The Atomic Bomb: Top 10 Cool Facts -

There has been talk of a potential nuclear war. I hope that never comes to reality because the odds are quite good that every living being on planet Earth would be wiped out. Sure, there are some that may survive the initial bombing, but being able to survive in the aftermath will be virtually impossible.

Do you understand how an atomic bomb works?

Well, to put it in the easiest terms possible, atoms are split in the midst of uranium or plutonium using an automatic trigger of some sort. When that is done, the force creates an enormous explosion.

When we say nuclear bomb, that could mean either an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb. Hydrogen bombs are even more powerful because instead of splitting atoms, they fuse atoms together which creates an enormous amount of energy.

Today, I am going to give you the top 10 cool, or should I say hot facts about the atomic bomb. They are in no particular order, so read through them all.

#1: Both Hiroshima And Nagasaki, Japan Are Habitable

The cities in Japan that had atomic bombs dropped are habitable.

But you would think there would still be radioactive material making it dangerous.

The reason is, the bombs were detonated in the air and did not penetrate the soil which would hold radioactive waste for years.

#2: The First Discovery And The Race

It was German scientists who first discovered the basic fundamentals of nuclear fission. In 1938, Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassman made the discovery in a lab in Berlin.

Fearing German nuclear research, in 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the Manhattan Project which brought together military and scientific minds at a research center in Los Alamos, New Mexico to research and develop an atomic bomb.

#3: The First Atomic Bomb

The Americans won the race because on July 16^th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was detonated in the desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The Trinity Test sent a mushroom cloud 40,000 feet high.

#4: The Man Who Survived Both

Tsutomu Yamaguchi lived in Nagasaki but he was on a business trip to Hiroshima on the day of the bombing.

The man was seriously burned but he was strong and went home.

At work, the 2^nd bomb hit Nagasaki but Tsutomu was uninjured from that blast. This “miracle man” lived to the age of 93 and passed away in 2010.

Some sources say there were over 160 survivors of both bombings.

#5: Why The United States Dropped Atomic Bombs On Japan

I have heard many say, “why didn’t we just invade Japan?”

After all, Germany had already surrendered but Japan leaders would not surrender. President Truman had a difficult decision. He issued an ultimatum to Japan that if they did not surrender, the consequences would be immense.

In much brainstorming, the estimates of losses of up to 1,000,000 troops in an invasion was not an option.

The first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and another ultimatum was given… But no agreement from Japan so the 2^nd was dropped and forced surrender.

#6: The Original Targets

U.S. leaders developed a target list of 5 Japanese cities:

Kokura,
Hiroshima,
Yokohama,
Niigata
and Kyoto

Kyoto was removed from the list because the U.S. Secretary of War, Henry Stimson had honeymooned with his wife there. Nagasaki replaced Kyoto.

#7: Hiroshima Attacked Twice

The people of Hiroshima not only had to mourn many deaths from the bombing, 1 month after, a typhoon hit the city and killed approximately 2,000 more people.

#8: Fat And Little

The atomic bombs dropped on Japan were not the same.

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was Uranium based and was called “The Little Boy.” It was a Plutonium based bomb dropped on Nagasaki and was named “The Fat Man.”

Both of those names were taken from the movie, “The Maltese Falcon.”

#9: Recycling Nuclear Bombs

The United States made pacts with other nuclear capable countries to start to dismantle atomic, nuclear bombs.

But what happens to these bombs after dismantling?

Recycling!

10% of electricity in the United States comes from dismantled atomic bombs.

#10: All Nagasaki Policemen Survived

It is a practice every man, woman and child should know… Duck and cover.

Nagasaki policemen all used the Duck and Cover method when the bomb detonated and not 1 of those policemen died from the original explosion.

Final Thoughts

I am a firm believer in getting rid of all nuclear bombs. But we must also understand that extreme enemies of the United States will attempt to have them so they can attempt to “rule the world.”

While technology has given some great things, it has also produced some evil devices and the atomic bomb is one.

That is just my opinion, what is your thoughts?

You can post them below.

Thank you.

The Atomic Bomb: Top 10 Cool Facts