War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....

[Jim147]

"Duck and cover"

Get an old school desk and get under it. You'll be fine.

[Hawkmoon]

Get an old school desk and get under it. You'll be fine.

I grew up in those times. Even then I wondered how hiding under my desk at school was going to make any difference if the evil Russians dropped a bomb that could wipe out most of my state.

[WLJ]

I grew up in those times. Even then I wondered how hiding under my desk at school was going to make any difference if the evil Russians dropped a bomb that could wipe out most of my state.

It put you in a good position to kiss your ass goodbye

[WLJ]

More booms

A truck exploded in the middle of the bridge connecting Crimea and Russia Saturday, killing three people, Russian officials confirmed.

The explosion ignited seven fuel tanks of a train also traveling on the Kerch bridge. Two of the victims, a man and a woman, have been pulled from the water below, Russia said.

Explosion rocks Kerch Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, 3 dead: officials
https://www.foxnews.com/world/kerch-bridge-connecting-crimea-russia-fire-after-possible-fuel-tank-explosion-ukraine-media

Who was responsible for the Crimea bridge explosion?
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-63183783?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=63414492194f716822a37df2%26Who%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20Crimea%20bridge%20explosion%3F%262022-10-08T09%3A52%3A45.632Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:90c1d479-8fbf-4ab3-b5ee-fae04dff4fea&pinned_post_asset_id=63414492194f716822a37df2&pinned_post_type=share

[RoadKingLarry]

Who was responsible for the Crimea bridge explosion?

Obviously this is the doing of Trump and the NRA.

[WLJ]

Orange mushroom cloud bad

He in the room with you right now?! David Frum twists himself into DERP-pretzel in thread blaming TRUMP for nuclear threat
https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2022/10/10/he-in-the-room-with-you-right-now-david-frum-twists-himself-into-derp-pretzel-in-thread-blaming-trump-for-nuclear-threat/

[MechAg94]

I grew up in those times. Even then I wondered how hiding under my desk at school was going to make any difference if the evil Russians dropped a bomb that could wipe out most of my state.

Most nukes will only vaporize a relatively small area.  Hiding under the desk will help if the school isn't too close.  Less likely to see the flash or be hit by glass or debris if the pressure wave hits and the entire school is not leveled. 

[dogmush]

Most people have an entirely unrealistic idea of what a nuke does.  Flying glass and debris, thermal radiation from the flash, and bits of building falling on you are much more likely to injure someone than straight vaporization.  Duck and cover is a pretty good strategy.

Back in Basic Training we were taught variations on duck and cover, because it was realized that if you saw the flash and had time to register it, then you weren't going to be vaporized, and you had a bit of time to avoid the pressure wave and debris, so you should find some cover.

[Angel Eyes]

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-63193124

Seems that Vlad is having a tantrum over his precious bridge.

[sumpnz]

Most people have an entirely unrealistic idea of what a nuke does.  Flying glass and debris, thermal radiation from the flash, and bits of building falling on you are much more likely to injure someone than straight vaporization.  Duck and cover is a pretty good strategy.

Back in Basic Training we were taught variations on duck and cover, because it was realized that if you saw the flash and had time to register it, then you weren't going to be vaporized, and you had a bit of time to avoid the pressure wave and debris, so you should find some cover.

There were shadows “burned” into concrete at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  I read that some soldiers that were watching the B-29’s with binoculars (or the sky in the direction of blast) had their eyes melted by the intensity of the light.

But yeah, unless you’re that close chances are you’ll be affected by secondary effects (flying debris) much more than by the heat and light of the blast.  If even a Tsar Bomba size nuke hits Seattle I’ll be affected more by supply chain disruption and power grid failure than even radioactive fallout, let alone direct blast effects.

[WLJ]

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-63193124

Seems that Vlad is having a tantrum over his precious bridge.

The poor baby is upset the kid he's been pounding on hit back.

[dogmush]

https://youtu.be/BlE1BdOAfVc

You can stand under a nuke (a high, small one) with no shielding and be fine. I wouldn't necessarily volunteer to do so, but if you are a couple miles out, and there's terrain of any kind, duck and cover becomes a pretty viable plan.

[French G.]

I have always believed that I could survive a nuclear war if I wasn't a direct target, just never thought I would get the chance. I have a target ten miles and one mountain away from me but due to the nature of the target it would probably be a subsurface burst. Navy isn't there anymore but the NSA is and russians don't update lists probably. I always worry more about the people. I would be where the eastern seaboard would flee to. Beyond that it is luck of the draw with targets and upper atmosphere winds as to fallout patterns and can you ever eat from the soil again.

[WLJ]

Notice a few e-mails about emergency rations and whatnot

[MechAg94]

I have always believed that I could survive a nuclear war if I wasn't a direct target, just never thought I would get the chance. I have a target ten miles and one mountain away from me but due to the nature of the target it would probably be a subsurface burst. Navy isn't there anymore but the NSA is and russians don't update lists probably. I always worry more about the people. I would be where the eastern seaboard would flee to. Beyond that it is luck of the draw with targets and upper atmosphere winds as to fallout patterns and can you ever eat from the soil again.

I guess there ought to be links talking about the 1/2 life of the fall out radioactives.  I don't think it is forever, but the time might depend on the type of bomb.  Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still there as cities thought those weren't large bombs. 

[Pb]

I grew up in those times. Even then I wondered how hiding under my desk at school was going to make any difference if the evil Russians dropped a bomb that could wipe out most of my state.

Duck and cover does not work if you are too close to the blast obviously.  But for those farther away from the center of the blast, many of the injuries can be caused by flying debris.  Duck and cover is helpful for these people.

[Lennyjoe]

I’m about 25 miles NE of a secondary target (unverified) so I’m assuming we may have a few minutes more to try and react….

Looks like Putin didn’t take too kindly for the bridge damage and is chucking rockets and bomb at the general population in Ukraine the last day or two.

[dogmush]

I guess there ought to be links talking about the 1/2 life of the fall out radioactives.  I don't think it is forever, but the time might depend on the type of bomb.  Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still there as cities thought those weren't large bombs.

It depends more on the efficiency of the warhead than the size.  More of the core fully fissioned, means more energy released and actually less leftover radionucleotides.  Less core consumed->more fallout particles.  Airburst vs. groundburst vs. underground makes a difference as well, as there's a sweet spot to suck up, irradiate, and spread the most dust and stuff (if you want to maximize fallout) and that sweet spot isn't always the same as where you want the bomb vs. the intended target.

IIRC the longest lasting radionucleotides from P-239 bombs are about 30 years half life.  Strontium-(some number) is what stick in my head as the most dangerous.  The oft-medicated radioactive Iodine has a half-life of 8 days.  In general the fallout from a fission bomb decays pretty rapidly and is human safe in 1-6 months. (I've actually stood at ground zero of Nagasaki.  It's a somber memorial.)

If there's cobalt* in the warhead or it's a two stage fission/fusion bomb**, the calculus changes quite a bit.


*Cobalt-60 has my favorite warning sign ever.

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_activation

[Angel Eyes]

https://www.airlive.net/breaking-a-russian-cyberattack-is-underway-against-several-us-airport-websites/amp/

I presume this is retaliation for the Nord Stream attack.

[dogmush]

Apropos of nothing at all, does anyone know if those cheap Chinese Geiger counters are worth a *expletive deleted*it?

something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394196386371

[Ben]

Apropos of nothing at all, does anyone know if those cheap Chinese Geiger counters are worth a *expletive deleted*it?

something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394196386371

Sounds like it's time to repost this:

http://www.ki4u.com/free_book/s73p938.htm

 

[WLJ]

3.6 Roentgen, not great, not terrible

[sumpnz]

3.6 Roentgen, not great, not terrible

But the meter pegs at 3.6 …

[Angel Eyes]

But the meter pegs at 3.6 …

https://youtu.be/Fy-QAIwV-D0?t=131

[JTHunter]

Is Putin crazy enough to use a "tactical" nuke on the Ukraine?  I believe he is.  Is he crazy enough to start WW3 ?  I'm not sure but I don't believe so.  What I think may be more likely is that, if he DOES nuke the Ukraine, the ChiComs may seize that opportunity to make their move on Taiwan.  They may not use nukes but with their assets compared to Taiwan's, it won't be much of a fight.  If the U.S. were to get involved in that fight, the ChiComs may lob a couple of tacticals our way to "warn us off".