Syzygys
03-08-08, 03:14 PM
I have known this story, but it worths repeating it for the younger generations. Also for people who think there will still be humans 500 years from now... :eek:
http://www.gimundo.com/Articles/Daily/805
"...so Petrov was stuck working a double shift at a secret bunker, monitoring satellite activity, when "suddenly the screen in front of me turned bright red," Petrov told BBC News. "An alarm went off. It was piercing, loud enough to raise a dead man from his grave."
According to the system, the United States had launched five missiles, which were rapidly heading into Soviet territory. The U.S.S.R. was under attack.
All Petrov had to do was push the flashing red button on the desk in front of him, and the Soviets would retaliate with their own battery of missiles, launching a full-scale nuclear war.
"For 15 seconds, we were in a state of shock," he told The Washington Post. "We needed to understand, what's next?"
Though the bunker atmosphere was chaotic, Petrov, who had trained as a scientist, took the time to analyze the data carefully before making his decision. He realized that, if the U.S. did attack, they would be unlikely to launch a mere five missiles at once. And when he studied the system's ground-based radar, he could see no evidence of oncoming missiles.
He still couldn't say for sure what was going on, but "I had a funny feeling in my gut," he told The Post. "I didn't want to make a mistake. I made a decision, and that was it."
http://www.gimundo.com/Articles/Daily/805
"...so Petrov was stuck working a double shift at a secret bunker, monitoring satellite activity, when "suddenly the screen in front of me turned bright red," Petrov told BBC News. "An alarm went off. It was piercing, loud enough to raise a dead man from his grave."
According to the system, the United States had launched five missiles, which were rapidly heading into Soviet territory. The U.S.S.R. was under attack.
All Petrov had to do was push the flashing red button on the desk in front of him, and the Soviets would retaliate with their own battery of missiles, launching a full-scale nuclear war.
"For 15 seconds, we were in a state of shock," he told The Washington Post. "We needed to understand, what's next?"
Though the bunker atmosphere was chaotic, Petrov, who had trained as a scientist, took the time to analyze the data carefully before making his decision. He realized that, if the U.S. did attack, they would be unlikely to launch a mere five missiles at once. And when he studied the system's ground-based radar, he could see no evidence of oncoming missiles.
He still couldn't say for sure what was going on, but "I had a funny feeling in my gut," he told The Post. "I didn't want to make a mistake. I made a decision, and that was it."