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Nukem's Cradle is a scaled up replica of its namesake ie Newton's Cradle, except instead of the hanging spheres, this one has replica nuclear bombs of the Fat-man variety suspended in the exact same manner. (side by side, of course)
With sufficient effort, these can be swung into each other, but
this requires the combined effort of a large group of people.
http://digitaljourn...Bomb_US__FatMan.jpg
Fat-man [xenzag, Sep 18 2011]
Nuclear Waste Ornaments
Nuclear_20Waste_20Ornaments
Put some of these near it and watch the pretty flashes! [Wrongfellow, Sep 21 2011]
Upcoming Mythbusters episode
http://dsc.discover...deo/#mkcpgn=fbdsc17
They aren't using nukes, but they're scaling it up. [DIYMatt, Sep 28 2011]
[link]
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That is so sweet -- I'm getting misty eyed... |
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Better if the weights were spheres of plutonium,
sized to reach critical mass when all of them were
in
contact with each other. As long as the weights
were swinging, the device would reach criticality
only transiently, on each "click." Like the Dragon's
Tail experiment. |
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(You might have to sheath the weights in
something
more elastic, and less deformable than plutonium,
of course.) |
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Edit: Drat. s/plutonium/uranium/ |
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// Like the Dragon's Tail experiment // |
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Or rather, not. The "Dragon's Tail" and the subsequent "Godiva" pulse reactors use uranium. Plutonium won't go supercritical without an implosion. |
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// something more elastic, and less deformable than plutonium // |
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Chromium plating is the usual coating, to stop oxidation, dusting, and shield the alphas. It's not that deformable; it's actually quite hard and brittle. |
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// replica nuclear bombs // |
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Not the sort of public art that's going to go down well in, for example, Nagasaki. |
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Perhaps putting a nice outer coating of TNT around the plutonium spheres might make the display a tad more lively? |
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//Not the sort of public art that's going to go down
well in, for example, Nagasaki.// |
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Interesting choice of words.., |
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//Better if the weights were spheres of plutonium, sized to reach critical mass when all of them were in contact with each other//
Yes, this! I want one on my desk. |
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//Perhaps putting a nice outer coating of TNT around
the plutonium spheres might make the display a tad
more lively?// |
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No, TNT is quite insensitive to shock; perhaps an
impact sensitive squib could be incorporated
between the balls wrapped in their TNT cases. |
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TNT cases would need to consist of two layers, an outer layer wth a slower rate of propogation and an inner layer with a faster rate. It is only by careful shaping of these layers that the required symmetrical compression of the active content is achieved.
Only the first one would work. The pressure wave from it would cause such distortion of the others as to prevent them from detonating properly. |
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Perhaps the whole arrangement could be continuously driven, but prevented from detonating by the introduction of a suitable damper at each interface. I suggest a suitably obese lawyer or banker. It would be up to the world in general to maintain a supply of 'dampers'. |
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You want Nitroglycerine gel, not TNT. |
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[+] I'd love to see it, if it would work. Unfortunately, I can't
think of any material that would be able to take the
punishment for very long. Even solid titanium or tungsten
full-scale Fat Man replicas would crack after the first few
impacts. |
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[AO] Watching the thing fall apart would be part of
the Art. |
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Horrible rusty old -- vaguely threatening --
machinery banging violently around and falling to
bits. A combination of Anselm Kiefer with
Demolition Derby. Oooo lovely. If I were rich, I
would commission this. |
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I like it. Installation art should always make a statement. If
it doesn't it's just carefully-arranged garbage. |
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Carefully arranged garbage can be quite interesting. (see link) |
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Again, it makes a statement. Granted, that statement is
"stay behind leaded-glass viewing shield at all times," but
it's still relevant and thought-provoking. |
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According to Marcel Duchamp (no relation to
[rmutt]) carefully arranged garbage *is* art. It's the
"arranged" that makes the difference. YVMMY.
YMMV. |
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It's really all in the eye of the beholder, which only goes to
show that there are as many beholders with cataracts as
there are dumpster-divers who fancy themselves artists. |
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In fact, judging by the illustrations in the _Monster
Manual_, the number of bad artists greatly exceeds
the number of beholders with cataracts. |
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I knew it was only a matter of time before somebody made
a D&D joke. |
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