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The point is not whether it could have, or not. Its whether they knew it wouldn't. And in fact, they didn't know it wouldn't ignite the atmosphere - there was
by fit2rule 6y ago
The point is not whether it could have, or not. Its whether they knew it wouldn't.
And in fact, they didn't know it wouldn't ignite the atmosphere - there was a chance it might and they went ahead anyway. It was a calculated risk.
- dogfoods 6y agoNo, Bethe and others knew in the 40s it could not have. Enough nuclear physics was known then to know that the atmosphere cannot be ignited by a nuke. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/bethe-teller-trinity-and-the-end-of-earth/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/bethe-telle...