7 ms·

... as well as once in 1968, twice in 1972, and once in 1981. 0.o The USSR had a whole program to investigate peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs), called Nuclea

... as well as once in 1968, twice in 1972, and once in 1981. 0.o The USSR had a whole program to investigate peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs), called Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy. [1] Sadly, some of these experiments went rather wrong, unexpectedly releasing lots of radioactive nasty near populated areas. The US also did this sort of thing from 1961 to 1973, and the program was cancelled in '77. [2] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Explosions_for_the_National_Economy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Explosions_for_the_Nati... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plowshare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plowshare

Thrymr 12y ago
My "favorite" Soviet use of nuclear explosions was for deep seismic exploration: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=deep+seismic+sounding+with+nuclear+explosives http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=deep+seismic+sounding+wi...
- TrainedMonkey 12y ago
  I can't find any reliable sources, so treat this as my own speculation. I heard that there were programs for a while in two big countries with acronyms starting with US that aimed into exploration of causing earthquakes/tsunamis that would hit across the word by using multiple underground nukes and constructive interference.
  - icelancer 12y ago
    Certainly reasonable to believe. Those countries were exploring literally any and all avenues to undermine the other.
  - tedks 12y ago
    There was an American program towards the end of the second world war aiming at causing tsunamis to weaken Japan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami_bomb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami_bomb
  - FranOntanaya 12y ago
    I would suspect this was more for propaganda effect -- local populations would understand better a threat if it was related to something devastating they actually had experience off.
sillysaurus3 12y ago
Here's a timelapse of every nuclear explosion since 1945. It really puts into perspective just how many nukes have gone off for purposes other than to kill people. It's amazing that only two were used for violence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY According to the video, people have detonated 2053 nukes, and America has the dubious distinction of having detonated over 1000.
- sigterm 12y ago
  Only two were actually used to kill people. Most of the rest were preparations for it.
  - iaw 12y ago
    Other way around. We had the Trinity test, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and then we set off the rest. Unless you meant "preparations" for killing more people with our nuclear weapons, in which case you may be correct.
    - logicallee 12y ago
      (It's completely obvious that's what he meant.)
      - iaw 12y ago
        The latter tests arguably weren't performed to improve the killing capabilities of the bombs but rather to understand the physics and physiological impacts of bomb blasts. Given that it's possible (albeit unlikely) we never see a nuclear weapon used in war again I don't see it as being completely obvious.
      - Confusion 12y ago
        It's completely obvious that it's not completely obvious, as someone honestly misunderstood.
  - Houshalter 12y ago

Thrymr 12y ago

My "favorite" Soviet use of nuclear explosions was for deep seismic exploration: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=deep+seismic+sounding+with+nuclear+explosives http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=deep+seismic+sounding+wi...

TrainedMonkey 12y ago
I can't find any reliable sources, so treat this as my own speculation. I heard that there were programs for a while in two big countries with acronyms starting with US that aimed into exploration of causing earthquakes/tsunamis that would hit across the word by using multiple underground nukes and constructive interference.
- icelancer 12y ago
  Certainly reasonable to believe. Those countries were exploring literally any and all avenues to undermine the other.
- tedks 12y ago
  There was an American program towards the end of the second world war aiming at causing tsunamis to weaken Japan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami_bomb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami_bomb
- FranOntanaya 12y ago
  I would suspect this was more for propaganda effect -- local populations would understand better a threat if it was related to something devastating they actually had experience off.

sillysaurus3 12y ago

Here's a timelapse of every nuclear explosion since 1945. It really puts into perspective just how many nukes have gone off for purposes other than to kill people. It's amazing that only two were used for violence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY According to the video, people have detonated 2053 nukes, and America has the dubious distinction of having detonated over 1000.

sigterm 12y ago
Only two were actually used to kill people. Most of the rest were preparations for it.
- iaw 12y ago
  Other way around. We had the Trinity test, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and then we set off the rest. Unless you meant "preparations" for killing more people with our nuclear weapons, in which case you may be correct.
  - logicallee 12y ago
    (It's completely obvious that's what he meant.)
    - iaw 12y ago
      The latter tests arguably weren't performed to improve the killing capabilities of the bombs but rather to understand the physics and physiological impacts of bomb blasts. Given that it's possible (albeit unlikely) we never see a nuclear weapon used in war again I don't see it as being completely obvious.
    - Confusion 12y ago
      It's completely obvious that it's not completely obvious, as someone honestly misunderstood.
- Houshalter 12y ago