The provided text appears to be a narration from a documentary or news report about nuclear weapons. It highlights the significance of understanding the power and impact of nuclear weapons, as portrayed by the visual spectacle of nuclear explosions. The documentary uses archival footage from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, which was recorded during nuclear tests conducted by the United States from 1945 to 1963. The narration discusses the physics of nuclear explosions, the effects of the shock wave, and the potential fallout.
The documentary mentions a project led by Greg Spriggs to make these visualizations more accessible to the public. Spriggs' work involved re-analyzing the original measurements from the nuclear tests, which were found to be inaccurate. Spriggs' new measurements showed that the shock wave from a nuclear explosion can reach temperatures of about 10 to 15 million degrees Celsius, and that the yield of a nuclear weapon can be affected by a small margin.
The documentary also speaks about the importance of preserving and restoring old film footage, such as the one used in this project. It mentions Jim Moy, a film preservationist who worked on restoring the film from the nuclear tests.
The narration concludes by emphasizing the horrific nature of nuclear weapons and the importance of understanding their impact. It also mentions Spriggs' personal experience with witnessing a nuclear explosion during the 1962 weapon effects testing operation.
1. The text discusses the ongoing talks with North Korea about its nuclear arsenal.
2. It emphasizes the force and impact of a nuclear bomb, stating that it is something we all hope will never be experienced.
3. The report is from David Martin and involves observers from all services and several allied nations.
4. It mentions a project headed by Greg Spriggs at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
5. This project allows the public to see nuclear weapons as never before, stating that it is unclassified and not a threat to national security.
6. The report mentions that the U.S. conducted 210 nuclear tests above ground starting in 1945.
7. These tests were recorded on film from as many angles as possible.
8. The U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to stop testing in the atmosphere for the good of the planet in 1963.
9. The report mentions a "really big fireball" that is about two miles across.
10. The fireball's temperature can reach anywhere from about 10 million degrees up to about 15 million degrees.
11. The report mentions that the outer edge of the fireball is very hot, and the shock wave that follows the explosion is moving at mach 100, 100 times the speed of sound.
12. The report also mentions that the shock wave crushes objects in the foreground and spews radiation into the sky.
13. The report discusses how calculations from past nuclear tests were off by a full mile instead of 35,000 feet.
14. The report mentions that these calculations are used to predict the performance of today's weapons.
15. The report discusses how Spriggs set out to re-analyze and release to the public the estimated 9,000 rolls of film that had been shot.
16. The report mentions that most of the film was found in the archives at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
17. The report discusses the condition of the film, mentioning that acetate-based film starts to decay and will put off an odor, referred to as "vinegar syndrome".
18. The report mentions that Jim Moy, a foremost film preservationist in the country, was able to restore most of the film using a scanner to convert each frame to a digital file.
19. The report discusses how digital technology allowed Spriggs to analyze the films with much greater precision.
20. The report mentions that the measurements made decades ago over the Pacific Ocean and Nevada Desert were inaccurate.
21. The report mentions that a one megaton shot could be plus or minus 100 kilotons, and that 100 kilotons is about six times bigger than the bomb which leveled Hiroshima.
22. The report mentions that the Pentagon would not confirm if the new data from the old tests had forced any change in current nuclear targeting plans.
23. The report discusses the impact of simply looking at images like this, frozen for one millionth of a second from two miles away, stating that this fireball truly looks like an alien.
24. The report mentions that a kiloton is an explosion equivalent to one thousand tons of TNT.
25. The report mentions that Spriggs is one of the few nuclear weapons designers old enough to have actually witnessed a nuclear explosion.
26. The report mentions the 1962 weapon effects testing operation, Fishbowl, a high altitude nighttime blast over the Pacific.
27. The report mentions that the real thing then compares with the film, stating that the difference is amazing.