous EMP pulses. You can EMP blast whole continents with it. It is thought that in c
by rdtsc 9y ago
Well one thing they didn't mention is that these kind of blasts create enormous EMP pulses.
You can EMP blast whole continents with it. It is thought that in case of an all our nuclear attack at high up detonation like that would happen early one to disable as many electronics and communication facilities of the enemy.
Then of course countries have been working on EMP hardening military tech.
For example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse says that:
---
if the Starfish Prime warhead had been detonated over the northern continental United States, the magnitude of the EMP would have been much larger (22 to 30 kV/m) because of the greater strength of the Earth's magnetic field over the United States,
---
Then the Soviets also "played" around with that too:
---
The monitored telephone line was divided into sub-lines of 40 to 80 kilometres (25 to 50 mi) in length, separated by repeaters. Each sub-line was protected by fuses and by gas-filled overvoltage protectors. The EMP from the 22 October (K-3) nuclear test (also known as Test 184) blew all of the fuses and fired all of the overvoltage protectors in all of the sub-lines.[15]
---
- mikeash 9y agoThere's an oblique mention of it near the end: "When the bomb burst, people told of blackouts and strange electrical malfunctions, like garage doors opening and closing on their own." The Soviet tests are interesting. They actually managed to burn down an entire electrical power station with the EMP from one of their bombs. Edit: looking into it more, the destruction of the power station is uncertain. There was definitely a fire at the Karaganda power station, but there's only one vague reference to it being destroyed as a result. Interesting how a question like "did this entire power station burn down in the 1960s?" can remain unanswered today.
- jff 9y agoThe typical Soviet response to any accident: "What fire? What power station are you talking about? Why were you there instead of in your home? A photograph? Give it here" rip "What photograph?" Establishing the destruction of that power station today would be extremely difficult, short of American spy photos, I'd wager.
- KGIII 9y agoWhat's awesome is that this led to the confirmation of the Van Allen Belt. There were some skeptics who felt that blowing up space was a bad idea. Which, you know, kinda makes me giggle a little. We, the US, attacked space with a hydrogen bomb. The scientific world wasn't actually sure what effects this would have and we're like, "Hold my beer and watch this." And then, we bombed space. That might actually be one of the most American things we've ever done.
- 1001101 9y agoAs Professor Fleming puts it: "this is the first occasion I've ever discovered where someone discovered something and immediately decided to blow it up."
- KGIII 9y agoIt is more American than the 4th of July. "F*ck you, space! Being all spacey and stuff!" (At least that's what it sounds like in my imagination.)
- r00fus 9y agoIn my time in the military I was amazed by how the trucks we rode had air-pressure driven brakes and internals - I guess that hardened them to EMPs.
- abakker 9y agoMost big trucks have air powered brakes. These are called "air brakes" and they are usually set up in 2 sets. One, the emergency or parking system, is normally closed rather than normally open. If that system fails, the brakes are immediately applied. The normal operating brakes are Normally open and take pressure from a tank to apply the brake pads. I believe the reason for using air rather than fluid is heat dissipation. Normal fluid brakes would boil if subject to the heat and the fluid would break down. When air brakes get hot, the pressure just goes up.
- fwefwwfe 9y agoLeaking air also isn't as much of a problem, since a pump just pumps more in, as long as the leak isn't too bad.