3 ms·

> Nuclear Landmines You underestimate how stupid Cold War weapon projects got, they were putting nukes in anything. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_demol

> Nuclear Landmines You underestimate how stupid Cold War weapon projects got, they were putting nukes in anything. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_demolition_munition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_demolition_munition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Peacock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Peacock

ethbr1 2y ago
I mean, if you need to apply 10+ tons of TNT-equivalent to a target, it's a heck of a lot easier to carry. (Also literally, SADM)
- djbusby 2y ago
  SADM = Special Atomic Demolition Munition https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Atomic_Demolition_Munition https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Atomic_Demolition_Mu...
jamesfinlayson 2y ago
Bat bombs (bombs full of bats with time-delayed releases of napalm) were developed in World War II.
- philipkglass 2y ago
  Documented in Harvard professor Louis Fieser's autobiographical The Scientific Method: A Personal Account of Unusual Projects in War and in Peace https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/the_scientific_method.pdf https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/the_scienti... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Fieser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Fieser
  - internet_points 2y ago
    > The carrying power of a 10-11 gram > bat is indeed amazing, some 15-18 grams; the incendiary bomb was in this > range (17.5 grams). Bats can carry such loads for miles. And bats with > dummy bombs released in housed areas dragged the loads into sites highly > favorable for fire-starting. W e released bats successfully at various altitudes > both from the B-2 S and from an open Attack Bomber, in which flying was > great fun. omg > Then, > suddenly, X-ray was cancelled. I never learned the reason, but can make a > guess. The bats would be vectors for bombs, but they would be vectors also > for germs. Our side might be accused of initiating biological warfare. oh yeah because being accused of doing something horrible while doing something horrible would be horrible.
    - HenryBemis 2y ago
      I believe that they perceived it in the numbers. Exploding bombs will kill a limited number of people. Imagine the nightmare scenario that a bat-bomb will explode in a school and kill 10? 20? toddlers. Now imagine some virus that can wipe hundreds/thousands. This escalation would force the opponent's hand to respond appropriately, and if 'standard' war (bullets, artillery shells, missiles) is hell, chemical warfare is worse.
- zamalek 2y ago
  This only sounds like a ridiculous idea. The weapon was ridiculously effective during an unintentional test.
jcgrillo 2y ago
The Russians are working on their very own Project Pluto: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9M730_Burevestnik https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9M730_Burevestnik
Rendello 2y ago
> Chicken-powered nuclear bomb Now that's an interesting section (second link)
- gherard5555 2y ago
  >A technical problem is that during winter, the temperature of buried devices can drop quickly, creating a possibility that the mechanisms of the mine will cease working due to low temperatures in the winter.[5] Various methods were studied to solve this problem, such as wrapping the bombs in insulating blankets. One proposal suggested that live chickens would be sealed inside the casing, with a supply of food and water.[6] They would remain alive for approximately a week. Their body heat would apparently have been sufficient to keep the mine's components at a working temperature.

ethbr1 2y ago

I mean, if you need to apply 10+ tons of TNT-equivalent to a target, it's a heck of a lot easier to carry. (Also literally, SADM)

djbusby 2y ago
SADM = Special Atomic Demolition Munition https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Atomic_Demolition_Munition https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Atomic_Demolition_Mu...

jamesfinlayson 2y ago

Bat bombs (bombs full of bats with time-delayed releases of napalm) were developed in World War II.

philipkglass 2y ago
Documented in Harvard professor Louis Fieser's autobiographical The Scientific Method: A Personal Account of Unusual Projects in War and in Peace https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/the_scientific_method.pdf https://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/the_scienti... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Fieser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Fieser
- internet_points 2y ago
  > The carrying power of a 10-11 gram > bat is indeed amazing, some 15-18 grams; the incendiary bomb was in this > range (17.5 grams). Bats can carry such loads for miles. And bats with > dummy bombs released in housed areas dragged the loads into sites highly > favorable for fire-starting. W e released bats successfully at various altitudes > both from the B-2 S and from an open Attack Bomber, in which flying was > great fun. omg > Then, > suddenly, X-ray was cancelled. I never learned the reason, but can make a > guess. The bats would be vectors for bombs, but they would be vectors also > for germs. Our side might be accused of initiating biological warfare. oh yeah because being accused of doing something horrible while doing something horrible would be horrible.
  - HenryBemis 2y ago
    I believe that they perceived it in the numbers. Exploding bombs will kill a limited number of people. Imagine the nightmare scenario that a bat-bomb will explode in a school and kill 10? 20? toddlers. Now imagine some virus that can wipe hundreds/thousands. This escalation would force the opponent's hand to respond appropriately, and if 'standard' war (bullets, artillery shells, missiles) is hell, chemical warfare is worse.
zamalek 2y ago
This only sounds like a ridiculous idea. The weapon was ridiculously effective during an unintentional test.

jcgrillo 2y ago

The Russians are working on their very own Project Pluto: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9M730_Burevestnik https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9M730_Burevestnik

Rendello 2y ago

> Chicken-powered nuclear bomb Now that's an interesting section (second link)

gherard5555 2y ago
>A technical problem is that during winter, the temperature of buried devices can drop quickly, creating a possibility that the mechanisms of the mine will cease working due to low temperatures in the winter.[5] Various methods were studied to solve this problem, such as wrapping the bombs in insulating blankets. One proposal suggested that live chickens would be sealed inside the casing, with a supply of food and water.[6] They would remain alive for approximately a week. Their body heat would apparently have been sufficient to keep the mine's components at a working temperature.