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Very small nuclear bombs, the size of a regular firecracker
with the fissionable material the size of grains of rice. "Look
everybody, I have a nuclear bomb!" POP!!! "HAHAHAH!".
Any physics guys out there know if this would work? Can you
get a chain reaction out of something that small?
M-29 Davy Crockett Weapon System
https://en.wikipedi...tt_(nuclear_device)
" ... one of the smallest nuclear weapon systems ever built ..." [8th of 7, Jul 19 2020]
Allotropes of plutonium
https://en.wikipedi...tropes_of_plutonium
Significant density changes with temperature. [8th of 7, Jul 19 2020]
Fallout mini nuke
https://fallout.fan...ni_nuke_(Fallout_4)
[bs0u0155, Jul 20 2020]
Flying nuclear manhole cover
https://io9.gizmodo...le-cover-1715340946
[doctorremulac3, Jul 25 2020]
(?) This is the way the world ends.
https://msu.edu/~ju...the-hollow-men.html
Not nearly as good as it's cracked up to be IMO [Voice, Jul 25 2020]
[link]
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// Can you get a chain reaction out of something that small? // |
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You can get supercriticality by imploding a small subcritical mass of Pu, but the yield is very poor. Have a look at the Davy Crockett .... <link>. That's about as small as you can go, and very dirty. You wouldn't want to be anywhere near Ground Zero for a long time afterwards without serious protective gear (the risk is airborne nuclides, not radiation). |
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We would suggest this for deletion, but it gives us a chance to enthuse over a favourite little gadget. |
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Assuming that this is a bad idea, could you get a pop out of
it that was technically a nuclear explosion? |
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Let me re-phrase that. I know they can make suitcase
nukes. Could you make a pencil eraser sized nuke? |
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Not "Would it be a good idea?".
Could you? |
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// Really dude, you're obnoxious. // ... but with a working knowledge of physics, which is good. |
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//Everybody needs a hobby// Ouch! From the
halfbakery to the hobbybakery. My hobby is making
detailed models of famous bridges using chewing
gum and pringles. |
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Not an expert by any means, but the smaller you go, the less of a chance an ejected neutron will nail another atom and continue the reaction. |
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This is somewhat, I believe, mitigated by driving pieces of the reactive substance together at high speed, but eventually you'd get to the point where modern explosives can't produce the necessary force. |
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//My hobby is making detailed models of famous
bridges using chewing gum and pringles.// |
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I don't know, is that allowed? Sounds like you might
be having too much fun. |
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FT! THANK YOU for making an interesting comment
without being nasty! (Not that you've ever been
that.) I did bend the rules by asking a question,
but that's one thing that makes this site awesome.
We cut each other some slack and are nice to each
other. |
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Yeah, weird thing (until you think about it) is the higher the initial temperature the less a chance of a supercritical event. |
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Does getting the fissile material as far below zero as
possible do anything? |
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Hold on.... if he fakes going away, he'll still be
here and you two can keep hosing each other down
with mud. Will miniature nuclear weapons be
deployed? (or "nuculer weapons" as they are known
in the plague colony) |
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Backs slowly away, behind thick green lead glass
shield. |
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/Does getting the fissile material as far below zero as possible
do anything?/ |
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You'd get about 5% additional density down at deep cryogenic
temps. You could use that as an additional safeguard, i.e. the
core would need pre-chilling before the explosive trigger,
could save some material. |
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Allotropic forms ... self-heating effects ... differential expansion ... crystal boundaries ... pusher-plate distortion ... |
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Aren't you an allotrope of cat dandruff? |
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//Does getting the fissile material as far below zero as possible do anything?// |
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Not really a matter of trying to stop the atoms, just packing them closer together. |
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//assuming this is a bad idea// |
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What a great idea to try to figure out how to make smaller nuclear weapons in a public forum. What could go wrong? |
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Just because it's not possible [doc3] doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. |
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// What could go wrong? // |
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Massive destruction and the deaths of millions of people, an environmental catastrophe, famine, war and pestilence and the utter collapse of civilization, plunging your planet into a new Stone Age but with the added factors of radiogenic mutations and a nuclear winter ? |
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Nuclear winter sounds depressing. Let's call it nuclear
spring. See? Already sounds nicer. |
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I think this his hysterical and have the perfect use for
one. I want to toss one as far as I cab in the direction
of the assholes who set off cherry bombs every night,
all night for 3 weeks prior to July 4th. This kept me
up all night and my cat terrified, Assholes is being
kind. Kaboom bastards. Wait till next year. I got
something for ya from doc at the bakery. hahahaha |
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I hear ya. In the town where I grew up, some friends
of ours were living a horror story of that same
firecracker terrorism every night leading up to the
4th. |
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Nobody's sleeping the full night because if one wakes
you up, you can't get back to sleep due to the
"waiting for the other shoe to drop" syndrome. When's
the next one going off? |
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Didn't somebody say civilization will end with a
whimper and not a bang? I think they got that
backwards. The brits gotta be laughing their asses off
at this little development. If I ever become emperor
(the next step in our political evolution I fear) I'll
decree "No massive explosions after 9:00 PM." |
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//the risk is airborne nuclides, not radiation// |
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Wait a minute: aren't those airborne nuclides risky *precisely
because* they're likely to decay, thereby radiating some
ionizing radiation? Or do they present some other type of
hazard - I dunno, a trip hazard? a project scoping risk? |
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I'm just a Pu boy, I need no sympathy... |
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Scarynukes, scarynukes will you do the flamdango? |
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Could be dropped from scale model aeroplanes manned by genetically engineered tiny humans |
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Occurs to me, ideas that don't pass the science test,
like eraser sized nuclear bombs dropped from little
planes flown by genetically modified humans, might
be reprocessed into science fiction stories. Sort of
like the unusable scraps from a meat factory
being used to make dog food. There can be utility, or
at least entertainment value
in scientifically shaky what ifs. |
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Would the "Little Nukes" short story be
interesting? Dunno, but the premise might be
something to start from. |
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Plus, what if somebody considered the idea, looked at the
issue and came up with a solution? Not that we need mini
nukes, but there's nothing wrong with stepping away from
the rule book for a moment. Sometimes that's where new
paths forward are imagined. |
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/Would the "Little Nukes" short story/ |
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<Link> you're aware of the Fallout universe Shirley?
The interesting part of that alternate timeline is that
they press full ahead with technology
nuclear/turbine etc. But microelectronics never
really make it. |
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// manned by genetically engineered tiny humans |
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I'll get my team on that right away. We've made some advances in reverse lycanthropy. |
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I think "Lil Bastard" would be a good name for the mini nuke
in the link. |
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//How far would that be? Might wanna check blast radius
first... Handy nuke map tool linked.
— kdf, Jul 20 2020// |
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Omg, I loved that map. I just spent a few hours playing with
it. Definitely have to up my weights and do some more bicep
and tricep spot training. Oh yeah. |
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There's an idea in there someplace. |
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Hand grenade toy that says "You didn't throw me far enough,
you're dead!" or something? |
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I'd just like to point out this a weapon of mass destruction idea |
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Well, technically, nuclear weapons can bring about a KIND of
peace no? |
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Well, if you’re AT ground zero you’re assured
eternal peace. Unless that whole hell thing’s for
real. In that case, talk about a bad day. |
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Hmm...
Idea: tiny nukes.
Problem: fissile materials have a minimum critical mass,
required to go "boom".
Solution: tiny nukes are delivered individually en masse by
tiny delivery system (drones, smart bullets, trained bees,
whatever...); then they all clump together at the target,
creating critical mass. Boom. |
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As insufficient critical mass seems to be an issue why not
build to current DoD specs and insert a pre-deployable
cheery fireworks package? As nukes are so seldom
appreciated by the receiving country this package will get
their attention, make them look up at the sky, ooing and
ahhing in grand appreciation of the wonderful show and all
the trouble you went to. |
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Then there's the finale... |
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Doc, I really knew without checking, but you had to delete the anti-Trump sentence, which had nothing to do with you or me, didn't you? You're still not much of a man, are you? |
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If you want to debate politics, that's fine, but name
calling is pretty pointless. Debate is getting into the ring like
a man, name calling is
throwing a rock and running away. |
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Wanna debate? Let's go. Otherwise I'm not particularly
interested in seeing who
can fling the most insults. Very boring, makes us both look
stupid. |
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Please don't arm these two, I fear deletion coming.
Let it go...opinions, etc. We are not in a war with
each other unless we create a war to be in. |
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Let's show some real strength and be civil to each
other
even though we may disagree about this
complicated world.
Debate and even a bit of head butting is fine, but
name
calling and vicious, hateful attacks aren't. Like I
said before,
peace. |
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Now let's get back to posting clever, entertaining
even silly
ideas. That's what this website is about. |
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// We are not in a war with each other unless we create a war to be in. // |
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No problem; we can create it for you wholesale. All major credit cards accepted; easy terms for regular customers. Special offer; start two, get third war for free ! |
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//No problem; we can create it for you wholesale. All major
credit cards accepted;// |
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I've just worked out that the Borg are the inevitable endpoint
of the military-industrial complex. |
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Why did you need to "work it out" ? It's in our Standard Terms & Conditions - it's not even in small print or anything. |
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After all, what could possibly be the alternative ? It's hard to reconcile the reality of an Aggressive, Hegemonizing, Ruthless Cybernetic Swarm with - for example - selling cookies from door to door to raise money for charity, or exhorting the populace to recycle more, reduce their carbon footprint, and avoid products containing microplastics. |
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Nowhere in "You Will Be Assimilated. Resistance Is Futile" does it imply in the slightest way "... if you don't mind, that is ... entirely up to you". |
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//the reality of an Aggressive, Hegemonizing, Ruthless Cybernetic Swarm// I thought that was to do with breeding kittens, taking in stray cats and looking after them, and enjoying long bubble-baths whilst browsing the internet for cat pictures to admire. |
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That was just a rough layout made by a marketing agency touting for business ... it somehow ended up on the web. |
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They didn't get hired; if you like, we can send you pictures of the crater where their offices used to be. |
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The // thick green lead glass shield // is a good idea, but another layer of sandbags stacked around the bunker can't do any harm, can it ? If you hold them, we'll fill and stack them ... |
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< squares up sandbags, dons protective gear, checks bourbon
cache> |
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Naa, I'm done. Show's over. |
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Oh no. I've come up with another way to use/make tiny
nukes...
I'm sure everyone is familiar with the NIF, which creates
fusion explosions using lots of lasers and a very small sample
of hydrogen. But what if the lasers and the tiny nuke were
different locations? Tiny nukes over target (obviously); some
lasers on mobile ground- or ship-based platforms, some on
aircraft or in LEO (to get the "all around the target"
condition). It would require some SERIOUSLY precise aiming,
but it might work... |
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That's done in vacuum; atmospheric scattering will diffuse the beams too much at any significant range. Dust, water droplets, pigeons, kittens taped to tall poles and held up so as to intercept high-power laser beams ... <coughing/> ... any number of things can interfere. Even thermal shimmer will be damaging to the focus - vide the effect on terrestrial astronomy in the visible band. |
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It depends on the emission mode, and the divergence angle of the laser, but you're looking at a maximum range in metres, not kilometres. This has been very thoroughly researched, in the process of developing airborne laser weapons. |
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You could do it in space. Not sure what the point would be if
you can't blow stuff up though. |
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Can't be too invested in explosions. |
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An explosion created us all with the big bang. That's why
we all love them so much. |
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Fact: The slang term for sex: "banging" (that leads to the
creation of life) is called that in homage to the big bang
that led to the creation of ALL life. It's in the bible, look
it up. |
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Emphasis on "might"... er, or "might not".
Pesky atmosphere, spoiling all my fun... |
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Evacuated tubes in the atmosphere |
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Just because our current knowledge of space-time rules doesn't make this idea possible now, there aren't possible conditions, out there in the darkness of universal scope, that makes it probable. |
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I'd be content with the last one, 5mil tons seems
about right. Gotta smush all those asshole senators
who have their heads up his ass, but that should do it. |
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Just warn me first cause my daughter and grandkiddos
live close by the White House. |
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Fun to put this in the center of your city and see if you'd
survive the various bombs. |
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Thought I was in good shape up to a W-76 until I realized
they center the blast on the name of the city so be sure
to put ground zero at city central. |
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Now if you want to get realistic, put ground zero at the
nearest strategic target. Military base, satellite control
complex that sort of thing. |
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Good luck playing "Would I Evaporate?!". |
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// Fun to put this in the center of your city and see if you'd
survive the various bombs. // |
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I'd definitely survive the Hiroshima bomb if at home, now
work is a lot closer, but a 1960's concrete structure that
clearly had "bunker" in the design considerations. |
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Tiny pistons with tiny nukes. Really fast cars. |
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I read someplace that the fastest man made object
was a manhole cover turned into a projectile by a
nuke. 150,000 mph or something. I did't read any
more about this because it sounded implausible.
Maybe I'll look it up. Good Saturday morning thing to
do. Google "Nuked manhole cover". |
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Yea, like I figured, urban legend. (link) |
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Tiny nukes with any atom, fuel forever. |
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//Yea, like I figured, urban legend// The UL bit would be that it got as far as outer space, but the lid did pop off the pipe, and was going fast enough that it only appeared in one frame of the monitoring camera. |
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Oh yea, it’s actually an interesting story. Not sure
why somebody felt the need to embellish it. |
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