Play around with this fun nuclear holocaust site for a second. Now, answer me this: Why is it that a jump from a 45- to a 50-kiloton nuclear payload registers a change in the immediate zone of destruction from raging fires to immense pressure blast? You can clearly see with the slide that there's some kind of function at hand, but it's 8:30 on Friday and I have dreadful work to do, and do you think this site delivers?
Posted by Kriston at April 21, 2006 8:29 PMWhat I want to know is why the default epicenter of the blast in Washington, D.C. appears to be directly over my house. What kind of scenario do they envision? Grudge-bearing physics student, returning home late Friday night, after one too many at the Reef and with an ill-considered Jumbo Slice sitting uneasy on his stomach, realizes it's just not worth it anymore and decides to activate his little "pet project?' Adams Morgan is apparently a prime target, but Manhattan isn't even on the list.
Posted by: Ian at April 22, 2006 3:29 AMI'm sure the reason that Tucson is a target is because it has a major Air Force base next to it. I always remember hearing as a kid that there were actual nuclear weapons pointed directly at Tucson.
Maybe AdMo is close to dead center for hitting both the Capitol and Andrews AFB? I doubt there are any bases in Manhattan, though obviously it would still be a strategic target if you're just looking to kill the largest number of people. But I would think in an actual nuclear strike against the U.S., you'd be looking for the population + military infrastructure 1-2 punch.
Posted by: Sommer at April 24, 2006 4:05 PM