Nuclear attack:- What to do?

[PCH (Paul)]

Originally Posted by casstony

We're a long way down the list of targets. Australia barely registers in the northern hemisphere.

You might think that, and I'm sure you're right.

But they could actually target us first just to make the point of proving to the world that they have the technology safe in the knowledge that we don't really matter all that much on the world stage.

If that happened, it would be quite interesting to see how fast the big boys (military wise) ditch their little down-under brothers!

[casstony]

Paul, l think that's unlikely as it would provide the excuse needed for complete destruction of NK.

[xelasnave]

I often wonder when we have exciting "news" what is really happening that is perhaps really going to effect our lives.

This "mistake" is most curious and really how come it was not shut down in a matter of minutes.
I suggest there is possibly more to this ...
Now who could benefit?
Maybe there is someone lobbying to sell a better system, .... I wonder how share trading was effected...
Really in this world of instant communication are we to believe this alledged mistake could not have been fixed in a very short time?
The sky is falling who was selling hard hats?
Alex

[PCH (Paul)]

Originally Posted by casstony

Paul, l think that's unlikely as it would provide the excuse needed for complete destruction of NK.

I hope you're right Tony

[xelasnave]

Are there any defence type contracts in the wind I wonder...

Alex

[xelasnave]

I suspect the hightened concern with NK suits US as it gives it an excuse to have a few Navy vessels in the region.
Given China is building a decent blue water Navy the problem will ramp up or at least we will be presented with a falling sky for the region ...
Who is to say this recent alert mistake is not somehow one part of the game.
Alex

[skysurfer]

It is a shame that it has to last 30 minutes that people were told it was a mistake.
In such critical cases, there should be better drills and software should be tested more thoroughly.

The novel (of which movies exist) On the Beach is about a nuclear attack in which Australia is about the only place where it is relatively safe.
Because virtually all targets are in the northern hemisphere, so Australia is still relatively safe.
But the biggest nuclear threat is not Kim Jong Un (he should stop his nuclear weapons program anyway), but Donald Trump. Last week the Trump administration declared to make use of nuclear weapons easier. Combine this with the mental health of this 'president'.

And another issue the US where there is a nuclear waste dome built in the 1950s in the Marshall Islands which is a ticking time bomb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autMHvj3exA

[mynameiscd (Andy)]

I heard an analyst talking on the radio about taking out missiles.
Trump has quoted 95% chance of taking out incoming warheads.
In testing there is about 10% max strike rate so to get the 95% mark they use 10 missiles to get these statistics.
He explained these tests were done with dummy missiles with countdowns and already known trajectory so as long as whoever uses these nukes give us about a couple of hours warning and full trajectory details we might have a half a chance.

I still think duck and cover is the best option or perhaps just be friends.

[bigjoe (JOSEPH)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I often wonder when we have exciting "news" what is really happening that is perhaps really going to effect our lives.

This "mistake" is most curious and really how come it was not shut down in a matter of minutes.
I suggest there is possibly more to this ...
Now who could benefit?
Maybe there is someone lobbying to sell a better system, .... I wonder how share trading was effected...
Really in this world of instant communication are we to believe this alledged mistake could not have been fixed in a very short time?
The sky is falling who was selling hard hats?
Alex

Someone will be selling Hard hats and Bicarb by the truckload.
bigjoe.

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Bob,

It must have been dreadful to be in Hawaii and receive that text message.

I recollect being in the US in the 80's and you would be driving listening to
the radio and an announcement would come over "This is a test of the
Emergency Broadcasting System". Then they would play a tone and then
it would sign off with, "This has been a test of the Emergency Broadcasting
System".

They would do the same on TV :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdpLWML_tDU


The best plan is to help ensure that such an event never happens in the first place.

Even a limited nuclear exchange would be the worst day in the history of civilization.

If you new such a threat is imminent and you had time, the first thing you would do is fill the bath tub with water.

This 1959 US Civil Defence training film is a reminder of the spectre of nuclear holocaust during the Cold War :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE-nji8-1Ko

Some of the effects from a nuclear detonation are chronicled here :-
http://www.abomb1.org/nukeffct/enw77b1.html

Thanks Gary, viewing & reading these gave me a better understanding of the nature of fallout and how this depends on whether the nuclear blast is an airburst or closer to the surface.

[AndrewJ]

Part of me hopes that all the nutters in the Nth hemi are selfish enough to leave us alone, on the basis that they will need somewhere safe to go after they have cr@pped in their own sandpits.

Andrew

[GrahamL]

'"The Road" I believe bleakly sums up our end game pretty well, be it from small stuff (nuclear ) or a big long period comet slamming us , extreme volcanism, its all going to end badly .

Tsunamis seem to be not taken to seriously by many despite all the recent stuff happening , I was diving in vanuatu when the 2013 tsunami rolled in , A friend was in town when the warning sirens went off 99,9 % of the people ignored it , some ran , he had to ask what it was about .

[theodog (Jeff)]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Just tape some chops and sausages to the windows.
At least you get one good hot meal after the electricity fails

Andrew

Yep, and you could probably see them in the dark.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by raymo

As Australia is a miniscule player in world affairs, and therefore probably
a secondary, or more likely, a tertiary target, I think it highly likely that
a number of nukes would already have been delivered to numerous
primary targets around the world, and that humanity would already be in the pooh, to put it mildly. I suppose that "they" might use a small one to take out Pine Gap, but at least it is in a very low population density area.
raymo

Good film on the topic... "On the beach". Based in OZ after the Northern Hemisphere obliterated themselves. Radiation gradually heads south and finishes the job. Good Film

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I find the prospect of nuclear war alarming as the resulting dust polution would prevent me using my new astro imaging gear.
Alex

I agree... However, you may be able to pick up a wider part of the spectrum due to changed atmospheric conditions...

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by el_draco

I agree... However, you may be able to pick up a wider part of the spectrum due to changed atmospheric conditions...

Hopefully light polution would be entirely eliminated and global warming stopped so as always there is an up side.
Alex

[thunderchildobs]

Seems all most like a 21st century version of the Orson Welles "War of the Worlds" broadcast.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

I have a couple of good bottles of wine and a few single malts I'd like to partake of before impact. Can they give us a earlier warning ? I don't want them vaporised ....

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by ZeroID

I have a couple of good bottles of wine and a few single malts I'd like to partake of before impact. Can they give us a earlier warning ? I don't want them vaporised ....

I suggest a trial run to dtermine exactly how much time you need.

Which raises another question...if one was going to commit suicide would not downing a couple of bottles of scotch be more sensible than slashing your wrists?

Alex

[deanm (Dean)]

"Little Rocket Man" in NK must be p*ssing himself laughing: the current state of affairs is that an entire US state can go into panic mode, and he hasn't had to do a single thing to provoke it!
Dean