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Sep 4 2012

Can you test a nuclear weapon without a fallout?

30 min 2 movies discussed
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Over the course of human existence, thousands of nuclear weapons have been exploded on Earth and in space. With all of those tests, one can't help but wonder how much fallout has been produced. Learn the tricks of the nuke-testing trade in this episode.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating and somewhat terrifying world of nuclear weapons testing, exploring the four main ways countries have detonated nuclear bombs throughout history: atmospheric, underwater, underground, and in space. They examine infamous tests like Castle Bravo (which went disastrously wrong when the explosion was three times larger than expected) and discuss whether it's actually possible to conduct a nuclear test without releasing dangerous radioactive fallout into the environment. The hosts weave together stories of reckless Cold War-era experiments, including footage of five men who literally stood under an exploding nuclear bomb, while breaking down the science behind nuclear fission and the staggering fact that over 2,000 nuclear weapons have been detonated on Earth.


Movies Discussed

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
1978 1h 27m
★ 5.0
"I was associated with the attack of the killer tomatoes — Josh mentioned this movie when comparing poster styles with the documentary Atomic Cafe." — Josh
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
1989
★ 8.0
"And the three eyed fish, like the Simpsons. Blinky. — Josh referenced Blinky the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons when discussing nuclear contamination effects on marine life." — Josh

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