A-bomb testing in bikini islands

[sasapurdue]

This may be a long shot but...Has anyone seen the documentary on IFC about the early atomic bomb tests that went on in the Bikini Islands? Watching that whole thing made just cringe and made me feel even more ashamed to be an American than I already am.

[Crazy]

I don't know what documentary you are talking about, but my job deals with nuclear weapon defense, and I'm familiar with the Bikini Atoll testing. It was definitely a gruesome thing, and we as Americans should be ashamed of it. However, that being said, the after effects were not known at the time, and therefore not all of the damage can be blamed on us. Nuclear weapons in general are hideous things, and I don't think we as a species are mature enough to handle the responsibility that comes with nuclear science, whether that be weapons of mass destruction, or nuclear power.

[last_caress]

I don't know what documentary you are talking about, but my job deals with nuclear weapon defense, and I'm familiar with the Bikini Atoll testing. It was definitely a gruesome thing, and we as Americans should be ashamed of it. However, that being said, the after effects were not known at the time, and therefore not all of the damage can be blamed on us. Nuclear weapons in general are hideous things, and I don't think we as a species are mature enough to handle the responsibility that comes with nuclear science, whether that be weapons of mass destruction, or nuclear power.

Extend that to sharp and blunt objects and you have my sentiments.

[PiccoloNamek]

Castle Bravo, Bikini Baker, and Ivy Mike, were three of the coolest explosions ever. I can't even say how many times I've watched those parts of the Trinity and Beyond movie.

Too bad the aftereffects were so bad, especially Castle Bravo. Man, what a disaster.

[Kljoki]

This may be a long shot but...Has anyone seen the documentary on IFC about the early atomic bomb tests that went on in the Bikini Islands? Watching that whole thing made just cringe and made me feel even more ashamed to be an American than I already am.I haven't seen it nor am I familiar with the situation.
What's it about? :popcorn:

[sasapurdue]

In the late 40's the military was trying to figure out what effects the A-bomb would have so they ripped all of these indigenous people of bikini from their homes and moved them to some other island and proceeded to expose some animals and a bunch of soldiers to the effects of being near the explosion and the subsequent radioactivity.
One guy on the documentary turned out like the elephant man. He had to have body parts (which had swollen uncontrollablly) amputated one after another until he died in the early 80's from cancer.

To me it was not just what America did to it's own soldiers that was shameful but what it did to those people that lived on the island. This is purely speculative but I have a hard time believing that their was no knowledge or speculation that exposing these men to radiation would have catastrophic effects. Maybe they didn't, but if you don't know much about a huge bomb isn't it just common sense not to have a bunch of people nearby when the thing goes off?

[sasapurdue]

The documentary is called Radio Bikini by the way.

[Crazy]

In the late 40's the military was trying to figure out what effects the A-bomb would have so they ripped all of these indigenous people of bikini from their homes and moved them to some other island and proceeded to expose some animals and a bunch of soldiers to the effects of being near the explosion and the subsequent radioactivity.
One guy on the documentary turned out like the elephant man. He had to have body parts (which had swollen uncontrollablly) amputated one after another until he died in the early 80's from cancer.

To me it was not just what America did to it's own soldiers that was shameful but what it did to those people that lived on the island. This is purely speculative but I have a hard time believing that their was no knowledge or speculation that exposing these men to radiation would have catastrophic effects. Maybe they didn't, but if you don't know much about a huge bomb isn't it just common sense not to have a bunch of people nearby when the thing goes off?See the part of my earlier post in this thread about the human race and responsibility.

And it wasn't just us. We experimented in Alamogordo, NM, in Nevada, Arizona, the Bikini Islands, but other nations have experimented as well. The largest detonation that I know of took place in Siberia by the Former Soviet Union. 50 Megatons. If you don't know about nuclear weapons, 1 kiloton is approximately the explosive power of 1,000 tons of TNT detonated simultaneously. To visualize, picture a football field, from endzone to endzone, filled with TNT stacked 1 meter high (approximately 3 feet). Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 6 and 9 kiloton yields, respectively. 1 megaton is equal to 1,000 kilotons. or 1,000,000 tons of TNT. So, the same football field stacked 1,000 meters high. The explosion in Siberia was reported to cause 3rd degree burns on victims more than 50 miles from ground zero (or the point of detonation). A 6 kiloton blast from the foot of the Empire State Building could level half of NYC in less than 6 seconds. This is not something that human beings should be yeilding. People that were involved, like Robert Openheimer, lived in constant shame and remorse after they had realized just what they had created.

[charred_heart]

For humans there is a twisted attraction to objects of great power. We just have to find out how diabolical they really are. Too bad no scientist has worked on ways to reverse the chain reaction of a nuclear explosion, instead of those that played God with it.

[Kljoki]

To me it was not just what America did to it's own soldiers that was shameful but what it did to those people that lived on the island. This is purely speculative but I have a hard time believing that their was no knowledge or speculation that exposing these men to radiation would have catastrophic effects. Maybe they didn't, but if you don't know much about a huge bomb isn't it just common sense not to have a bunch of people nearby when the thing goes off? Lol, especially when from the theory and equations one can clearly see massive energies releases in the upper energy spectrum of EM radiation.
I wonder what exactly were they expecting to get as results. Spiderman?

I agree with you on the common sense and the human element.

EDIT: I guess human curiosity overrides the dangers involved.

[Edmond Zedo]

This may be a long shot but...Has anyone seen the documentary on IFC about the early atomic bomb tests that went on in the Bikini Islands? Watching that whole thing made just cringe and made me feel even more ashamed to be an American than I already am.
Without that American power, you'd be speakin' Japanese. Maybe you wouldn't mind, but I bet yout grandmammy would have. Radiation poisoning sure sucks tho.

[Crazy]

For humans there is a twisted attraction to objects of great power. We just have to find out how diabolical they really are. Too bad no scientist has worked on ways to reverse the chain reaction of a nuclear explosion, instead of those that played God with it.I hope you can figure out how to do that, because I can't. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_design

[last_caress]

Throw some molasses on it.

[Crazy]

Without that American power, you'd be speakin' Japanese. Maybe you wouldn't mind, but I bet yout grandmammy would have. Radiation poisoning sure sucks tho.That's not necessarily true. The United States was making headway in the South Pacific. The tide of battle would have completely turned around, and had the Japanese not only begin defeating the US in the south pacific, but be able to successfully invade the US Mainland before we'd be speaking Japanese.

[Edmond Zedo]

That's not necessarily true. The United States was making headway in the South Pacific. The tide of battle would have completely turned around, and had the Japanese not only begin defeating the US in the south pacific, but be able to successfully invade the US Mainland before we'd be speaking Japanese.
Oh, I was being too vague. I'm confident that we didn't need the bomb in order to at least confine the Japanese to their islands. I refer to US military strength in general, part of which was nuclear. I get sick of US residents saying how much we suck (Go to Africa, more room for the rest of us).

[Crazy]

Oh, I was being too vague. I'm confident that we didn't need the bomb in order to at least confine the Japanese to their islands. I refer to US military strength in general, part of which was nuclear. I get sick of US residents saying how much we suck (Go to Africa, more room for the rest of us).OK, I thought you were talking specifically about nukes. Yes, even without the nukes, the US is quite powerful. The only real superpower left.

[ohnoaninfp]

Thats terrible! Its disgusting that the government would test bombs on people.

On a diffrent note has anyone seen the Hills Have Eyes?
Its supposed to be a horror movie based on a family that was exposed to radiation, by living near a testing site. It looks interesting.

[charred_heart]

I hope you can figure out how to do that, because I can't. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_design
Who knows? Somebody might.

[PsiKik]

su
Castle Bravo, Bikini Baker, and Ivy Mike, were three of the coolest explosions ever. I can't even say how many times I've watched those parts of the Trinity and Beyond movie.

Too bad the aftereffects were so bad, especially Castle Bravo. Man, what a disaster.

I wish more people new about the 'Castle Bravo' test, one of the worst
nuclear accidents ever - the bomb turned out to be twice as powerful as expected 15MT instead of 8MT. Half the pacific was irradiated and people
died.

Also the forced removal of people form the islands to make way for tests
was an atrocity.
I suppose most see it as ancient history but I see it as an indication of the
stupidity and madness of the military industrial.