September 26, 2010

2053? Really?

When it comes to nuclear technology, I guess I never stopped to think about all the testing that actually goes into one. I knew about all the insane nuclear weapon stockpile numbers from the cold war, but never realized that there were almost as many tested. 2053, over the period from 1945 to 1998. Including the two that were actually used in war.

Maybe it is time to be thankful for the fact that the others were merely tests. Or scared dry that there is a lot more where the first two came from.

The video below is a visualization, as part of an art project by Isao Hashimoto, and really brings the message home. And here is a link to Google Maps, showing the craters in one of the test ranges in Nevada. Another one from Wikimapia. Scary.


Via Discover Magazine. Including a spirited discussion in the comments over there.

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