Nukes nukes nukes nukes nukes!
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You might also have to replace them once in a while too. Or do nuclear warheads not expire?
pentagathus
Baron
What's the actuall benefit of the UKs trident system compared to cheaper nuclear (or non nuclear) weapons?
UK doesn't really have a choice. Their strategic bombing force has been scrapped years ago and they don't have the capacity for sufficient number of silos to guarantee a second strike capability. Submarine-based missiles are well protected against a surprise first strike, giving UK a secure nuclear deterrence that would be difficult if not impossible for Russia to wipe out. Plus sub launches minimize flying time as they can operate near enemy coastal waters.
I think it wouldn't be hard to create a dirty bomb. I saw a documentary of how a russian worker kept shipping uranium ore to his home. Stupid thing to do I'd say but there might be a few extra bottles of vodka in his lifetime.
Those average 1 C increases might mean more destructive meterological effects..
I am curious as to how a neutron bomb kills. Based on what I've read, the really intense radiation doses might kill you in 3 days through destroying your immune system so that you are rotting from fungal spores, worms and bacterial infections, literally decaying like a corpse with a limited existence. I've not been able to read about more intense radiation exposure.
Wonder whether they can come up with cleaner fusion bombs that leave less radioactive residue. What other amazing weapons can we come up with? What about those microwave power satellites/citymicrowaves that we see in sim city 2000?
Those average 1 C increases might mean more destructive meterological effects..
I am curious as to how a neutron bomb kills. Based on what I've read, the really intense radiation doses might kill you in 3 days through destroying your immune system so that you are rotting from fungal spores, worms and bacterial infections, literally decaying like a corpse with a limited existence. I've not been able to read about more intense radiation exposure.
Wonder whether they can come up with cleaner fusion bombs that leave less radioactive residue. What other amazing weapons can we come up with? What about those microwave power satellites/citymicrowaves that we see in sim city 2000?
Mage246
We already have microwave weapons, actually.
PinCussion
So I'we been watching Splattercat playthrough of SOMA which got me thinking.
Could and asteroid/meteor/comet really kill everyone and turn the surface of the earth barren. Sounds rather over the if you ask me.
Though i'm only at part 4 of his let's-play, so there might be room for plot twists.
Could and asteroid/meteor/comet really kill everyone and turn the surface of the earth barren. Sounds rather over the if you ask me.
Though i'm only at part 4 of his let's-play, so there might be room for plot twists.
PinCussion
Don't pull that meme on me.
I'd imagine that any meteorite big enough to sterilize the planet of life in one big boom would also be big enough to crack the planet open like an egg.
The biggest risk if I remember correctly would be the dust being thrown up blocking sunlight from reaching the surface of the planet and causing an ice age, resulting in a collapse of the ecosystem.
The biggest risk if I remember correctly would be the dust being thrown up blocking sunlight from reaching the surface of the planet and causing an ice age, resulting in a collapse of the ecosystem.
None of which are a problem for a species as technological as we are. The only thing that's going to kill humanity is literal destruction of the planet or the sun turns off. Even then we'd last a little while with gas heaters and electric lights, and special lights for limited crops.
Hm, bearing in mind anything we're accustomed to is within the atmosphere and never travels too much, I figure something that weights 1 ton and travels fast enough could carry enough energy upon impact to throw up tons of dust into the air and cause those nuclear winters they mention in some of those post apocalyptic scenarios like in that joe dever publication.
I know within an atmosphere things decelerate.. but imagine a 1 km object hitting earth straight at 1x 10 power of 25 or something. Might impart enough energy to knock us out of orbit, stagger the globe into some weird angle and create extreme winters, plus climate would change with a weird orbit around the sun. and yeah, it would lift so much dust.
I think I've read how Krakatoa or some disruption coinsided with some major 17th or 18th century famines. Some horror stories like snow in July and destroying harvests causing humans to cannabilize. I mean, with the super sensitivity of human stupidity, maybe an emp burst will disable all apple and android devices and thus cause Armageddon through smartphone game addiction.
I know within an atmosphere things decelerate.. but imagine a 1 km object hitting earth straight at 1x 10 power of 25 or something. Might impart enough energy to knock us out of orbit, stagger the globe into some weird angle and create extreme winters, plus climate would change with a weird orbit around the sun. and yeah, it would lift so much dust.
I think I've read how Krakatoa or some disruption coinsided with some major 17th or 18th century famines. Some horror stories like snow in July and destroying harvests causing humans to cannabilize. I mean, with the super sensitivity of human stupidity, maybe an emp burst will disable all apple and android devices and thus cause Armageddon through smartphone game addiction.
Somewhatpro
There is actually a concept weapon that was displayed in COD: Ghosts (of all the games) that fires rods of highly dense metals like Tungsten into the atmosphere from space, essentially an artificial asteroid without those pesky calories radiation while still providing that delicious city destroying taste. No idea if international law allows it though.
Mage246
Kinetic weapons are not prohibited by the treaty governing space.
Mage246
No, only nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
And even then I doubt that the treaty means much, I would not be surprised if there were orbital nuclear weapons.
From what I remember the last time a space-based weapon was attempted in any known way, launched was the Russian Polyus. Not an orbital bombardment platform, but it made as a countermeasure to SDI.
But that doesn't matter much, because its guidance failed and instead of boosting itself into a circular orbit, it kicked itself in reverse and burned up on reentry.
Also, minor extra: Any kind of orbital weapons platform would need to be lifted into space for obscene amounts of money, will have a perfectly predictable path, so would be under pretty much constant observation, its payload would have severe issues being controlled and/or retargeted, and if you want kinetic weaponry, you'll need heavy, heavy tungsten rods, which hit about as hard as a cruise missile without any of the perks of being maneuverable and easily controllable.
In any case, if it's nukes, you can't have them unless you hide them really well, and if it's conventional, you're **** out of luck until you can build the entire thing in orbit.
But that doesn't matter much, because its guidance failed and instead of boosting itself into a circular orbit, it kicked itself in reverse and burned up on reentry.
Also, minor extra: Any kind of orbital weapons platform would need to be lifted into space for obscene amounts of money, will have a perfectly predictable path, so would be under pretty much constant observation, its payload would have severe issues being controlled and/or retargeted, and if you want kinetic weaponry, you'll need heavy, heavy tungsten rods, which hit about as hard as a cruise missile without any of the perks of being maneuverable and easily controllable.
In any case, if it's nukes, you can't have them unless you hide them really well, and if it's conventional, you're **** out of luck until you can build the entire thing in orbit.
Yes, and there was the autocannon-armed space station before the Polyus, but ultimately such dabblings in space-based weaponry require a bit more finesse than an orbital nuke.