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I swear I read about this in Schlosser's "Command and Control" a couple of years ago.. maybe not. https://www.amazon.com/Command-Control-Damascus-Accident-Ill...
Hicks said the metal of the screwdriver contacted the positive side of the fuse and also the fuse’s grounded metal holder, causing a short circuit that sent electricity flowing to unintended places. Is there some company out there making non-conductive screwdrivers designed for electrical work? I can understand that maybe the materials science to make strong plastic screwdrivers didn't exist in the 1950s, but surely…
This is why nuclear non-proliferation is important. Its difficult enough for a super power to safely store and control its WMD. Each new nuclear state magnifies the risks, and all the more so because they lack the after action experience that a half century of mishaps delivers.
Arms reduction is even more important. I'd rather live in a world where 20 countries have 50 warheads each, then one where two countries have 4,000 warheads each. A weapon detonating by accident is terrible. Thousands of weapons on hair-trigger alert is civilization-ending. It's absolutely insane that we're conditioned to believe that this is not only normal - but the best possible state of affairs.
That is to say, we're in the arms race because each country did have N each. But then one country had N+1, and so the others raced for N+2, and so on. If we hoped for 50 each, wouldn't it drop back to the same pattern, and someone would become 50+1?
Note that 4,000 of course doesn't solve the N+1 issue, but my point is if you're going to aim for 50 - I'm not sure what problems it solves. May as well shoot for 0, no? 0 seems equally impossible to me as 50, but at least it solves a single problem.. nukes, in general.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh yeah they exist. There are ceramic ones and I have also seen plastic ones. I've seen other fun specialized types of screwdrivers in my career: Screwdrivers with conductive plastic in the handle, to deal with ESD requirements in the spacecraft industry. Alternatively, take a normal plastic screwdriver handle and wrap it in copper tape. Beryllium screwdrivers (non-ferrous) for use around MRI machine bores thanks to…
Wait, isn’t Beryllium toxic? I was under the impression that you don’t want to be around it.
Unfortunately tons of people were exposed before the risks were at all understood and the health effects can be pretty bad.
There was a frightening number of close calls over the course of decades on the american side alone. One can just assume what must have happened on the sites of other nuclear powers that just doesn't get reported. You can find a timeline of these almost accidents here: https://futureoflife.org/background/nuclear-close-calls-a-ti... It's certainly time to reduce the number of warheads from a nuclear-winter-guaranteein…
The incident in the article isn't a "close call". There was never any danger the warhead would go off.
There was an incident (this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Damascus_Titan_missile_ex...) when a serviceman dropped a spanner while working on a missile. There was a fuel leak and an explosion, thankfully the warhead was thrown clear of the silo by the blast.
This is why nuclear non-proliferation is important. Its difficult enough for a super power to safely store and control its WMD. Each new nuclear state magnifies the risks, and all the more so because they lack the after action experience that a half century of mishaps delivers.
Arms reduction is even more important. I'd rather live in a world where 20 countries have 50 warheads each, then one where two countries have 4,000 warheads each. A weapon detonating by accident is terrible. Thousands of weapons on hair-trigger alert is civilization-ending. It's absolutely insane that we're conditioned to believe that this is not only normal - but the best possible state of affairs.
I absolutely would not. Those 2 countries know far more about the process then those other countries, and they have the budget to do it right. You would have to duplicate labs, and computers, and other efforts 20 times in your scenario, and each of those labs will not be as good as the 2 higher funded ones.
> A weapon detonating by accident is terrible. Thousands of weapons on hair-trigger alert is civilization-ending.
Look at it from a fear point of view: No one will detonate a thousand weapons unless they are declaring total war. So all one needs to do is read global moods and see if total war is likely (it's not). (i.e. war might happen, but not total war)
An accident on the other hand can happen randomly, you would be permanently and constantly worried about one.
Hicks said the metal of the screwdriver contacted the positive side of the fuse and also the fuse’s grounded metal holder, causing a short circuit that sent electricity flowing to unintended places. Is there some company out there making non-conductive screwdrivers designed for electrical work? I can understand that maybe the materials science to make strong plastic screwdrivers didn't exist in the 1950s, but surely…
Yes, tons of options https://www.kctoolco.com/insulated-tools/
oh, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Goldsboro_B-52_crash "The two 3–4-megaton MK. 39 nuclear bombs separated from the gyrating aircraft as it broke up between 1,000 and 2,000 feet (300 and 610 m)." For reference, Little Boy's (Hiroshima) yield was 15 kilo tons.
Using the nukemap, with a target of Faro: http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/?&kt=4000&lat=35.5111142&l...
This is why nuclear non-proliferation is important. Its difficult enough for a super power to safely store and control its WMD. Each new nuclear state magnifies the risks, and all the more so because they lack the after action experience that a half century of mishaps delivers.
Arms reduction is even more important. I'd rather live in a world where 20 countries have 50 warheads each, then one where two countries have 4,000 warheads each. A weapon detonating by accident is terrible. Thousands of weapons on hair-trigger alert is civilization-ending. It's absolutely insane that we're conditioned to believe that this is not only normal - but the best possible state of affairs.
Now instead of two political leaders to worry about, you have 20. Not sure if that's what you really want.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wait, isn’t Beryllium toxic? I was under the impression that you don’t want to be around it.
Didn't you mother ever tell you to stop putting things in your mouth? Also, it's used in dental alloys. It seems it's only toxic if you inhale its dust. Fun fact: Your body has no way to remove it from your body, so you accumulate it forever.