Though cerÂtain genÂerÂaÂtions may have grown up trained to take covÂer under their classÂroom desks in the case of a nuclear showÂdown between the UnitÂed States and the SoviÂet Union, few of us today can believe that we’d stand much chance if we found ourÂselves anyÂwhere near a detÂoÂnatÂed misÂsile. Still, the probÂaÂble effects of a nuclear blast do bear repeatÂing, which the New York Times video above does not just conÂvey verÂbalÂly but also visuÂalÂly, derivÂing its inforÂmaÂtion “from interÂviews of milÂiÂtary offiÂcials and comÂputÂer sciÂenÂtists who say we’re speedÂing toward the next nuclear arms race.”
The last nuclear arms race may have been bad enough, but the relÂeÂvant techÂnoloÂgies have greatÂly advanced since the Cold War — which, with the last major arms treaty between the U.S. and RusÂsia set to expire withÂin a year, looks set to re-open. Don’t bothÂer worÂryÂing about a whole arseÂnal: just one misÂsile is enough to do much more damÂage than you’re probÂaÂbly imagÂinÂing. That’s the sceÂnario enviÂsioned in the video: “travÂelÂing at blisÂterÂing speeds,” the nuke detÂoÂnates over its tarÂget city, and “everyÂone in range is briefly blindÂed. Then comes the roar of 9,000 tons of TNT,” proÂducÂing a fireÂball “hotÂter than the surÂface of the sun.” And that’s just the beginÂning of the trouÂble.
A destrucÂtive “blast wave” emanates from the site of the exploÂsion, “and then… darkÂness.” The air is full of “dust and glass fragÂments,” makÂing it difÂfiÂcult, even deadÂly, to breathe. What’s worse, “no help is on the way: medÂical workÂers in the immeÂdiÂate area are dead or injured.” For surÂvivors, there begins the “radiÂaÂtion sickÂness, nauÂsea, vomÂitÂing, and diarÂrhea”; some of the deadÂliest effects don’t even manÂiÂfest for weeks. “The immeÂdiÂate toll of this one warÂhead: thouÂsands dead, expoÂnenÂtialÂly more woundÂed. DamÂage to the ecosysÂtem will linger for years.” Indeed, the extent of the damÂage is too great to ponÂder withÂout resort to galÂlows humor, as eviÂdenced by the video’s curÂrent top comÂment: “My boss would still force me to come into the office the next day.”
RelatÂed conÂtent:
See Every Nuclear ExploÂsion in HisÂtoÂry: 2153 Blasts from 1945–2015
Every Nuclear Bomb ExploÂsion in HisÂtoÂry, AniÂmatÂed
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
I always say humanÂiÂty extincÂtion is in human hands.just like two ends of a penÂcil, we can either write our future for the best or use the othÂer end to clear it all. Nuclear weapon’s destrucÂtion is just an erasÂer placed in our hands to wipe out our hisÂtoÂry and future.