World War One 1914-1991

[Souichiro]

I thought you explained it rather well.  

Thanks! I really was tired and forgot half I wrote when I hit the post button

Whether the Korean conflict/war really was officially a war doesn't really matter. It won't make a difference vor the people there or for the veterans who fought there, so let it be.


IMHO the only reasons that there are no large scale wars rignt now is the threat of nuclear weapons. Nobody has yet been willing to risk the possibility of a full scale nuclear war.... Might change though...


Interesting fact: The Weapons people who designed the first nuclear bomb were not sure how the nuclear reaction would be. A nuclear bomb works by splitting atoms.... They were not sure when that reaction would stop. In other words: They could have blown up the world

On that bombshell I end this post

[Hagar]

Interesting fact: The Weapons people who designed the first nuclear bomb were not sure how the nuclear reaction would be. A nuclear bomb works by splitting atoms.... They were not sure when that reaction would stop. In other words: They could have blown up the world

On that bombshell I end this post

I think it was called a chain reaction & nobody really knew if that would happen. Yet "they" were still willing to risk it. A rather sobering thought don't you think?

[dcunning30]

Interesting fact: The Weapons people who designed the first nuclear bomb were not sure how the nuclear reaction would be. A nuclear bomb works by splitting atoms.... They were not sure when that reaction would stop. In other words: They could have blown up the world

"Were not sure", or rather more accurately, "had not observed before", which goes to scientists need for observable experimentation.  You do your theory, but there comes to the place that you have to perform your first experiment of the completed project.


I expect the Project Manhatten scientists were't willing to risk blowing up the whole world just to win one war.

[Souichiro]

Apperantley they were prepared to do just that!

They had no clue on how far and long the chain reaction would go...

Ah well what's done is done

[TacitBlue]

If that chain reaction had happened, it would have done so in the Nevada (or was it Arizona?) desert, well before the actual bomb was dropped on Japan. I was never very interested in the whole atomic history thing, so I may be wrong about where they tested it, but I know that they ran at least one test before using it in combat. My point is, by the time they were using the bomb to win the war, they already knew that it wouldn't destroy the entire planet.

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Interestingly enough, the level of radiation in the world went up permanently thanks to the atomic bombs- before their existence we had been living in a basically radiation free world!

Oh and Felix! I wasn''t attacking you, but yes your point of no war being declared is most valid. However, I seem to remember Maragaret Thatcher declaring that seeing as Argentina had decided to invade the British territory, then Britain was at war with Argentina...but then again I wasn't born until 1990 so I may be wrong.

A.

[Hagar]

Interestingly enough, the level of radiation in the world went up permanently thanks to the atomic bombs- before their existence we had been living in a basically radiation free world!

I know very little about nuclear science but I think there has always been natural radiation.

However, I seem to remember Maragaret Thatcher declaring that seeing as Argentina had decided to invade the British territory, then Britain was at war with Argentina...but then again I wasn't born until 1990 so I may be wrong.

I was around in 1990 or whenever it was* & watched it all happening on TV but I simply don't remember if war was declared or not. As Felix pointed out it didn't make much difference.

TacitBlue wrote:

If that chain reaction had happened, it would have done so in the Nevada (or was it Arizona?) desert, well before the actual bomb was dropped on Japan.

That might be true but wherever it was they still took the risk & had no idea what would happen until someone pressed the button. I think there was some doubt as to whether the bomber crew that actually dropped it would survive the experience.

*PS. 1982. I should have known that.

[Souichiro]

What tacit said is true...By the time they dropped the first one over Japan they knew that the world wasn't going to vanish..... But at the time of the first testing... they didn't!

[H]

What tacit said is true...By the time they dropped the first one over Japan they knew that the world wasn't going to vanish..... But at the time of the first testing... they didn't!

It may be said to have "for the world as they knew it" and certainly for any on the receiving end.