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What you need to know about EMP weapons

aardvark.co.nz

31–40 of 213 posts

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#31
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe that's based on the "Doomsday Clock" ( https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/ ) being as close to "human extinction" as it has ever been? Not sure, but sounds plausible the author is reading into that.

Anyone using that exercise in melodramatics as their basis for probability of nuclear war deserves to be laughed it and subsequently ignored.

The author is writing about post-nuclear detonation, of course it's an exercise in melodramatics and theories, that's clear from the onset.

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#32
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Following a devastating recent strike on the air leg of the Russian nuclear triad by Ukranian drones, some analysts believe the use of nuclear weapons by Russian has become much less unlikely.

Somehow I don't see those as related. Any use of nukes will not be an act of rationality. That's the utter stupidity behind this belief in MAD keeping us safe.

> Any use of nukes will not be an act of rationality

Does that mean past usage also wasn't rational? Or it was rational in that case, but impossibly can be rational in the future?

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#34
post #28

1) Don't worry about it. If one goes off over a NATO country or Russia/China, you'll soon have much, much bigger problems to worry about. 2) There is no 2)

Yeah, what I've learned from films like "Threads" and "The Day After" is that you very much want to die in the first 20ms of a nuclear war. Don't dig a hole to hide in, put your lawn chair on the roof and hope you're close enough to ground zero to get a peaceful and dignified end.

Fuck that. I’m going to resist dying. I am going to keep those around me, alive.

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#35
post #3

> As we sit, possible poised on the verge of a nuclear conflict in the Northern Hemisphere, maybe it's time to look at the damaging effects of the electromagnetic pulse that follows a nuclear detonation. I guess that's what I get for not doomscrolling like I used to, but I wasn't aware we were on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Can someone explain that for me?

The end of the cold war didn't also end the threat of nuclear war. Russia has threatened to use nukes if aid to Ukraine continues, while they haven't followed through on those threats it's not impossible that they will eventually.

> it's not impossible that they will eventually.

Please stop believing the ridiculous Russian propaganda.

Using even a single tactical nuclear weapon would be game-over for Putin's Russia.

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#36

The book Nuclear War: A Scenario Hardcover by Annie Jacobsen should be essential reading for all politicians and those profiteering from the Military Industrial Complex https://www.amazon.com/Nuclear-War-Scenario-Annie-Jacobsen/d...

I read it and it's completely biased to a worst imaginable scenario. Not likely to reflect any real world at all.

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#37
post #3

> As we sit, possible poised on the verge of a nuclear conflict in the Northern Hemisphere, maybe it's time to look at the damaging effects of the electromagnetic pulse that follows a nuclear detonation. I guess that's what I get for not doomscrolling like I used to, but I wasn't aware we were on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Can someone explain that for me?

Following a devastating recent strike on the air leg of the Russian nuclear triad by Ukranian drones, some analysts believe the use of nuclear weapons by Russian has become much less unlikely.

I'd replace "some analysts" with "some alarmists". And unless you're in the hyped-up headline business, the attack fell well short of "devastating".

Plus, the pre-attack triad cred of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95 bombers was pretty limited. Notice that they are turboprops. From the 1950's. Hitting hard against the western nuclear powers (US/UK/France) ain't in their talent set.

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#38
post #15

> wrap that in aluminium foil, making sure that the ends are folded over and pressed down hard to provide good inter-layer contact I've tried this many times, it's impossible to prevent gaps without welding it shut. Obviously I wasn't testing with an EMP or nuke, but trying to block 2.4GHz WiFi... But that is well within the E1 range the author states. I think the problem with folding is it's too uniform, it's still…

I need to test flaky cell phone connectivity issues and tried the same thing. Aluminum foil did not cause packet loss. But a microwave (not running) in a building with a metal roof in a room surrounded by metal filing cabinets did the job.

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#39

To prevent nuclear war YouTube has now blocked videos related to faraday cages.

Not surprised, but is there a source? I guess hiding your electronics from The Man is subversive.

And front page today, Jeff discovered that media servers are also verboten: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/self-hosting-your-own...

Is someone keeping a list of all the various censorship triggers on YT?

Re: What you need to know about EMP weapons

#40
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Following a devastating recent strike on the air leg of the Russian nuclear triad by Ukranian drones, some analysts believe the use of nuclear weapons by Russian has become much less unlikely.

Somehow I don't see those as related. Any use of nukes will not be an act of rationality. That's the utter stupidity behind this belief in MAD keeping us safe.

> Any use of nukes will not be an act of rationality.

It wouldn't be a rational act. It would be an emotional act by an irrational dictator.

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