watersworm
Volcanoes, not to speak about super volcanoes are far far more potential "Satan2" fear for the World (a World far far larger than Texas !)
JimFox
http://www.atomicheritage.org/history/tsar-bomba was designed to 100MT yield but halved for reasons stated above.
As to MIRVed ICBMs or SLBMs I read max limits of 1-3 warheads are in place rather than the 10 stated; also the numbers of SLBM's carried in each sub has been halved. Small steps towards elimination, hopefully.
IanHoldsworth
You missed off Israel off the unofficial nuclear powers list. Also you didn't mention anything about a potential nuclear winter.
JeffScanga
Interesting that you use the phrase "in anger" when referring to the detonation of the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima. I really must object to that. Yes, America was collectively angry at Japan on Dec 7, 1941 - but by the time August 6th, 1945 came around nearly 4 years later that anger was replaced with a grim determination to end the war in the Pacific and it was rightly judged that the best way to do this was to use the new weapon. It can arguably be demonstrated that with the death tolls in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cessation of war prevented the loss of even more Japanese lives than were sacrificed. It is beyond obvious that multitudes of American lives were spared the ravages of war that were waiting for them had Japan not surrendered.
So - "in anger"? Really, I think not. It was a rational choice, anger's role was insignificant if it existed at all.
Rustin Lee Haase
Excellent read!! For once, an article about atomic weaponry that isn't screaming at the reader and driving irrational reactions, but is rather informing him. Bravo!!
rutnerh
Pure militaristic saber rattling Pentagon and NATO hype!! Why not stick with RS28 instead calling it fear mongering Satan 2 to justify increased buildup of the US nuke arsenal of 30,000 missiles, enough to pulverize this plant, especially with the Russians owning a similar one. And the real biblical Satan who controls this globe is highly unlikely to vaporize his property! No nuclear nation including Russia, China, Israel, even N Korea or Iran, owning even a single nuclear missile would dare use it knowing instant retaliation would obliterate that nation and its leaders who rarely seek self immolation.. The only nuclear danger would come from IS or terrorist organizations and the inflicted damage would be localized. Hence our arms budget should focus on destroying IS terrorists by supplying them with conventional weapons and let them mutually self destruct without involving Western boots on the ground.
xjetjerk
The author completely avoids the subject of nuclear winter. Scientific American published an article within the last 10 years wherein its author(s) contend that an exchange between India and Pakistan of just 50 total warheads, each in the 40-60 killoton range would result in 8 to 11 years of nuclear winter. The resultant loss of global food production world be catastrophic for the human race. Ironic, the US believed it could fight and win a nuclear war with the USSR up until the late 50's. This article almost harkens back to such lunacy. And it's disturbing ignorance of the blast causing devastation of prolonged global food production failure is in itself heinous.
SamA
JeffScanga is arguing that the bombs dropped on Japan were necessary... I just have to say that is a debatable statement. You could never know what would have happened had we not bombed japan with nuclear weapons. The russians were just getting ready to invade, which the US didn't want them to do as then we'd have to concede some of our post war power to them in Japan and in Russia. The Japanese actually feared and respected the russian and were much more likely to surrender if they had entered into the combat. Plus the Japanese had started to speak with the Russians about possibilities of a cease fire or surrender. There was indeed malice and anger toward Japan at the time, and still to today. It was only a few months ago that the president of the US visited ground zero and that the PM of Japan visited Pearl Harbor. Many at the time hated the 'Japs', as they did some very vile and horrendous things (as did the Nazis and Russians). The other part of this argument, is that the US just spent more money on this single project than any other undertaking by our nation than any other, not using it would probably have looked pretty bad. The US felt it was necessary in order to counter the possible Nazis Nukes, that thankfully, ended up never being created. Also, in the bigger picture, the US wanted to solidify and show the world, especially Russia, that we were a world super power beyond comparison. That our secret gadget would buy us the golden ticket in the world power market. Ironically, it was our nuclear program that was the main reason Russia was able to create their own nukes so fast and that Stalin was unimpressed when FDR told him about them at Potsdam. This ideas that nuclear bombs were necessary to end WW2 is a bit mislead and simplistic yet, perfect for the general public after the war. We were heroes. We liberated the world, killed nazis, and crushed the Japanese utterly. Sounds good o the war weary public but, not entirely true. As it generally is in politics. Still... I personally don't believe that innocent women and children and anyone else who died in that flash of light necessarily deserved what they got. Whats done is done. I truly hope that we have learned something from this but, from the recent nuclear proliferation and cold war 2.0 in effect, I doubt it.
guzmanchinky
An excellent article. But we really should do something about N Korea. I think there is so much insanity in their leadership that they just might...
bpf53
A nuke war no matter who has the biggest still ends the same way... everyone is dead! Doesn't matter who starts Russia, United States, China, etc the result would be the same. Reminds me of an old cartoon drawing of a bunch of cockroaches dancing in a circle with mushroom blast in the distance.... One time scientist thought that they could survive but if there isn't any atmosphere left or Earth is turned into a snow ball the results would be the same for all...