peschman (12/15/82)
#N:uicsovax:19400002:000:502 uicsovax!peschman Dec 15 14:13:00 1982 I don't want to start a discussion on whether or not we need more or less nuclear weapons, but would appreciate some EDUCATED information. I heard (I think on NOVA) someone say, "Any nuclear physisct would agree that 500-600 megatons of atomic weapons would be sufficeint to destroy either the U.S. or the USSR as we know them." To nuclear physiscts, is this true? Can anyone with some backround in atomic physics substantiate this number, or is it way out of line? Thanks, Tom Peschman
renner (12/17/82)
#R:uicsovax:19400002:uiucdcs:24400021:000:511
uiucdcs!renner Dec 16 20:56:00 1982
I don't think you have to be a nuclear physicist to answer this
question. A little reasoning will verify the statement. Consider: a
100 kt nuke will make a real mess out of whatever it is dropped on.
600 megatons = 6000 x 100 kt nukes. Now imagine the US after the 3000
most important places are trashed. (Assume really big places, like New
York or the San Francisco Bay area count as several places.) I think
most people will admit that the result does not resemble the United
States as we know it.gwyn.BRL-VLD@BRL (12/17/82)
From: Doug Gwyn <gwyn.BRL-VLD@BRL> It is ridiculous to argue that a few hundred megatons of nuclear weaponry could destroy either the US or the USSR. The "as we know them" qualifier is vague; certainly a major war would change the countries "as we know them" but then so does runaway inflation, etc. An excellent coverage of the subject of nuclear arms was given in "The Intellectual Activist", a newsletter with relatively small circulation. You can obtain the two issues "Vol. III Nr. 1" and "Vol. III Nr. 2" at $2.50 each from The Intellectual Activist, 131 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003. [This information is provided just to be helpful. No endorsement by the Army is implied.] One refreshing aspect of these two articles is an analysis of what the "nuclear freeze" movement's motivations are; there are also several seldom-heard counterarguments spelled out in detail.