Kyshtym Mayak: The 2nd Worst Nuclear Disaster in Soviet History

Those pesky Soviets are playing with their nuclear toys again.
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Source/Further reading:
The Kyshtym Complex, CIA and DIA reports
www.cia.gov/library/readingro...
www.cia.gov/library/readingro...
The Sungul Institute
books.google.com/books/about/...
General Vlasov
www.warhistoryonline.com/inst...
Overviews of the Disaster
www.scribd.com/document/30501... inis.iaea.org/search/searchsi...
CIA Declassified reports on the accident
www.cia.gov/library/readingro... www.cia.gov/library/readingro...[Text Wrapping Break]www.cia.gov/library/readingro...
The Hanford nuclear site
www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/Hanf...
Kyshtym today/Later contamination
www.rbth.com/lifestyle/328148... www.scribd.com/document/46248... www.scribd.com/document/86871... www.pnas.org/content/116/34/1...
Radiation units
www2.lbl.gov/abc/wallchart/ch.... uk.reuters.com/article/us-jap...
Safety of Nuclear Plants
www.world-nuclear.org/informa...[Text Wrapping Break]www.iaea.org/topics/nuclear-p...

[@vladimirpanov8672]

This bloody disaster took the life of my granddad who worked there. Cancer. He survived the WW2 but not the Mayak. One of many thousands and completely forgotten now. Thank you for reminding the world about it, Simon

[@Mochrie99]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandfather in such an atrocious manner.

[@vladimirpanov8672]

@@Mochrie99 thank you. In 1959 those people new nothing about radiation. Nobody bothered to tell them.

[@wfb.subtraktor311]

@@vladimirpanov8672 and yet people still defend nuclear power to the nail... sorry your granddad had to die

[@abisspassenger]

@@wfb.subtraktor311 so if a car runs over a friend of yours, are you blaming the inventor of the car for it? Perhaps the car factory? If someone you love is killed in a knife attack, the inventor of knives is to blame? Nuclear energy isn't the problem. The corruption of the Soviet Union, maybe. Also the incompetent and irresponsible disposal of dangerous materials. But above all, definetly the disregard for human life.

[@wfb.subtraktor311]

@@abisspassenger Fukushima, 3 Mile Island, Windscale. Humans and nuclear power don't go together. Someone will get lazy, someone will make a mistake, someone will try to save money, or a Tsunami comes to spoil your day. Read up on Windscale, they had an extremely heated debate over filters in the stack a couple years before. If those hadn't been installed, like the lead engineers at the program advocated, northern Britain would now be uninhabitable. Then we need to consider the question of disposal, which, apart from Finland (because Finland somehow always manages the impossible), noone has solved. Especially with environmental disasters become ever more frequent and destructive, anyone arguing for nuclear power is like someone with a ticking time bomb strapped to them that has a coke dispenser attached, and is telling themselves "This is fine" cause they really like coke.

[@nightwyrm4354]

USSR: Don't worry about Chernobyl, we have experience with cleaning up after major nuclear disasters. Rest of world: Wait, what.

[@VictorJeraldo]

CIA: Sshhhhh, you weren't supposed to tell...

[@kyletucker3811]

Exactly. That was my reaction. I was like, wait, how is there more than one?

[@mattropolis7857]

This is more true than you know. The special hospital in Moscow that the Chernobyl firemen were sent to knew ALL about treating victims of nuclear accidents. They already knew the men were dead walking, treatments, and evaluation. This is why they invited the US bone marrow doctor to give a transplant to one of the doomed men. They knew it would fail and it would make the US look less capable.

[@AJ_Deadshow]

I remember they said "nuclear meltdowns don't happen" and a lot of other similar propaganda in Pripyat. They knew it could happen and they lied

[@JohnDoe-on6ru]

"I mean, nevermind"

[@zapfanzapfan]

The more I learn about the Soviet Union the more amazed I get that anyone survived in it...

[@Vioarr15]

10's of millions didn't unfortunately

[@The_Keeper]

Yup. People didn't live in the USSR. They lived *in spite* of it.

[@saragrant9749]

The USSR was a literal hell on earth, on par with Hitler’s regime.

[@davidelliott5843]

@@saragrant9749 There is no fundamental difference between German National Socialists and Russian Soviet socialists. Pick any feature and you won’t find any meaningful difference.

[@NotSoSerious69420]

@@davidelliott5843 other than the fact the USSR lasted way longer and as result got to inflict much more suffering overall sadly

[@c.l.7525]

Imagine all the other Soviet disaster we haven't heard about yet.

[@c.l.7525]

@@clamum like the Biden administration.

[@MrTommyboy68]

@@c.l.7525 Oh, phulese gurlfriend. The orange stain is FAR WORSE than ANY ADMINISTRATION before. Moron.

[@c.l.7525]

@E Van It's easy if you try.

[@andrejaeschke3415]

Imagine of all the disasters worldwide, we haven't heard about yet!

[@bushiii710]

@@MrTommyboy68 I'm not even American and I know that's wrong mate.

[@mihit2352]

In the USSR, you do not consume nuclear energy, nuclear energy consumes you.

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

That's so highly original....

[@none-kq7ho]

its wrong but that made me laugh a lot. sorry.

[@benclark3621]

LMAO, it never gets old. It's sadly true, but still doesn't get old

[@MosoKaiser]

Not 'you', *'WE.'*

[@keqing311]

Eyo is tht the creator of donkey kong or mario?

[@thefrecklepuny]

"Fishermen have reported catching fish with no eyes and no fins..." "Whereas in Springfield..."

[@ImpmanPDX]

Blinky!

[@jacob4920]

How could they even catch those guys, if they were completely unable to even SEE the bait, or even swim up to take it?!! I smell exaggeration. If anything, those fish would have had THREE eyes, and probably 25 or so fins.

[@Cris-em9tn]

@@jacob4920 Have you ever seen a Kuhli loach? They can't see well (if at all) and they have no fins. They look more like eels than fish. The second I drop food in my tank, before it has even begun to fall the 21 inches to the bottom, they're out and swimming around. That whole 'shark can smell blood' thing isn't a joke. Fish can figure out what's food besides smelling it. Also, if a fish was born without fins they'd figure out how to swim. If they didn't, they'd be dead within the first stages of life. But I've seen many fish swim that use their back end more than their fins to swim and propel themselves through the water.

[@lynnmitzy1643]

@@ImpmanPDX yes, Blinky °°°

[@BType13X2]

@@Cris-em9tn a fish's ability to smell things is why I soak my smelts in salt to dry them, and then add a little bit of green food color. to the container with them in it. The green catches the eye, but once your smelts are salted and dried (this is disgusting to make btw.) when you put them on your hook and cast them you can see a slick eminate from them in the water. I've gone to a "dead" part of a lake to cast away from other people and within 20-30 minutes of casting I had fish in my area and on the bite. They track by smell way more than site.

[@dingo137]

Secrecy above safety seemed to be very much the order of the day in nuclear weapons development. The US exposed its population to fallout from tests, the UK covered up Windscale contamination. But the Soviets really took the prize.

[@LyonPercival]

Soviets class humans like livestock(literal "human resource" - those deemed expendable are expended "for the good of russia"

[@IggyStardust1967]

Yet Texas says, "Everything is bigger in Texas!" And the Soviets just laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

[@warrenreid9292]

A bit like China today.

[@crf80fdarkdays]

@@IggyStardust1967 lol, had some ignorant person the other day trying to tell me USA is #1 in everything. Well that's funny, because last time and generally every every other time before that when I check where something is made it's China 😂🤦

[@TheVanillatech]

@@LyonPercival USA don't do the same? Explain that to the populations of hundreds of pacific islands who, not only were exposed to radiation and fallout, their habitats contaminated forever, but to THIS DAY are still not relocated but live on the border islands in squalor, never re-homed or compensated, generations in. If that doesn't do it for ya - go tell it to the people of Nagasaki or Hiroshima. CHEERS!

[@devunit2369]

I used to live near Hanford. In fact, I had a science teacher in middle school that regularly volunteered there during the summer. She was even told by the U.S. Government that she was not allowed to go to Russia on vacation, or else she'd lose total access to the site for life.

[@TimSmyth23]

So?

[@scottydu81]

Good! It’s refreshing to see government agencies treating our enemies as actual enemies

[@RhelrahneTheIdiot]

Just another example of how schizo the US government is, how can people even tolerate such a garbage country.

[@scottdodge6979]

@@RhelrahneTheIdiot lmao okay, you're aware every government is paranoid as fuck right? It's kind of in their nature. America is having some tough times but I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. People dont come here illegally because it sucks.

[@ursodermatt8809]

@@RhelrahneTheIdiot if anybody is schizo here you are a prime example of schizoesness

[@plisskenationbackfromthede3657]

Messed up that we only found out about the mayak disaster after chernobyl when the ussr said it had experience in radioactive cleanup and had to prove it

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

Yeah this part got me too

[@kingkeurig8679]

I split a gut laughing at "that continues to be mostly true as long as the government involved is not the USSR." Simon, I LOVE how you incorporate humor into your videos.

[@brennantom9083]

Three Mile Island Fukushima

[@MikeJones-rk1un]

The first one to study it while sober.

[@jackfanning7952]

Grave-side humor designed to minimize the severe disaster that nuclear energy is to the world.

[@jackfanning7952]

@@MikeJones-rk1un Try reading the research by Dr. John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph.D. , or Dr. Gordon Edwards, Ph.D. or the comprehensive research reported annually by the WNISR. If you get all your information from cartoonist like this guy, Simon, you will die laughing.

[@MikeJones-rk1un]

@@jackfanning7952 Why do you assume you know where I get my information? Troll?

[@lordpumpkinhead265]

Three words that history has taught us never go together: Soviets and Nuclear Power.

[@andrejaeschke3415]

Three words that history has taught us never go together: Governments and Nuclear Power ☝️

[@markusz4447]

I'm afraid something similar might happen in China sooner or later

[@somethinglikethat2176]

@@andrejaeschke3415 TEPCO?

[@johnnywindsor183]

The amount of broken arrows the US had during the Cold War was around 58 or something near that I think, imagine how many the Soviet Union went through

[@johnnywindsor183]

@Cb Bu I would love to know the number

[@fullmetaljacket30]

The Mayak disaster was covered in a book called “Midnight in Chernobyl.” Would recommend anyone interested to check it out.

[@mistywolf312]

Absolutely, a captivating read which covers more than the TV series which was excellent itself, I read it after watching and litterally sat with my head in my hands muttering oh god no, you didn't several times!

[@heyheyheatherk]

Agree, a fascinating read on a terrifying subject.

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

Interesting bucket list

[@xenobob2773]

I read "The Legacy of Chernobyl" by Zhores Medvedev over a decade ago. A lot of details made it fascinating. One example - as the disaster continued the composition of the nuclear fallout AND the wind direction changed, spreading different types of contamination to different areas.

[@jimmyfreemantle879]

Midnight in Chernobyl is a great read.

[@alexs3907]

Americans: "a nuclear disaster" Soviets: "our nuclear disaster"

[@johnochiltree1170]

*disasters

[@klm9440]

OUR nuclear disaster? oh I highly doubt you take full responsibility for the outcome of present and future disasters that will occur, paying for reconstruction costs and maintenance of disaster warning systems

[@johnochiltree1170]

@@klm9440 I can’t tell what you’re for or against

[@drscopeify]

Well American never had a nuclear disaster. 3 mile island and Hanford were not disasters. Nuclear is overall much safer than breathing in population from cars that also cause so many health issues like Asthma

[@idiotwidowmaker8932]

@@johnochiltree1170 I don't think they've taken a side but simply pointed out the likelihood of a government taking responsibility

[@garyb9167]

Don'y let the US off the hook. Hanford is an extremely large problem that is not talked about enough

[@talldrinkofmarmalade7281]

Geographies: releases a new video Me: cool It’s a Soviet catastrophe Me: real shit?

[@jacob4920]

"It's a Soviet catastrophe." Me: "Ah, must be Thursday."

[@jacob4920]

IAEA: "Nuclear Power Plants are among the safest, and most secure, sources of power in the world." Addendum: "Unless those power plants happen to be constructed in the USSR. In which case... God help us all."

[@fixman88]

@@CashelOConnolly More than one, actually. There's one off the coast of Louisiana that's still lost.

[@JD-wi5zd]

or the UK, or the USA, or Japan, or...

[@rahowherox1177]

Or on the coast near where 2 tectonic plates collide ... fujashima ...

[@Carewolf]

Even with failures in the USSR, it is still several orders of magnitude safer than coal or hydro.

[@jacob4920]

@@rahowherox1177 Fukishima. And yes, having underground nuclear reactors in an earthquake-prone country IS a bit on the "risky" side.

[@tristanplatts8869]

I had never heard of this prior to the video. I’m curious how many nuclear disasters there have been.

[@xijin_pooh5158]

Probably Less than you think but more than you hope

[@PhoenixLyon]

The world will never know.✌🏻

[@Arthion]

Most disasters are more akin to Three Mile Island where a reactor had a meltdown but the material was contained and little happened on the outside thankfully. It's usually when some muppet designs something so poorly if something goes wrong stuff leaks all over the place you get incidents like Mayak and Chernobyl... or criminially underestimate the dangers of geological hazards and design the backup in such a way you get a wave higher than anticipated you drown the backup power such as Fukushima.

[@JD-wi5zd]

more than the public will every be told

[@prasakmanitou4925]

try youtube channel "plainly difficult"

[@Daydreaminginmono]

"The fox mulder of the urals". The soviet files lol

[@fchanMSI]

Pravda is out there

[@charlesdunn6694]

We need a TV series. NEED.

[@douglasbillington8521]

I'd watch that!

[@WaywardVet]

I mean that's one hell of a compliment when people start calling you that, even if they intended it as mockery. Nicely done, sir.

[@YeeSoest]

ж Files: I want to make believe

[@vincentlangel8555]

I enjoy bouncing around these videos because Simon’s beard either disappears or grows more glorious than ever. Also, really enjoying the casual criminalist podcast! Keep them coming!

[@shawnnewell4541]

Oh good old Hanford! Thousands of Eastern Washingtonians wound up contracting thyroid cancers and other types of cancers around the Tri City area. They were called Downwinders. This didn't become known until the 1980's.

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

USSR 1986: "Don't worry, everyone! We have dealt with nuclear disasters before!" Rest of the world: "YOU... WHAT??"

[@kaiying74]

Poor Chelyabinsk, they're the guys who were hit by the meteorite back in 2013.

[@pseudotasuki]

They weren't hit by the plume, though.

[@Arthion]

@@pseudotasuki That usually depends on prevailing winds. The dust goes wherever the wind is going.

[@pseudotasuki]

@@Arthion Yeah, and they weren't downwind.

[@kaiying74]

@@pseudotasuki @Caeric I approve of this level of pedantry guys. Nice work. ;)

[@Alexander_Snowden]

Why did the USSR have so many Nuclear disasters? Because sharing is caring, comrade!

[@davidaprians]

Our disaster yeahhh

[@owenshebbeare2999]

International Socialism spread International Radiation. That said, the ideology killed more than radiation ever has, even when one includes Little Boy and Fat Man and all the nuclear testing fallout, accidents and even processing and mining accidents.

[@gandalfx77]

Well atleast they didnt nuke other country twice...

[@monmonfiasco6391]

@@gandalfx77 Kazakhstan beg to differ

[@ajstevens1652]

@@monmonfiasco6391 Except that there's a bit of a difference between testing nukes on empty land and dropping them on crowded metropolitan areas resulting in 150,000+ civilian casualties.

[@emmareiman64]

Ah, the 'Death Prigade' reminds me of the cleaners up North The ones who were sent to clean the nuclear mess somewhere near Murmansk. I can't remember the exact names of places, but I do remember the some of the story of it. The main thing is that there was a house (blackened and looking very worn out) in which the nuclear waste rods were being kept in, but they hadn't been secured too well so they had just, fallen, inside the pool, and become a huge mess. This mess was covered by a sheet of metal of some sort. And one unfortunate day one of the workers falls through the sheet into the pool - and it feels like hell. The man was saved however as another brave worker dove after him in a split second to try and retrieve him. Both men survived the experience and were then locked away for months on end because they had received quite the doze of radiation Would love to see you cover this incident~ It seriously could be made into a movie

[@emilyg2451]

It's called Andreev Bay. I follow the cleanup process at this place; lots of countries have donated money to fix this site led by Finland, only about 20 miles away. They were supposed to get into the really gnarly part this year but since the war, there have been no updates. So that's kind of scary.

[@euclideanspace2573]

You know it's Soviet when the title says "2nd Worst Nuclear Disaster". Pst: There's 3 or 5 more depending on your definition.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

"We can only assume they moved all the town's inhabitants before they took over and built the facility." ... unless they did the usual Soviet thing and just evicted everybody and either killed them or left them to die of exposure and starvation... But yeah. Let's assume they were 're-located.'

[@vulpes7079]

Relocation to Heaven :D

[@firebear369]

I absolutely adore the way you deliver truly terrifying information. Keep up the incredible work.

[@dougalexander7204]

I don’t see how Simon does it. Much respect everyone.

[@GF_Baltar]

Huh, I was told that the radiation at Kyshtym was only 3.6 Roentgen - not great, not terrible.

[@scottydu81]

I’ve heard it’s the equivalent of a chest x ray

[@deviantsid18]

He’s hysterical get him to the Infirmary

[@watcherit1311]

I was told that 5G is aliens' masterplan to control humans to make them slaves for Mars. Not great, not terrible.

[@squibboops9651]

Whoosh

[@pvv5840]

Simon, love what you do. Have been an avid watcher for a couple years now. In the vein of this video, you should certainly do one on the 1969 fire at Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado (far DEADLIER than T.M.I.). The fire in buildings 777, 778 and 779 melted the glove boxes to the ground and released plutonium over Denver. Many people would eventually sucumb to cancers from this disaster and die. radioactive waste and residue from the fire is still buried on the plant site in aging 55 gallon barrels and number in the tens of thousands. Homes are now bveing built all around this site which is now called an "Environmental Preserve".

[@gusthepenguin]

As always! Great video!!!

[@melpunks5797]

Love your videos, I learn something new every bloody day now.

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

Geographics: Bad Nuclear accident! Plainly Difficult: But, have you heard of

[@pseudotasuki]

I can't believe he still hasn't done a video about Banqiao. Worst industrial disaster in history!

[@Mach5Johnny]

Love that channel! Criminally underrated yet awesome and interesting!

[@scottydu81]

I want to see Simon Whistler talk about Bhopal

[@zmanjace1364]

Have you guys ever considered doing an episode on the Love Canal Superfund incident? Could be interesting.

[@eugeneruby433]

The channel "Plainly Difficult" has an excellent video on that event. He covers man-made disasters, mostly of the nuclear kind, but also has several about massive dam failures. I highly suggest checking his channel out if you enjoy learning about events like this, and nuclear accidents in particular!

[@lordpumpkinhead265]

They already did an episode on the Love Canal.

[@udirt]

If you read "Normal Accidents" you'll find a sentence around Love Canal that is so well-laid you wonder if the whole book was written to hide it.

[@jcorbo7518]

Finally! Someone else is talking about the kyshtym disaster! Thanks Simon

[@ingridcominotto5720]

I was waiting for you guys to cover this! *•*

[@curiousworld7912]

Nuclear power is safe, clean, carefully and professionally managed and monitored. Except, when it isn't. When you add human failings - including haste, lack of safety precautions, and the desire to cut costs wherever possible - you end up with a situation such as this.

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Throw in politics as the effects of ideology cannot be ignored. Not unique to communist states, it had its worst expressions there with events like this and Chornobyl, but the US and every other nuclear country has had politically-derived issue around nuclear power or weapons.

[@curiousworld7912]

@@owenshebbeare2999 Yep. Absolutely.

[@cindys9491]

And then there's the waste that lasts "forever," has anyone figured out how to reuse/recycle it yet? I heard some nation is doing so. (I know, Google)

[@curiousworld7912]

@@cindys9491 :)

[@thegunslinger1363]

Russia sure has had alot of disasters hasn't it. And could you cover the Kamchatka Peninsula?

[@jacob4920]

The only thing I could think when this video mentioned Chelyabinsk as being a nearby town was: "You mean that place that's had two different asteroids explode over the top of it, in the past century?"

[@Arthion]

Well, a good saying goes that 'if you refuse to learn from your mistakes you are doomed to repeat them.'

[@watcherit1311]

Are you also counting massive use and sacrifice of forced labor, together with a decision not to inform local residents about the danger a "disaster"?

[@SephirothRyu]

Have you ever heard of the IRN Kamchatka? Also, do you see torpedo boats?

[@davidgreen3423]

Woah woah woah Simon I’m surprised to hear about Hanford again after I had to beg to get the megaprojects video about it. Great video as always!

[@rocket3man]

Excellent video Simon, it is the first time I have heard of this.

[@ravinsky_pl]

Great video, although in 5:34 the soldiers shown are Polish, not Soviet :)

[@jorgewashington1469]

Do Hurricane Katrina

[@brianjohnson5272]

KZbin would strike him for it. I wouldn't a downplayed "we didn't know". It would be a combo of "arrogance, unpreparedness, and rich people killing hundreds to save their fully insured homes.

[@Mansini77]

Or how about New Orleans politicians and Bureaucrats pocket money that should have went to upgrading the levee systems that were poor and outdated.

[@brianjohnson5272]

@@Mansini77 again that's why Simon CAN'T he'd tell the truth and politicians tend to hide that frim fresh voters.

[@mikelfunderburk5912]

I was there. It sucked. My father worked on the water pumps. He knew quite well that they would fail. Made lots of money installing flooring after.

[@really296]

Hurricanes are still a soviet disaster.

[@terrygrossmann2295]

Never knew of this. Thank you. I learned something new today

[@zenjon7892]

Finally, someone explained the units of radiation! Thanks, Simon

[@chrisprattmt]

3:55 I didn't know the soviets were working on a tokamak fusion reactor as early as 1948. perhaps a visual aid containing uranium rods would of been more appropriate when describing a nuclear reactor.

[@aaronstonebeat]

The picture of a fusion reactor surprised me too; but what does Simon know? A better picture would have been appropriate indeed.

[@tsartomato]

@@aaronstonebeat simon doesn't edit or write these and doesn't even read what he reads, he is a hired gun text to speech face like, he reads zhores as zores instead of [ʒores]

[@aaronstonebeat]

@@tsartomato Yes, I know ;-)

[@peter42069]

I hate to be that guy, but the symbol at 0:22 is a biohazard symbol, not a radioactive symbol.

[@TheGryfonclaw]

Well, it’s not exactly incorrect that the situation was a biohazard…

[@craigs733]

@@TheGryfonclaw Biohazard relates to biological materials not radioactive materials so it is indeed incorrect

[@livingood1049]

Well done and researched topic my friend. I'd first came to see if the global effects were calculated but stayed till the end to hear the entire story as you presented it. Thank you

[@richardm2661]

Never heard of this one. Thanks for sharing.

[@CUniverse]

0:17 Aurora Borealis!? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your nuclear facility?!

[@rahowherox1177]

And visible by those north of said site, to the south

[@rahowherox1177]

Must of been both Aurora Australus and borealis... tbf.

[@robertfranklin8522]

Plutopia, by Kate Brown, is a (mostly) excellent book about Mayak and it's US counterpart, Hanford. I say mostly because it's a little iffy on the hard science but offers an excellent historical overview and a cultural/social comparison of the two communities.

[@orjanjonsson6463]

Thanx very interesting, and a good Chanel 👍

[@englishmadcow7461]

How is everyone doing? Thank you Simon n Co for keeping us sane and educated during covid x

[@kyletucker3811]

Geographics: The second worst Nuclear disaster in Soviet history. Me: Why the hell is there more than one?

[@remotecontrol1082]

No-one ever learns.....

[@jeffthompson9887]

To be fair, it held the #1 spot until Chernobyl...

[@toreyweaver9708]

The fusion reactor clip used several times frustrated me.

[@unholy7324]

Right

[@minerwilly]

I came here to say the same thing. There are no tokamaks in the fission industry 😂

[@remotecontrol1082]

And even my memory's not that bad!

[@stephenbardzilowski6618]

Excellent presentation!!!

[@lylecosmopolite]

Simon did not sufficiently emphasise that the explosion that occurred on 29 September 1957 was a chemical one that dispersed radioactive dust and aerosols. There was no nuclear reaction whatsoever. However the chemical explosion had the power of about 300 tons of TNT. Hence the magnitude of the radioactive plume.

[@TheEvilCommenter]

Good video 👍

[@SeanBZA]

Would say this probably rates as no 1, with Chernobyl as no 3, because no 2 is the other dead lake that was used for waste disposal.

[@vincentfalcone9218]

Probably true. Chernobyl was bad but a bit blown out of proportion, certainly could have been worse though. As far as Fukushima, I'm not sure they can even prove that it killed anyone.

[@jacob4920]

@@vincentfalcone9218 That's because the Japanese government, to their credit, didn't try to sweep the whole thing under the rug, the way the Soviet government tried with Chernobyl. They actually took action to solve the problem. No cities had to be abandoned. Also, Chernobyl's "official" death count of 63 people is highly sus, given that it was the Soviet government that did the counting. More than likely the death toll is upwards of several thousand individuals, mainly from cancer fallout from the event.

[@pseudotasuki]

@@jacob4920 The most realistic count I've heard is around 200.

[@JazzfulJaney]

@@pseudotasuki Maybe of deaths soon after the initial meltdown. I just googled it and the UN-accepted figure is 50 deaths directly attributed to the disaster and about 4,000 deaths down the line from radiation exposure. I could see those numbers being the conservative estimate, though.

[@flyin4352]

There is no amount of statistics that will make me think Nuclear energy is 'safe'. When a wind turbine energy plant blows up it's "Okay that was bad, lets find out what happened and how to fix it" When a Nuclear power plant blows up it's "Oh. Oh shit."

[@seanbrazell6147]

Technically Los Alamos was the birthplace of the Soviet Atomic bomb program.

[@M0rshu64]

Simon never lost his hair. It just migrated from his head to his face.

[@Vaynthegreat]

That's what I keep telling people. Lol.

[@alexmanion5389]

😂

[@Banidil]

I haven't seen yall try The Niaca Cave of Crystals in Chihuahua Mexico

[@Raygetsu]

Thanks for the video Bearded Facts Guy.

[@HistoryOfRevolutions]

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, once wrote: "Power is a poison well known for thousands of years. If only no one were ever to acquire material power over others! But to the human being who has faith in some force that holds dominion over all of us, and who is therefore conscious of his own limitations, power is not necessarily fatal. For those, however, who are unaware of any higher sphere, it is a deadly poison. For them there is no antidote"

[@jacob4920]

Being unselfish with said power is also quite a boon. Very few humans have that quality, though.

[@rahowherox1177]

Lol. And yet the only cases of nuclear bombings were done by good ol Christian USA. USA uber alles, Gitt mit uns.

[@wtice4632]

@@rahowherox1177 the alternative was a ground invasion on japan which would have been worse. Pick up a book idiot

[@rahowherox1177]

@@wtice4632 turn the other cheek. You pick up a book ... the bible perhaps. Lol

[@rahowherox1177]

@@wtice4632 you mean good ol religious imperial japan with their divine winds and god emperor? I think you're missing the point.

[@The_Keeper]

"Those who do not remember their history, are doomed to repeat it."

[@BornRemaining]

I haven't watched yet and I'm already internally screaming the question of "how many nuclear disasters have they had to justify a video title like that!?"

[@cyannnnnnnnn]

I love your use of youtubes chapter system, that is all

[@liquefactionist]

I hate liking these as the information is so sad, but these are really good information. Thank you.

[@resileaf9501]

It's not often that there aren't sponsors on Geographics videos. Guess no one wanted to be associated with a nuclear disaster. XD

[@PeterLawton]

Service Master "Like it never even happened"

[@andrewbrown6522]

Iodine tab makers?

[@IggyStardust1967]

Oh, I don't know.... Mad Magazine put out a "Three Mile Island Commemorative Poster" right after that (near) disaster. What was funny/funnier about it was at the bottom, in very small print, was; "Notice: Stand at least 12 feet away from this poster."

[@marialiyubman]

Another Mayak story? Why, yes please. Now please do the one about the reactor in “nuclear city” in California. I just heard of it yesterday. I had no idea it happened.

[@Cthippo1]

Are you talking about the Sodium Reactor Experiement?

[@peteswafflemeyer5620]

you sound butthurt.

[@johnpolhamus9041]

Good to know about. Never heard of it before!

[@janskopovy940]

Soviet stories are always among the best of this channel.

[@ZieMuffinMan]

Me again, Appalachian Trail Video?

[@stollwerk]

What's up with the upbeat music at 8:03?? Who does that??

[@AntonioLopez-vv9ns]

The Nuclear Disaster Videos are the best.

[@sethp1780]

When you watch a video about radiation but the first symbol in the video is a biohazard sign..:.

[@alessandrohenry2143]

Along a similar vein to this, another place that could be good to cover is Rocky Flats in Colorado, USA.

[@Kalebfenoir]

Wasn't expecting to hear about Baby Alyshenka in this vid. Last place I heard about that thing was in a Bedtime Stories video...

[@brydon5721]

I'm sure the plants are "safe" and "secure" but when accidents happen they quickly turn into full blown disasters.

[@Snagprophet]

It's like saying "planes are safer than cars" yet when a plane crashes you're so unlikely to survive Vs most car crashes

[@pseudotasuki]

@@Snagprophet Not really. This and Chernobyl were the only nuclear disasters with more than a handful of deaths.

[@SmokenAces88]

I’m only here for Simon to say “For decades”

[@chaseweeks2708]

They are definitely safer... until something goes spectacularly wrong.

[@TheRealAquaz]

Flawless but still bad logic. Knifes are safe to use too if nothing bad happens or some crazy lunatic runs over the street stabbing people left and right. So you want to prohibit knifes and form humanity back to before the technique of cutting something with even a sharp rock was invented

[@chaseweeks2708]

@@TheRealAquaz, so long as humans are involved mistakes will happen. Even if we designed systems to operate without human involvement mistakes will happen because humans designed the systems. All we can really do is try to design systems as best we can, and mitigate as many risks as possible, then clean up the mess and shattered lives when it all blows up in our faces in spite of our best efforts.

[@quasarsavage]

Nfkrz talked abt this in his latest video. Cool I follow u both

[@KYR_Sp33dysGrundleScrapings]

SimonTube has some great content.

[@mikecameron7875]

That first title shot of the inside of a reactor is a fusion toroidal tokamak reactor (a hopeful reality in the near future), not the uranium-based fission reactors talked about in the video.

[@davidplowman6149]

Something you said reminded me of the early spy satellite programs like CORONA and SAMOS. I always found it cool that CORONA literally dropped its photos via heatshild and parachute and captured it by airplane. I wonder if the soviets had something comparable at the time or how comparable the Soviet spy satellite program was throughout the Cold War? I’d love a video on this since I’m curious but don’t care enough to actually research it.

[@userequaltoNull]

It was notably worse, the Soviets always had issues with miniaturization. They did have some, but they used American Cameras if I recall correctly.

[@angryzergling7832]

So I have a question regarding Curies. Is there a conversion between Ci and measurements like μSv/hr, mSv/hr, or Roentgens/Rems - hr? Or are they totally incompatible measurements with no way to convert between them? I.E., radioactive sources have their 'activity' noted in Ci. If there was a source with a known activity at 100μCi, can that information be used to tell you what a Geiger counter would be reading in one of the above measurements?

[@KB4QAA]

Curies do not directly relate to any of the other units.

[@tangobravo5752]

Superintendent Chalmers: *sees Mayak* GOOD LORD WHATS HAPPENING OVER THERE?! Seymour: Aurora Borealis?

[@stephmaccormick3195]

0:52 That tokamak has absolutely nothing to do with nuclear radiation. Great video nonetheless.

[@itarry4]

Yhea I thought that was a bit odd. They also used a picture of polish soldiers later instead of Russian. They need to be checking their sources better.

[@piotrmalik4908]

The fission of deuterium and tritium, which is used in tokamaks, does produce neutrons, and energies of these neutrons are even higher that of neutrons produced by fission. This is the reason why behavior of construction material under long term irradiation by neutrons from fusion is one of the most important direction of research during fusion energy development.

[@MaxBeaulieu]

Man I could just watch all your content for hours...and consequently I do as I am currently awaiting trial for smuggling kinder supprise eggs filled with cocaine. Probably shouldn't be writing this down...

[@jimcappa6815]

Never write down your crimes! Have you learned nothing from Simon? Allegedly

[@WildBluntHickok]

"It's a small fine for the cocaine but you're doing hard time for the kinder eggs"

[@danielduncan6806]

Do a video on the Fernald Nuclear weapons plant. Russia does *_NOT_* have a monopoly on nuclear disasters. We here in the US have our own list of terrible nuclear disasters.

[@peterpayne2219]

Great video. Being a resident of Japan, we all had to learn what a Sievert and millisieverts and μSv and all that. Though in truth, you get a radiation dose every time you fly in a plane, climb a mountain or walk around a large city. The most radioactive city in the world is...Aberdeen, Scotland.

[@ajstevens1652]

True, radiation is far more common and less harmful (in moderation) than most people realise.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Probably built over a granite intrusive outcrop - the joys of Radon gas..

[@Youre-so-right]

People looking at the colors in the sky: ahh the blues, purples and voilets look astonishing Colorblind me: nope thats just blue

[@canaan5337]

Russia and America during the cold war: "We have to risk a nuclear Armageddon by having power plants that produce weapons-grade plutonium, so we can prevent a nuclear Armageddon by maintaining the stalemate of mutually assured destruction."

[@railgap]

There was some information leaking out about this event even in the 70s. I did a speech on it in high school.

[@emerycottle3166]

We joke about the Russians and stuff, but the kind of stuff they did with radioactive stuff was truly terrible.

[@rahowherox1177]

Lol. Like dropping 2 bombs on civilian populations .... ?

[@wtice4632]

@@rahowherox1177 the imperial Japanese government is to blame

[@qbasic16]

The US had its share of a few accidents as well, though not quite as terrible.

[@TheRealAquaz]

@@wtice4632 *every human who fights war is to blame. Sometimes someone with a better weapon will come arround. What are you doing than? Crying?

[@ajstevens1652]

@@wtice4632 Terrible and pathetic excuse for what was essentially live-subject nuclear tests.

[@sentiencepsn2714]

The CIA didn’t publish their findings because that adds unneeded risk. Publishing the findings would have inevitably endanger their sources, make new ones harder to find, and make the Soviets cover their future operations better.

[@effluviah7544]

At 10:34, the sign reads "Reserve", as in, a nature reserve. Except this is a Nuclear Nature Reserve...

[@TraditionalAnglican]

Simon - The number of people who died from this accident surpasses that of Chernobyl.

[@ComaDave]

I'd really appreciate a video about the Sverdlovsk anthrax leak in 1979.

[@CJ-so3zn]

Suggestion: Unit 731 the Japanese WWII Biocamp