A Science Guy’s Almanac #10: On Nuclear Bombs and Bomb Shelters Re: 8/5/1945 or 3/28/1979 or 4/26/1984 or 3/11/2011
November 2, 2015
I offer you a choice of four dates in the past for this blog—there are others I could have included. Each of the dates listed records the occurrence of a nuclear event.
8/5/1945 – The Allied bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Next week's Veteran's Day blog relates to this event.
3/28/1979 – The Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania.
4/26/1984 – The Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine.
3/11/2011 – The Fukushima, Japan, cooling system flood with a subsequent reactor shutdown and leak.
I grew up as a child of the cold war between the USA and the USSR. In school, we had disaster drills. Our community had an air raid siren that was tested monthly. There were Civil Defense shelters around the county.
But, the truth was: there was very little accurate information on nuclear radiation and its effects.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki provided horrific evidence of what a blast could do. And, over time, there was data collected on the effects of nuclear radiation. However, in the Nevada desert, above ground nuclear test were conducted years after the end of WWII. The naiveté on the dangers of radiation is clear. KTLA Channel 5, a Los Angeles television station, actually broadcast at least one of these blasts live on television—with crews at a safe distance from the blast.
However, conclusive evidence for DNA as the genetic material was not presented until 1954. And it wasn’t until years later that any depth of understanding of the function of DNA and the damage caused by radiation was achieved.
So, for two decades, workers in any location where radiation was known wore dosimeters to measure the amount of radiation they accumulated. It was believed that ionizing radiation was safe as long as the exposure was limited to accumulation of acceptable levels—now known to be a fallacy.
 |
| Vintage Radiation Dosimeter |
Dosimeters are still used today. Now used only for determining the level of leakage of nuclear material—not safe levels.
Kids growing up in this time took the threat of nuclear war very seriously. We ducked and covered during drills. We learned where the closest fallout shelter was. And, given the chance we really planned!
In 6th grade, selected members of my class—I found out later it was the Gifted group—were assembled as a team. I was included—even though I never quite made the cut on any of the tests used to measure giftedness.
The team’s task was to design a bomb/fallout shelter for the entire school. In retrospect, I cannot imagine the school’s teachers ever agreeing to spend an indefinite time, underground, with the students in their classes. However, we attacked the task with vigor.
Using a map of the school, we designed quite an underground structure. We had the expected eating and sleeping areas—with bathrooms for each sex! There were a large kitchen and dining area. Supply rooms abounded. We also included sports areas and a library. While not quite Blast from the Past quality, we were proud of our effort.
And it wasn’t just elementary school students that planned.
 |
Poster and/or Billboard Promoting the Use of Fallout/Bomb Shelters |
For those of you too young to have experienced this cold war/bomb threat phenomenon, I’ll end with one other example.
In my senior year of college, as part of my undergraduate major—Biology for Secondary Teaching—I had to take a health course on human reproduction. One of our sessions was the viewing of a Civil Defense film. I insist it was titled How to Have a Baby in a Bomb Shelter, but I’m really not certain of the actual title.
This film was part of the supplies in every fallout/bomb shelter. To say it was explicit is almost euphemistic. I spent most of the film with my head between my knees, no mean feet in theater seats, trying not to either pass out or vomit.
Aside. When my wife was pregnant with our organic son—more on that moniker in another blog—I dutifully attended childbirth classes. However, I informed my wife that I would not be present in the delivery room for the actual delivery of my child. I explained as I’ve written above about that Civil Defense movie. I continued with my explanation that I wanted the doctor to be concentrating on her and the baby and not stepping over my limp body sprawled on the floor.
My wife listened politely. She then informed me that I would be present in the delivery room.
I was.
Now we know that neither dosimeters nor bomb shelters offer protection for nuclear radiation of the type and intensity of an atomic bomb. Humanity is fortunate that only two nuclear bombs have been dropped as aggressive acts against another nation. In 2015, when we look back at the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are tempted to point fingers of blame on those responsible for the development, production and, ultimately, the use of nuclear bombs.
I know that the pilots who dropped those bombs on Japan were convinced, and still are to this day
Today, our goal as humans and citizens of the world should be two-fold.
That no such weapon ever be deployed again.
That knowledge and understanding of those opposing us be a priority so non-lethal solutions to problems can be found.
Next blog: A Science Guy’s Almanac #11: 1st Lt. George Keller – Re: 8/8/1945
This blog is offered as a tribute to all our military veterans—living and dead.
My website is: www.crdowning.com
No comments:
Post a Comment