Perhaps it is because I spent a lot of time as a JO playing around with the how, when, and to what degree we would nuke someone that nuclear weapons can sometimes be a cold subject.

Especially at the tactical nuke level - it isn't the end of the world. Indeed, we trained to fight and win in a nuclear environment not that long ago.

Along those lines, I think more people should get comfortable with Alex Wellerstein's NUKEMAP.

From Davie Crocket to the Tsar Bomb - play dial-a-yield all you want.

Want to know what a probably terrorist nuke of NYC would look like?  Without pondering fallout .... build your own ... even your hometown if you wish.

 

 

View the full article

I don't know whether it's reassuring or not that my home (in the outer part of East London) would probably survive a 2.3 MT nuke.

I've played with these before. Very interesting, if not a little depressing/scary.

 

They typically don't take into effect attenuating factors like season/time of year, precipitation, etc.

 

I've usually felt pretty safe from strategic nuclear doom, though during the height of the Cold War I wouldn't entirely discount the possibility of a nuke being tossed in our direction, given the geographic location of the airport/seaport.