4 ms·

>Casinos, hotels and inns flaunted their north-facing vistas, offering special “atomic cocktails” and “Dawn Bomb Parties.” What a time...

Cthulhu_ 11mo ago
I'm convinced this kind of thing is 90% of the inspiration for the Fallout franchise.
- technothrasher 11mo ago
  I don't know if I'd say it was the inspiration, as that is probably better credited largely to the book, "A Canticle for Leibowitz", and the "Mad Max" films. But the Fallout franchise certainly makes plenty of satirical reference to the Atomic Craze.
- phantasmish 11mo ago
  I think a lot of folks who haven’t looked in to pop culture and pop science in the ~1950s assume a lot more of Fallout is totally made-up than really is…
  - mikestew 11mo ago
    Starting with the fact that every one of those novelty songs on the soundtrack were actual period songs. “Atom Bomb Baby” might not have been a huge hit (or maybe it was, I can’t seem to find info), but it’s period music: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/3tzsma/update_ama_my_great_uncle_bill_from_the_five/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/3tzsma/update_ama_...
CalRobert 11mo ago
If you’re in to this period Atomic Cafe is a great watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atomic_Cafe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atomic_Cafe
master_crab 11mo ago
Those bombs are still pointing at the same cities…you may still get to take part!!
alnwlsn 11mo ago
Makes me wonder how many living people on earth have seen a nuclear explosion with their own eyes. It can't be very high, maybe 1-10 thousand? Not a number you would want to see increase, to be sure.
- xoxxala 11mo ago
  Interesting question. Somewhere between 400,000-550,000 (the number varies greatly depending on source) US servicemen (Army, Navy, and Marines) participated in nuclear tests from 1946 to 1962. As of 2024, about 10,000 were still alive. https://www.usatoday.com/story/studiog/news/military-veterans/2025/11/06/atomic-veterans-sustain-memory-effects-of-nuclear-weapons-tests/86478887007/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/studiog/news/military-veteran... The French used between 15,000-30,000, but the actual number is secret. I couldn't find numbers for the Soviet testing program. The Chinese used over 100,000 laborers for their first tests according to Wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_veteran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_veteran About 10,000 seems right.
  - alex_young 11mo ago
    Wouldn’t all of the people watching this from Vegas and LA count? More disturbingly, around 600,000 people in Japan.

Cthulhu_ 11mo ago

I'm convinced this kind of thing is 90% of the inspiration for the Fallout franchise.

technothrasher 11mo ago
I don't know if I'd say it was the inspiration, as that is probably better credited largely to the book, "A Canticle for Leibowitz", and the "Mad Max" films. But the Fallout franchise certainly makes plenty of satirical reference to the Atomic Craze.
phantasmish 11mo ago
I think a lot of folks who haven’t looked in to pop culture and pop science in the ~1950s assume a lot more of Fallout is totally made-up than really is…
- mikestew 11mo ago
  Starting with the fact that every one of those novelty songs on the soundtrack were actual period songs. “Atom Bomb Baby” might not have been a huge hit (or maybe it was, I can’t seem to find info), but it’s period music: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/3tzsma/update_ama_my_great_uncle_bill_from_the_five/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/3tzsma/update_ama_...

CalRobert 11mo ago

If you’re in to this period Atomic Cafe is a great watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atomic_Cafe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atomic_Cafe

master_crab 11mo ago

Those bombs are still pointing at the same cities…you may still get to take part!!

alnwlsn 11mo ago

Makes me wonder how many living people on earth have seen a nuclear explosion with their own eyes. It can't be very high, maybe 1-10 thousand? Not a number you would want to see increase, to be sure.

xoxxala 11mo ago
Interesting question. Somewhere between 400,000-550,000 (the number varies greatly depending on source) US servicemen (Army, Navy, and Marines) participated in nuclear tests from 1946 to 1962. As of 2024, about 10,000 were still alive. https://www.usatoday.com/story/studiog/news/military-veterans/2025/11/06/atomic-veterans-sustain-memory-effects-of-nuclear-weapons-tests/86478887007/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/studiog/news/military-veteran... The French used between 15,000-30,000, but the actual number is secret. I couldn't find numbers for the Soviet testing program. The Chinese used over 100,000 laborers for their first tests according to Wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_veteran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_veteran About 10,000 seems right.
- alex_young 11mo ago
  Wouldn’t all of the people watching this from Vegas and LA count? More disturbingly, around 600,000 people in Japan.