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Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

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Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#121

Post by sitkack »

cyorir wrote: post #73
cstross wrote: post #8

Young folks today just don't believe how downright surreal (and scary) the cold war was to live through. Look, just read this wikipedia entry about the British Blue Peacock nuclear device, and boggle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Peacock Yes. It's a chicken-heated atomic landmine. Not a joke: it was a Real Thing. And so was this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_%28nuclear_device... The M-29 Davy Crock…

To be fair, the use of chickens in this project would have been perfectly reasonable. The chickens simply act as a heat source to protect the mechanism, they do not power it. An engineer today would likely make use of the thermoelectric effect to generate heat through electricity. Why use chickens instead? A few reasons might be: Materials were not as advanced then, so an electric mechanism would have been less relia…

If this had been the states, why not make it a homeless shelter?

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#122

Post by sitkack »

stonogo wrote: post #41
dbbolton wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why couldn't they just bury the mine below the frost line?

Because the problem wasn't "ice," the problem was "cold," especially when you're dealing with finicky moving parts regarding pressure switches and tilt switches. There are tons of components of the era that were subject to thermal variance: oil-and-paper capacitors, wire coils in transformers and inductors, etc etc. We take solid-state reliability for granted these days, but there was a time before.

For once I applaud the British and their shitting engineering!

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#123

Post by jacquesm »

guizzy wrote: post #112
jacquesm wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Davy Crockett is one of the most scary devices ever made. You could smuggle that thing into just about anywhere with relatively little chance of detection. I assume they kept good track of where those ended up, that's as close to a suitcase nuke as there ever existed (as far as I know). That's a proliferation nightmare and the only good thing about it is probably that it's very hard to make a small nuke work reli…

Not a suitcase, but a backpack bomb existed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Atomic_Demolition_Muni...

That's the same warhead.

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#124

Post by RobertKerans »

arethuza wrote: post #104
pmoriarty wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Threads is probably the most chilling nuclear holocaust movie I've ever seen. Highly recommended (if you can find a good copy).

Actually, the BBC did one documentary that was in some ways even scarier than Threads: Q.E.D. - A Guide To Armageddon : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GJttnC8PoA It goes through the details of what would happen if a 1MT bomb exploded the center London - which is, of course, completely catastrophic. Then it calmly mentions that London would have probably been hit by at least 30 bombs...

...and there's Peter Watkins' The War Game (BBC again), still an incredibly powerful and disturbing piece of filmmaking.

Wiki: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Game Clip here (first airburst over Kent): http://youtu.be/WcmZ1vhoqkY

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#125

Post by thisjepisje »

bane wrote: post #18
cstross wrote: post #8

Young folks today just don't believe how downright surreal (and scary) the cold war was to live through. Look, just read this wikipedia entry about the British Blue Peacock nuclear device, and boggle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Peacock Yes. It's a chicken-heated atomic landmine. Not a joke: it was a Real Thing. And so was this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_%28nuclear_device... The M-29 Davy Crock…

I grew up right at the tail-end of it, the 1984 Red Dawn was a perfectly reasonable scenario. Whenever I think the hysteria was completely insane I think back to my parents and grandparents and some of the truly bizarre notions that happened during their youth: duck and cover, public bomb shelter drills, etc. People actually paid significant parts of their yearly salary to build, stock and maintain nuclear bomb shelt…

Reminds me of this excellent PKD story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster,_You%27re_Dead!

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#126

Post by iolsantr »

Houshalter wrote: post #117
bane wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up right at the tail-end of it, the 1984 Red Dawn was a perfectly reasonable scenario. Whenever I think the hysteria was completely insane I think back to my parents and grandparents and some of the truly bizarre notions that happened during their youth: duck and cover, public bomb shelter drills, etc. People actually paid significant parts of their yearly salary to build, stock and maintain nuclear bomb shelt…

Ohio is right in the middle-ish of the country and would likely be affected by fallout (as would almost everywhere.) If you don't have a few inches of dirt or concrete between you and the fallout for a few days, your odds are not good.

I've no idea who made this map: http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1376/37/1376372253480.... , but it looks like people who live in or near Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus or Cleveland would have signifcant concerns about direct nuclear strikes. Ohio is historically a major manufacturing center in the US. And Wright Patterson AFB is a major logistal and administration center of the Air Force.

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#127

Post by arethuza »

rattray wrote: post #118
thehistorian wrote: post #115

The author completely missed a major point of the movie (along with the people in this thread), that it was the United States military who was pursuing research on a 'doomsday device' (computerized nuclear armageddon). The S.A.G.E radar defense system, adjusting for inflation, is the most expensive computer system ever assembled. The Q-32 was the crown jewel of the whole operation and it would also later become the f…

... Really? Can anyone else corroborate any of this? Or cite sources. Certainly interesting stuff if true.

Worth noting that even with system like SAGE in place "The bomber will always get through" was probably fairly accurate - in a secret exercise in the early 1960s a small number of UK strategic bombers managed to "bomb" New York, Washington and Chicago even though the entire air defence system was looking for them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Skyshield

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#128

Post by andreasvc »

iolsantr wrote: post #48
bane wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up right at the tail-end of it, the 1984 Red Dawn was a perfectly reasonable scenario. Whenever I think the hysteria was completely insane I think back to my parents and grandparents and some of the truly bizarre notions that happened during their youth: duck and cover, public bomb shelter drills, etc. People actually paid significant parts of their yearly salary to build, stock and maintain nuclear bomb shelt…

Extreme emegency preparededness is insane, but buying a yacht is not? I don't think there is anything wrong with someones hobby being building and stocking their secret fort in the back yard.

I think that most people who buy a yacht then proceed to enjoy using it. Preparing for the end of the world is different because it is based on an arguably incorrect judgment call, and the investment will typically not pay off.

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#129

Post by Bahamut »

mcguire wrote: post #54
simonsarris wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wars would be a lot better if guys would say to themselves sometimes "Jesus, I'm not going to do that to the enemy. That's too much." -Kurt Vonnegut

A large chunk of modern military training is explicitly to prevent guys from saying that reflexively.

It actually has toned down some, if you can believe it (at least in the Marine Corps).

Re: Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was Based on Fact

#130

Post by ninjaplease »

Spooky23 wrote: post #114
cpursley wrote: post #29

I toured Stalin's secret bunker this summer in Moscow where USSR'S top generals held up during the entire Cuban Missile Crisis. This bunker was the control center for the Soviet's nuclear arsenal at the time. According to the guide, the top leaders debated back and forth whether to preemptively strike the United States. The entire thing was surreal - complete with a freighting nuclear attack simulation (America strik…

I worked with a guy who was part of the crew of an Atlas missile control center. I remember talking over drinks at his retirement party, and he recalled now pissed he was at the time that he didn't get to vaporize some Russians. I found that more disturbing than Dr. Strangelove.

What a surprise, an army guy turns out to be a despicable asshole.
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