Given that we clearly have UFOs in US Army bases that have been reverse engineered what's the point of all this old stuff ?
The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
161–170 of 187 posts
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#162Earlier quoted context omitted.
The thing to remember about that is that we can measure tiny amounts of radiation very cheaply, and tiny amounts are harmless. In fact we are bathed in a constant, but tiny, background level of radiation all the time. Thousands of nuclear weapons were tested all across the world, in the United States, in the Soviet Union, on Pacific Islands, etc, etc. The radiation from that certainly caused a small uptick in the bac…
There have not been thousands of nuclear tests.
"""There have been 2,121 tests done since the first in July 1945, involving 2,476 nuclear devices. As of 1993, worldwide, 520 atmospheric nuclear explosions (including 8 underwater) have been conducted with a total yield of 545 megaton (Mt): 217 Mt from pure fission and 328 Mt from bombs using fusion, while the estimated number of underground nuclear tests conducted in the period from 1957 to 1992 is 1,352 explosions with a total yield of 90 Mt.[1]"""
- from opening paragraph of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_weapons_tests
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#163Given that we clearly have UFOs in US Army bases that have been reverse engineered what's the point of all this old stuff ?
It's not clear that we have technology from outside of earth. These statements are from a guy who has said that another guy told him about aliens.
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's crazy to me that people largely consider it safe as long as the unspent fuel or nuclear debris is dumped into the ocean. (Not a direct comment on your opinion specifically, just building of the general idea)
Because it largely is? It ends up on the sea bed, covered in sediment, then eventually recycled into the Earth’s mantle some millions of years from now. It doesn’t enter the biosphere.
Oceans, marine fauna and marine flora are part of the biosphere.
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#165The more adoption of nuclear technologies with practical application, the better.
So you think nuclear powered cars are a good idea?
„ In all cases, however, the primary safety issue would be the car's survivability (well the reactor) during a crash. Any serious crash could result in a very serious miniature nuclear contamination disaster. Not ideal to say the least, especially considering the number of serious crashes each year. Not to mention the need to protect nuclear fuel from abuse by potential terrorists.“
https://interestingengineering.com/lists/where-are-all-the-n...
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#166Earlier quoted context omitted.
The propellant is important for its bulk (some mass to shoot out the back) and it's energy. In a chemical rocket, the propellant provides both the bulk and the energy. As it happens, there isn't that much energy in chemical propellants per kg, but the rest of the engine is light enough that these things can fly to orbit. In a nuclear rocket, the energy comes from a nuclear reaction and the gaseous fuel only provides…
Are you sure about that? Some of the nuclear thermal rockets tested way back in the 1960s were very, very powerful. That said, it’s hard to imagine that they’ll ever be used for launches from the Earth’s surface. Mars, maybe.
Hmm, maybe. Actually not sure where I got this from, I could very well be wrong.
Either way I'm no expert.
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
>The lack of housing is, IMO, a failure of government Lack of housing is a "feature", not a bug, as it enriches the housing owning class and makes it more difficult for "undesirable" people to move in with NIMBYs.
That's still a failure. Bad Nash equilibriums are still bad.
Not for the wealthy. It will only be a failure when the poor start eating the rich, but we're far away from that.
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
2000-2020 want exactly peacetime. The US declared war on the concept of terrorism in 2001, directly invaded two nations as part of that effort, and overthrew multiple governments before ultimately abandoning the war and handing a broken Afghanistan back to the Taliban in 2021. We did an excellent job of making sure the war was fought on foreign soil and largely stayed out of our daily life back home, but we definitel…
Well, you could make the argument that during the 2000-2020s the US was at war with undeveloped countries that definitely had no chance of dethroning the US technologically; this is different because China is in a position to do just that.
For sure there are differences in the enemy if you consider us already at war with China and/or Russia. It's my personal opinion that WWIII kicked off the day Russia's navy left port and circled around Europe to get to the Mediterranean (Dec 2021), but we haven't technically declared war yet.
Its worth noting that Afghanistan may be less developed technologically but they have now successfully fended off invasions from both the Soviet Union and the US. Never underestimate your enemy in war, especially if you're Goliath invading David's home.
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
There have not been thousands of nuclear tests.
"""There have been 2,121 tests done since the first in July 1945, involving 2,476 nuclear devices. As of 1993, worldwide, 520 atmospheric nuclear explosions (including 8 underwater) have been conducted with a total yield of 545 megaton (Mt): 217 Mt from pure fission and 328 Mt from bombs using fusion, while the estimated number of underground nuclear tests conducted in the period from 1957 to 1992 is 1,352 explosions…
The atmospheric tests are the only ones that matter in this context.
Re: The US government is taking a step toward space-based nuclear propulsion
#170Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because it largely is? It ends up on the sea bed, covered in sediment, then eventually recycled into the Earth’s mantle some millions of years from now. It doesn’t enter the biosphere.
Oceans, marine fauna and marine flora are part of the biosphere.
None of those exist in the regions where these satellites and rocket stages crash. These are natural dead patches.