I have heard various accounts that the US, and possibly others, are in process of constructing a cobalt (?) device that is rumored to have great destructive properties...possibly a catastrophic chain-reaction within the atmosphere that would render most the planet uninhabitable...Anyway, is there more precise information that anyone could offer? Though I can not entirely swallow such a story (there are similarities to the fears unleashed by the Manhattan projects), the possibility still intrigues me. If there is any truth to be found in these rumors; Why would they be interested is such a destructive device? Obviously a weapon of that magnitude would be useless against any earthly enemy. I have a few theories, but I will refrain from posting until I see if there is any further information offered.
I don't know if it was ever actually made, but the thing was on paper as early as the nineteen sixties. Actually it was suggested for use in Vietman. It is a light nuclear bomb (fission) with a shell of cobalt isotope around it. It will fill the area in which it is detonated with radioactive cobalt (half-life 90 years) making it uninhabitable for a few centuries. Realistically, the thing is not of any military value, but it would be a great terrorism weapon. And if you are a real cynic, you might ponder that dropping one on say, Jerusalem, would leave certain groups with one thing less to bicker about. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Hans
Thank you for the information...Unfortunately the details I had obtained were very vague, and thus was my knowledge of the subject. Obviously a much more plausible scenario in the method you described.
I don't know what it is made of but I have heard of the chain reaction bomb. Suposedly if ever made it would ignite the atmosphere. But thats also what was said about the nuclear bomb but didn't happen. Also asteroids have hit the earth with more destructive power than any man made weapon and the atmosphere hasn't ignited yet. So no one has to worry about the atmosphere igniting. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I am not fearful of the possibility either, because it truly seems implausible...However I will readily admit to being intrigued by the subject. From the various rumors I have heard, the most apocalyptic has to be this; Such a device, when detonated, would start a chain reaction within the atmosphere that would obliterate free oxygen, releasing enormous amounts of energy in process. Not only would this release, so they say, leave most of the surface in waste and under constant bombardment by solar radiation (the ozone having been destroyed by the processes)...it would also leave the atmosphere toxic to most lifeforms. (This scenario probably led to the other rumor that this device was being constructed somewhere near the north pole...where exposure, in the event of detonation, could be minimized and large amounts of oxygen could be freed from the surrounding ice cap.) Again this rumor has unquestionable plausibility issues (and similarities to certain movies), but it is still interesting to ponder. What would be the true results, short and long term, of such a reaction within the atmosphere? Why would we even be interested in such a device if it really could cause such a catastrophe on Earth? (The latter question has brought up a plethora of further question and theories.)
The idea of the atmosphere igniting sounds too close to the plot in L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth. If I recall correctly, invading aliens had to convert Earth's atmosphere to somthing volatile so they could breathe it. In the end, a human (after using 2000 year old Harrier jump jets he finds conveniently hidden away to battle aliens that couldn't be stopped by the same Harrier jump jets 2000 years previous) sends some kind of missile into the atmosphere of the alien homeworld igniting its atmosphere, and destroying all the evil John Travoltas. I'd like to sign up with the "I'm not going to worry about the atmosphere blowing up any time soon" club.
The "igniting the atmosphere" idea is nonsense. But the cobalt bomb is the mother of all dirty nukes. A big one might spread radioactive dust over large parts of the planet, making it uninhabitable for a few centuries. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Hans
mmmm... radiation... tasty... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Normaly I would say that its absurd to think that anyone would have any interest in developing a weapon that could blow up the atmosphere, but then I spent monday watching Ted Kenedy get yelled at on the floor of the senate by republicans who wanted to support the presedent and give him the money to develope his new bunker busting 'mini nukes' None of those ass clowns seemed to understand that we can already bust them bunkers just fine thanks, and the use of a nuke, even a 'mini' one would render an area dangerous to our troops for hundreds of years, and the fallout would contaminate wide swaths of land for hundreds of miles depending on which way the wind is blowing.
Yes, quite true. Also there are quite a lot of nations who have nukes now, and you have to wonder if all of them are willing to make the distinction between using "Mini nukes" in a given conflict, and just using "nukes" in general. In other words, if we start using mini-nukes to "bust bunkers" who's to say they won't just nuke the fuck out of us out of spite?
