FACTS AND FALLACIES OF EVERYDAY THINGS THAT ROBROB8 THINKS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Q:
What type of test was used to
figure out what the cloud would be like from an atom bomb explosion
detonated in the water?
A:
On Thursday, July 25, 1946, the first atomic bomb to be detonated under water was lowered into the Pacific. Three miles from the island of Bikini, the target area for the bomb was 30 square miles large; within that space, 75 warships and 12 smaller vessels lay anchored as a guinea-pig fleet to determine the force of the atomic blast.
The bomb was detonated by remote control. Those that witnessed the event dubbed it "the most destructive force in history" as the fifth atomic bomb to be exploded in the world sent water cascading over the target fleet. When the radioactive cloud cleared, the battleship Arkansas had vanished and the Saratoga, five submarines and three smaller craft were sinking fast. Generally, though, damage was not as great as had been expected; this was attributed to the fact that the bomb was exploded at a shallow depth, allowing much of its force to dissipate into the air.
The
type of cloud was anticipated to be in the form of a
"mushroom" by tests completed 3 months before this event.
A
naked white male, 46 years of age, was fed a steady diet of beer and hot
red peppers for a period of 2 days. When gastronomic relief was required
he raced 30 feet (8 meters) to a pool of standing water that was 3 inches
(8 centimeters) deep. The ensuing flatulence caused a 360 degree ripple
effect in the water and a layer of sand to rise above the surface level
and around the male subject to the height of 24 inches (60 centimeters).
The continuity of the test allowed the scientists involved to approximate
the blast area, but they failed to allow for a greater depth of the water
around the Bikini Atoll which allowed the ships, unexpectedly decimated by
the blast, to be lost. In all, 13 tests were performed within the 48 hour period
before the test subject collapsed. He was paid $60.00 for his efforts and
received prompt medical attention, although his identity and condition at
the time remains unknown.
NOW
YOU KNOW!
