The Time We Nuked Five Men to Prove a Point

On July 19th, 1957, a 2-kiloton nuclear warhead exploded above the heads of five volunteers during “Shot John” of the Operation Plumbbob series of US nuclear tests. Why would anyone volunteer to be at ground zero for such a blast, and what happened to them?
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[@kylehill]

**Thanks for watching** and thanks to Atom Central, who we worked with to obtain this AMAZING original footage. (All the drone footage was shot by Kevin.)

[@pyeitme508]

Aow

[@user-de6ex4ep1n]

kyle drop a haircare routine bro

[@kylehill]

@@user-de6ex4ep1n I just might

[@user-de6ex4ep1n]

@@kylehill yoooooooooooo pleaassse

[@raptorstryke92]

@@kylehill please do, I wish to be worthy as well

[@Joe___R]

That really was a great design to take out a bomber fleet. Even with the science on their side those 6 men still must have had the biggest balls to actually go through with it.

[@bikerider4326]

Not sure about the size of them balls, but they probably GLOW in the dark at night!

[@ttry1152]

Oh. 100% they had balls of ununoctium/oganesson non radioactive

[@youtubeusername1489]

If i remembered correctly, the camera-man, even with perfect immunity cos camera-men don't die, insisted he be under a shelter

[@moos5221]

You can tell that there was little to no risk involved by the color of the skin of the soldiers. If this would have been dangerous, all those guys would have been black.

[@THEJPIndustry]

@@youtubeusername1489 are you sure there was a camera man, and not just, you know a tripod

[@akunbora]

They believed and wanted to prove that “the cameraman never died” so bad that the cameraman wasn’t even counted as a test subject.

[@MagnetDzn]

😂😂😂😂

[@LazyUggugg]

Still alive to this day

[@Aaa-vp6ug]

@@LazyUgguggI checked, you’re correct

[@SA80TAGE]

@@LazyUggugg why the video say he was dead then? 8:40 6 names.

[@pkrmkn31]

@@LazyUggugg wrong

[@SeniorCharry]

I just find it funny that when the nuclear bomb was first tested scientists were worried the explosion would ignite our atmosphere. After the first test humans were like “we didn’t die, let’s make more that are bigger better and faster.” Our species didn’t even think about the future effects of these tests or anything.

[@koenvandiepen7651]

More horrifying is the fact that the navie tought. We will prove to them that you an not use a nuclear bomb to destroy the navy. We will show them with a life test. Turns out you totally can and they give a lot of sailors radiaton sickness. "Great" times

[@jocu475]

How do you know what they thought ? We’re you there

[@koenvandiepen7651]

@@jocu475 You do know that they write plans for the bomb tests rigth? Including why they want to do them.

[@chapstick146]

Thats not true in the slightest, of course they studied and thought ahead about the effects of these kinds of tests

[@Harry351ify]

Which "scientist" worried the explosion would ignite the atmosphere?

[@reformed1trick739]

Imagine standing under an explosion So powerful that you can feel the heat from 18,500 feet below as it consumes the sky

[@allenbalcom2191]

The sun

[@roboticfuzzball179]

@@allenbalcom2191lol

[@isk8atparks]

@@allenbalcom2191 good one

[@tariffictypist7372]

​@@allenbalcom2191I was gonna comment that guess you beat me to it

[@surnis9043]

Congrats on talking about the cameraman. These guys are so often forgotten while present in historical moments! Would'nt have been very hard to put a 6 on that sign...

[@gownerjones1450]

I mean they could have just put up a tripod.

[@Luke_MoonWalker]

The camera man doesn't actually exist when filming. That's why you're given immunity by the Gods during a dangerous event.

[@jojoprocess2820]

Why would they put 6? The photo is meant to tell a story, and that story does not involve the cameraman

[@stanleybochenek1862]

What if the camera man was an illusion what if it was just a camera with human like features

[@WildstarRust]

or title of the video...

[@Omni-Man]

The kids in my class are so much more productive and almost always finish all their work early when I tell them Kyle Hill has put up another Half-Life Histories episode and we can watch it if there is time left before the class ends. Some of them even choose to stay a few minutes into their first break before lunch. So, thanks for releasing these Kyle, makes that day of teaching so much more enjoyable.

[@kylehill]

The best praise I can get and why I do it. Thank you for sharing.

[@datguy9408]

That’s high praise!!!

[@SadPandalorian]

*kids, no apostrophe 🙂

[@Omni-Man]

@@SadPandalorian There's always one.

[@SadPandalorian]

@@Omni-Man Yeah, sorry I had to be that guy. I just figured I'd say something since you're in the education field. 👍

[@jediwookie9240]

My grandpa died of cancer as did many who lived within a 200 mile radius of these testing sites. The government gave a check for 50000 dollars, like that's good enough for what my grandpa's life was worth.

[@traydizzley3359]

Can’t put a price on that anyways..

[@badbeardbill9956]

Tragic as it is it’s difficult to actually connect this to nuclear testing when natural cancer rates are already so high. For males the average lifetime risk of developing cancer is more than 40%, average lifetime risk of dying from cancer is around 20%. Heart disease is the most common cause of death. Followed very closely by cancer. The sad truth of the matter is that you are likely to get cancer already. Getting compensation is no proof of cause, just that they’re willing to pay to not deal with as many problems. Almost half of your friends will probably develop cancer. A fifth will probably die from it. That’s the expected value, not what will happen, mind.

[@jediwookie9240]

@badbeardbill9956 it is connected. That's why the government gave them money. Everyone in his graduating class died of cancer.

[@bigpappahemi4263]

None of us are worth anything to the govt

[@wbrady3955]

50gs is pretty sweet

[@mastergecko1178]

I have some friends in the marine corps and I feel like they’ll definitely say yes if someone randomly asked them: “Hey, do you guys wanna get nuked?”

[@fredgilbert2032]

Can confirm this is true of most Marines. I would have done it back in the day.

[@trolleriffic]

I'm not a marine and I'd do it.

[@onemercilessming1342]

Yeah, because Marines are so intellectually gifted. They volunteered because they THOUGHT they were being asked if they wanted to volunteer to get fu*ked...oh, but that works, too, doesn't it?

[@marktoken6052]

Former active duty Marine here...FUCK NO to volunteering

[@onemercilessming1342]

@@marktoken6052 US Navy veteran here. NAVY = Never Again Volunteer Yourself.

[@raideveloper]

I'm always impressed how insane the military from the 40's and 50's were, and this series is amazing as always

[@monolith_g]

And how quiet they have been since

[@philiplubduck6107]

It’s impressive as we had to throw everything we had into R&D on advanced warfare. First WW2 threatened every nation and so everyone (both sides) did every tiny thing they could to advance their fighting capabilities. The. After WW2 Russia decides to threaten the peace yet now warfare was to advanced to actually fight. But for show and mutually assured destruction we kept putting a ton of money and effort into advancing further. It would be interesting to see what nuke counter weapons were being worked on. Similar to the modern day ICBM interceptors.

[@Prich319]

Still more sane than they are now.

[@YyouTTubeE]

impressed? you psychopath

[@233kosta]

Little has changed, I'm afraid.

[@biohazard724]

"physically impossible to escape deletion" is an outstandingly chilling phrase

[@E3ECO]

All I can think of is Cybermen. "Delete. Delete."

[@nucleardave3752]

Yes just like trying to escape the ban hammer in Halo 3.

[@measlesplease1266]

It's pretty lame

[@biohazard724]

@@measlesplease1266 almost 1,000 people agree with me 🤷‍♂️

[@apexgarden5124]

@@nucleardave3752 trying to escape an energy sword was worse 😭

[@X_TheHuntsman_X]

No way would I volunteer to that, because on the off chance they did have negative health outcomes, Uncle Sam would tell them to pound sand like every other veteran.

[@jeaniecameron295]

'Not work related'

[@DitherPlus]

They'd treat you like any other veteran missing limbs and living a shitty life in assisted living. Yeah, Fuck that.

[@nothanks9503]

@@DitherPlusYou guys realize the civilians live around the research facilities test sites and factories that dump the waste into the air water and soil and thus civilians have the same or worse problems and get nothing they actually get arrested if they end up homeless

[@DitherPlus]

@@nothanks9503 I am aware, and I hate both of these things. We should be treating all our citizens better, whether they be civilian, veteran, or serviceman alike.

[@nothanks9503]

@@DitherPlus Yeah but veterans have strong political pull so their problems will be addressed eventually maybe after all of them alive today are already dead but nobody talks about the well-being of the average US citizen other than about how distrustful it is to have to look at them once our way of doing things has taken its toll on them

[@Totally_Bonkers]

a sign saying "Ground zero: population five" is oddly comedic

[@johnking9903]

There was a lot of wildlife living there. The five army guys and the cameraman were really only just tourists.

[@ryanpayne7707]

0:28: Only five volunteered. The 6th, the photographer, was voluntold.

[@scarlettrahnavard3101]

This comment got me rolling.

[@sayantanchaudhuri4603]

I didn't get the joke pls help

[@crystalbuck6721]

@@sayantanchaudhuri4603 volunteer is someone who willingly goes, voluntold is like volunteer, but replace the last with told. Volun-told. Basically they had no choice. Hope this helps :)

[@xuruiyu]

@@sayantanchaudhuri4603 "Congratulations private, you are a volunteer for the experiment" - But... I didn't volunteer for anything? "Did I fucking stutter?"

[@FewVidsJustComments]

Voluntold isn’t a word

[@bubbles8871]

"Sir there's tanks coming out way." "Nuke em'." "Sir, there's boats coming in from the sea." "Nuke em'." "Sir, there's planes carrying nuclear bombs flying to us right as we speak." "Nuke em'." "Are you serious?"

[@danielbradley5255]

"nuke the whales?" ".....gotta nuke something"

[@rukus9585]

Yes, nuke them, all of them.

[@citizenfoffie7605]

@@danielbradley5255 shedletsky?

[@trashmix2184]

AMERICA!

[@happydee6950]

@@danielbradley5255 They have it coming. Jonah and Geppetto shall be avenged!

[@dmitrybabanin8990]

8:07 "decreases exponentially with the square of the distance " - that's by definition quadratically, not exponentially

[@himalayo]

🤓☝️

[@badbeardbill9956]

Yes but iirc some of the radiation would be reduced exponentially (as it travels through many halving lengths of air) so it’s slightly faster than 1/r^2 but yeah

[@dielaughing73]

It's not even quadratically if you specify "with the square of x"

[@buffstraw2969]

Fascinating video. I was born in 1956, a child of the Atomic Age. The size and shape of the Genie reminds me of those coin-operated rocketships outside of supermarkets that little kids (like me) could ride for a nickel. A pleasant mechanical oscillation that lasted a few minutes. The whole episode gives me a Twilight Zone vibe, why?

[@myce-liam]

@@jasonbender2459 bro, you've never heard of pleasant mechanical oscillation? You been living under a rock?!

[@kn902]

Your schizophrenia is kicking in

[@myce-liam]

@@kn902 No it isn't.... Yes it is

[@nukaposting]

my dad was born in '52 and passed this last year, wish i could have asked him more about the era

[@moonl1314]

I want some mechanical oscillations

[@Tapetum_Lucid]

My wife’s grandfather is actually one of the guys in this video. Love that you did a video on this! One edit, however; he died Colonel Donald Luttrell, not Major. He’s the one on the far left in the footage.

[@bellabear653]

Yeah the other 4 were my grandfathers as well.

[@GalacticChungus]

All of them are actually my sisters

[@V4N9U15H.]

Im actually the one who wrote that sign that indicates "Ground Zero"

[@ChiseledDiamond]

Actually all of them are my sisters nephews sons

[@KingFluffs]

Sure he is. And my dad works for Nintendo and says Halo 12 is coming out next month and it'll be free for everyone!

[@dumbo21]

Imagine training you whole live to be a pilot but a McDonald's nuke destroys your entire fleet

[@TheBrainn]

It doesn’t justdestroy your entire fleet, it just fucking deletes it.

[@guitar_man_15]

@@TheBrainn it doesn’t just fucking delete it, it factory resets it!

[@jennalucero9340]

@@guitar_man_15 it just doesnt delete it or factory reset it it just doesnt exist in general

[@liebestaube5686]

*McDonnell

[@DizGaAlcam]

@@liebestaube5686 r/whoosh

[@CaptainCookie04]

One little thing, at 8:02 the radiation reduces proportional to 1/r^2, or inverse-quadratic (as you correctly mentioned afterwards). But that doesn’t mean exponentially. Exponentially would be proportional to e^-r

[@proloycodes]

yeah i was looking for this

[@KinkyGuy69]

the what of what, huh?

[@Proskilljg]

erm- actually-

[@westonweigand1228]

I bet you're fun at parties.

[@CaptainCookie04]

@@westonweigand1228 And I bet you got a lot of friends XD

[@ems4884]

It's truly shocking that they volunteered for this

[@corbindioxide6253]

I thought the same thing. 😳

[@croakinc3670]

They were already willing to die for a flag, why are you so surprised?

[@seanwhatshisname1831]

Its bullshit unless i see them volunteering not even paperwork but i do believe its possible

[@seanwhatshisname1831]

@Ryan Howarth IKR~blk person

[@Nazuiko]

Theres 18,000 feet of nothing but air between them and a hot fireball. Not much different from that and standing other the OTHER hot fireball in the sky called the sun. Atomic bombs destruction comes more from the heat and the shockwave than the explosion directly, and without anything solid around it the blast essentially just dissipates. If its effective range is 1,000 feet then at 18k, its energy is below 0.3% by the time it reaches the ground and again, its only fast-moving air being moved by the pressure.

[@eschdaddy]

Kyle, you are and will always be THE MAN! I love this more documentary format, so please keep making us learn!

[@veezerrscharnhorst]

More like a chad to me

[@O.Reagano]

You didn’t watch the video when you made the comment lol

[@eschdaddy]

@@O.Reagano: I watched it half way through, but then thought I’d comment, since I knew his historical quality and correctly assumed it would be for this one as well.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

No

[@LightPink]

It's not a documentary because it has no original footage

[@adamleblanc5294]

As happy as I am that we don't do nuclear weapons testing like we used to, what a sight it must have been to see one of these tests in person. It's one of those things I both never want to see happen again, but really wish I could have been there to see.

[@themushroominside6540]

@@tval00 Perhaps one day humanity will be detonating these bombs we have so much in excess, as we do with fireworks today, a weapon of warfare used as a spectical delight, probably detonated in space or on select asteroids. Of course the fuel in these could be used for more practical applications, but i would love for humanity to get to a point with no wars, enough renewable energy to supply us for millennia to come, so that we can do these things as a symbol of irony, to remember how stupid it was to fight one another with these destructive things as to now use them as nothing more than something be in awe of once more in the age of science.

[@PrimeDiam]

It’s one of those huge feats of humanity too dangerous to see but that too few will ever see (hopefully). Would have been cool to watch.

[@ssherrierable]

Yeah it’s so cool that you get to go blind if you look directly at it along with the risk of getting sick from radiation poisoning so badly that you could die or probably want to die from the pain. Those tests were stupid and useless…,

[@mitzee8621]

While my grandad was in the navy he got to witness a nuclear test. As he tells it, all the men were told to close their eyes and then cover them with their hands. He reckons it was so bright he could make out where the bones in his hands were. I think I should still like to see it even knowing it is too bright to see.

[@casswashwash1070]

Hope humans will stop all together

[@peterfconley]

Radiation might be the most sensationalized and misunderstood phenomenon, despite being one of the most studied.

[@SA80TAGE]

it's crazy to me just how much people don't understand that heat and light are also "radiation" lol. I assume they're the same people that think the Sun and Stars are completely different things and can't fathom that the sun is just a star we happen to orbit.

[@TheSpookiestSkeleton]

Tactical nukes have always interested me, the idea of relatively casually unleashing the most destructive weapon man has wrought is such a weird thought, the idea of sending nuclear fire from a towed gun to wipe out a threat

[@mugz6016]

A short episode on Atomic Annie would be entertaining.

[@jfbeam]

Indeed. Atomic Annie... we trying to make everything nuclear. 1.5kt _artillery_ shell. What could possible be wrong with that.

[@giin97]

@@jfbeam don't drop it :P

[@jadonlimoges1830]

@@jfbeam roughly 30% of artillery shells are duds 😳

[@TheSpookiestSkeleton]

@@jadonlimoges1830 "Ah geez we just dropped 1.5kt worth of fission bomb material right on an enemy position, now they have it all wrapped up with a bow ahhhh heck!"

[@MarioGMan25]

I love that you called a plane getting hit with one of those things "being deleted".

[@ledocteur7701]

that very accurate. anything standing in a fireball hotter than the sun core would get instantly transformed into plasma, there wouldn't even be anything left to fall to the ground, only metal vapor quickly dissipating trough the atmosphere. "vaporized into oblivion" would be the technical term.

[@mugz6016]

It's a pretty accurate description. If reality had a recycle bin, that process would just skip straight past it. Vaporised into oblivion indeed. Sublimated even. One method of deletion from reality, being unexpectedly converted into a wisp of plasma.

[@shanematthews1985]

The ultimate permanent snoot boop

[@shanematthews1985]

@@pomelo9518 I mean the plane has been deleted, it's no longer a plane it's just a cloud that used to be a plane

[@lajoswinkler]

@@ledocteur7701 No, it's not very accurate at all. Temperature is not heat. Airplane would be blasted to smaller pieces, but not vaporized and certainly not ionized.

[@LoveMeInsanity]

thats insane!! i for sure thought this would end horribly, but im so happy the men turned out okay!!! ☺♥

[@sleepyhead_toby]

I love going into these videos with really 0 prior knowledge about any of these incidents. It makes it a lot more fun for me to guess what could have happened or went wrong and then seeing if I was right or wrong and learning all sorts of new things. You can imagine my relief this time though as I had incorrectly guessed that 5 men were absolutely obliterated by a nuke just to prove an effed up point.

[@SueK2001]

Kyle deserves the KZbin equivalent of an Emmy for his Half-life Series. All of these documentaries are so well done, educational and engaging. Bravo Kyle!

[@kantpredict]

A "Webby"

[@redjaypictures4528]

Thats actually a thing that exists, its called a “streamy award”

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

Webby and Streamy awards are live the Oscars and Golden Globes for this medium. The two most recognized and respected awards.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

He was a 2020 Webby Honoree as Executive Producer of Science of Mortal Kombat by Nerdist. That series was also nominated for a Streamy, but lost to The Purple Boys. He deserves an individual award for his current work though.

[@bobdrooples]

Plainly Difficult did it better.

[@augl2702]

The Half-life series is my favorite series of videos on youtube. Look forward to every single one.

[@mirandahw]

100% agree, I can't think of anything that beats it. The sort of series I wish there were infinite videos in it that I could just binge.

[@RoseJetExhaust]

The Half-Life games are my favorite games of games in existence. Look forward to every single one.

[@spuriusscapula4829]

@@RoseJetExhaust for me it was Halo until Halo 4 came along. Don't ask why I digressed. I digressed.

[@brian0057]

I wonder if he'll do Black Mesa as well.

[@KingThrillgore]

Not to be confused with Half-Life the video game.

[@rocketguru9298]

I was going to make a comment on how I liked the presenter’s work playing Thor in the MCU. however, I opted to watch first. Being a child of the sixties, I am always fascinated (and not always in a good way) by the ‘antics’ of the military of the time. There is a Genie on display at the Museum of he United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. They have an example of the plane that was mentioned in the piece, also. Well done documentary short… worth the watch time.

[@davidmoore9357]

I love that place. I could spend all day there

[@Psych_777]

These Officers deserve some props. They were all high and mid-ranking Officers. They could have easily volunteered Enlisted men but decided to take the blast themselves... Probably knowing it could hurt their troops. As a military Vet, I appreciate them leading from the front in the name of science.

[@devildog1989]

In the infantry we have a saying, "distance=time and safety" meaning the further you are away from enemy forces the more time you have to act and react to threats and the "safer" you are. I'm glad to know that somewhat applies to nuclear weapons

[@thatcooldudeisawesome876]

Ooh that is interesting especially since it seems to originate from velocity = distance / time.

[@_Reverse_Flash]

In that case it should be "safety = distance x time" as safety is proportional to both. As distance increases and "time to react" increases so does your safety. The way you wrote it "distance = time x (i.e. "and") safety" or rearranging "safety = distance/time " you are implying that safety goes up with distance but is inversely proportional to time (time to react) meaning that your safety goes DOWN the more time you have to react. Yes I am an a55hole. Huge respect to you guys for the work you do!

[@JonWilsonPhysics]

In radiological training, we are taught to minimize our exposure via "time, distance, and shielding"

[@shronkler1994]

@@_Reverse_Flash alll that text when you could just say "if you have distance and time then you're pretty safe to react to threats" ✋💀

[@ibelieveingaming3562]

In the civilian world, we know that danger should be avoided...

[@ctdieselnut]

The story of the 5 men support the adage, "do not volunteer for anything while in the military." This was told to me by my Vietnam vet retired marine uncle (rip, you are missed) and has proven itself valid time and time again lol.

[@nicolemitchell446]

I remember as a recruit in the Navy being told by my Petty Officer that NAVY stood for Never Again Volunteer Yourself. Later when the Beavis and Butthead movie came out I laughed at the scene where they said ‘this is what happened when we tested it on a bunch of Army recruits’ and it showed a bunch of people sick, dying and dead. Then I remembered receiving 11 various immunisations and vaccines over a 10 week period… 😂 😮

[@Gameboy-Unboxings]

But they were fine..?

[@nicolemitchell446]

@@Gameboy-Unboxings as far as I know. I lost touch with everyone over the years sadly. The daughter I had 8 years after receiving all those injections has an immune system like a beast though. Covid didn’t touch that kid let alone a cold or flu. I was the same for about 20 years after but I get sick now like everyone else.

[@quechvermont1279]

you betcha

[@whysoserious2k3]

Never Again Volunteer Yourself = NAVY my dad told me that.

[@ashroskell]

Entertaining, educational and informative. You dinged all three bells there, in sweet harmony. These are my favourite style of videos you produce. May we see many more. Thank you.

[@Goldo97]

I’m actually related to 4 of them! Awesome you did a video on this!

[@davidw3281]

I love these. My grandfather (Dale Whitford) witnessed 31 nuclear detonations. He was an aeronautical engineer from the University of Dayton (he was a founding member of the department of aeronautics there). He tested effects of nuclear blasts on grounded aircraft at different ranges, behind various barriers. He was also best friends with Hans Von Ohain (co-creator of the jet engine). He read the eulogy at Hans’ funeral.

[@arandomcommenter412]

And then everybody clapped and lived happily ever after

[@cromulom2223]

@@arandomcommenter412 doesnt seem like he's lying

[@theunknowman12]

@@arandomcommenter412 you literally can you know research the name and everything to know if the guy is lying

[@davidw3281]

You can think I’m lying. No biggie. He was my grandfather and a great man. Dale H Whitford. Look up his obituary. My father is Robert (Bob) listed in the obituary. Also look up the Wright Bothers book he wrote “Unlocking the Gateway to Flight: The Keys to the Success of the Wright Brothers”. Rough title and didn’t sell well lol. He gave presentations about the Wright Brothers at the Dayton Air Force Museum.

[@coolguystorm1248]

@@arandomcommenter412 with standing ovation from your peers and colleagues you accept the nobel peace prize

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Th ease with which Kyle moves from zany mad-scientist in his sci-fi evil lair to serious educator is frankly remarkable. Love both styles of content.

[@noneofyourbusiness4133]

Wish he did this more often. ;-;

[@batguy39]

True

[@TheGhostLegend001]

I definitely prefer this style of content more, I can see why others would like the other stuff tho.

[@arthureaton8]

I'd never heard about this story before, so thank you for making this video and sharing.

[@bigrich6750]

That was fascinating! I grew up in the, “duck and cover,” generation, but had no idea this happened.

[@doggedout]

My dad, who passed in 94, was a USAF pilot from 1943 - 1964 (technically Army Air Corp and then USAF). Sometime in the 50's (i wish I knew exactly when) he and group of pilots were invited out to the test site to observe a ground test nuke. According to dad, they were directed into trenches just a few miles from the test (maybe closer?). They were issued goggles and told to don them, and at 5 seconds before count down zero, place their arms over their goggles. Then, after detonation, they were instructed to remove their goggles and observe the mushroom cloud. He said he followed instructions, placed his arm over his goggles and at the moment of detonation was treated to ....the sight of his arm bone as if looking at an x-ray. I am thinking they were a lot closer to the blast than the ground zero 5. Also, he said right after the blast, with the mushroom cloud looming above, they were instructed to leave the trench and walk toward ground zero. He got close enough to see sand turned into glass. And some bad things happening to a few rabbits.

[@richardgray9284]

Wow, the things some people get to experience. Thanks for sharing.

[@turtleofpride4572]

There's footage of something like that. I don't know details but I remember it from a documentary/art film.

[@MScotty90]

@@turtleofpride4572 it’s in the documentary Trinity and Beyond. Those tests were part of Operation Desert Rock.

[@THETRIVIALTHINGS]

So, it would be safe to say that in that moment, he had...X-Ray vision?

[@doggedout]

@@MScotty90 I saw that movie a long time ago..and several others. Did Shatter narrate it? I always look for my dad in the videos but there were just so many of them.... The infantry guys had it even worse. The point of dragging these military guys into the tests was not any type of scientific advancement ..but to acclimatize commanders into fighting in the nuclear war environment. See, you may have just seen a live x-ray of your arm but all is okay! The observers in the pacific hydrogen tests who had radioactive ocean water dumped on them suffered cancer rates far in excess of this particular exercise. They military may have been supremely confident in their estimates of long term damage...but they were mostly wrong. Hell, the fallout in Vegas alone on a bad wind day probably eventually killed more than Chernobyl and Fukushima combined. Nuclear power is safe and clean. Fallout and the effects of weapons testing are ...not either of those things.

[@stavrosgazis5824]

This came on in the background... Great feathers, man! You had my full attention when I heard your incredible voice!

[@charmcitytoe]

Thanks Kyle! You are quite literally, The Bomb!

[@PolishJeK]

Suck up

[@fuski23]

With an air burst, you greatly reduce the amount of fallout. Ground & close to ground detonations pull large amounts of dust into the explosion, which irradiats the dust, and then is spread by the winds/jet stream. You avoid most of that with high altitude detonations.

[@WhatHappenedIn-vt3vq]

I'm no expert but wasn't the opposite why Hiroshima got wreacked so hard and you can slam nukes deep into the ground with a delayed blow minimizing irradiation?

[@WhatHappenedIn-vt3vq]

I watched the video better and it makes alot of sense now. From a high enough attitude it's completely different

[@mb106429]

But the fallout and input of radionuclides is still a very high from each device exploded, just not as high as from the ones detonated close to the ground

[@TheGoodChap]

I think there was a plowshare nuclear test where they buried it a few hundred feet underground and three up a gigantic cloud of dust and it was the most irradiating nuclear test of all time and we know where all of that dust landed through the midwest

[@dieselscience]

@@WhatHappenedIn-vt3vq No, The radiation was secondary. The purpose of detonating at low altitude to destroy a city is to synchronize the shockwaves (air and ground reflected) maximizing damage.

[@daniellclary]

My grandfather was an engineer in the air force, and also worked in Nuclear safety. He told me he seen so many new technologies pop up, and often they become obsolete within a few days by something else.

[@FishWhiskey]

The quick revolution of technology from the last 100 years is amazing. Saddens me that the pace on certain technologies is slowing down. Newer inventions though are changing rapidly. Like VR or social media algorithms.

[@theaveragepro1749]

@@FishWhiskey I don't think the pace has slowed down, it's just that you aren't aware of them, and they might be super technical, like look at the progression of AI. Telsa cars are using AI concepts only thought of like a year ago, which is incredibly fast for an industry to adopt something new. We're probably in a bit of an AI fueled revolution, with better chemical simulations, rendering techniques, generative design, etc. Getting a computer to design something automatically a few years ago would have been unthinkable, (at least for consumers) but its now a reality.

[@FishWhiskey]

@@theaveragepro1749 im know. I said ai was evolving.

[@freddythecat3203]

im 67, in my lifetime weve gone for radio vales the nanochips. The technological advances made in my life are unbelievable. Compared to when I was a child, today is science fiction come true. When I was a child we had vinyl records, then we had cassette tapes , 8 track players, cd's DVD's and now digital. Vinyl lasted 60 years, cassettes lasted 20 years, cd lasted 10 years, DVD's lasted 10. Every new technology is superseded in an exponentially shorter time

[@daniellclary]

@@freddythecat3203 I'm 37, and I remember when we used floppy disks the size of dinner plates. And I remember laserdisk, which looked like shiny vinyl records. But as a kid I remember most how video games evolved. From being just a solid color square to looking like the real world. Although the biggest leaps of graphic capabilities was with NES, to SNES, to N64, to Game Cube. Then after that the leaps in graphics have not been that huge to the next consoles. I think about all they can do now is make the new ones faster.

[@dieselboats7886]

Thank you. That was a great explanation and clarified a lot of misconceptions.

[@adamkahn8645]

your show was what i was dreaming about seeing one day back in the day when i was watching the Magic School bus in school. you make learning interesting and fun

[@Yora21]

When I first saw the term "unguided air to air nuclear missile", it was the most insane sounding thing I've ever heard.

[@dannypipewrench533]

The real beauty of the concept is how happy the engineers were to build it. All I have to do is build an air frame with fixed control planes and then mount a solid motor to it? No guidance? Easy! Sure thing, Boss! That is so simple in design, yet so effective. Truly beautiful. Probably the cheapest EFFECTIVE defense. Too bad it is outdated. Well, bombers are still used after ICBMs, though.

[@Yora21]

@@dannypipewrench533 I don't think guided missiles really existed at that point.

[@dannypipewrench533]

@@Yora21 There were some pretty rudimentary ground-based RADAR and radio guided missiles, but I think those were mostly ground-based ballistic missiles, not air-to-air.

[@Tigershark_3082]

@@Yora21 They did. The AIM-4 Falcon was the main one. We had guided weapons back in the mid-40s, such as the Bat Bomb

[@vectorgeist]

@@dannypipewrench533 they literally just strapped a rocket to the back of a miniature supernova and shot it out of a plane

[@giggityguy]

For your next Half-Life History, I would recommend you look into the alarming number of "Broken Arrow" incidents, which are accidents involving nuclear weapons. Most famous is probably the Goldsboro disaster in 1961, but there have been many more.

[@Freakmaster480]

As someone who's lived in goldsboro my whole life it's always ammusing that that incident is pretty much the only time I hear it referenced online.

[@giggityguy]

@@Freakmaster480 Yeah even as someone who has lived my entire life in NC that's really the only association I have with it. I suppose there are plenty of towns in other states that I don't know the first thing about either though

[@Freakmaster480]

@@giggityguy To be fair there isn't much here. The only thing of note is the air force base and the crime rate if you're unlucky enough to be stuck downtown.

[@LInkinPark4life]

Yeah there's one lost nuke off the coast of Savvanah, Georgia, one of the biggest cities in georgia

[@hezekiahwallace2412]

It would be more interesting if we were to find out how many of those incidents happen in the Soviet Union.

[@SlayerUvAlienGods]

Its just like being under the radiant sun in the fall season all warm & cozy feeling.

[@evanherynk5863]

Just found your channel today. Awesome content! I'll be tuning in for more.

[@andrew_____2895]

As it turns out I went to school with a yoshitake, his dad was a photographer... amazing to hear his story 30 later. He did live amazing long life after such interesting experiment. Miss seeing him and his wife around town.

[@Fire157_]

i'm sure they were good people

[@KyleTokes]

And Abe Lincoln was my college roomate

[@matthewzaloudek]

@@KyleTokes any tips on how to live longer?

[@cykablyat8862]

@@matthewzaloudek have a nuclear warhead detonated 18,000 feet above you

[@nguyenduyphuc3924]

@@KyleTokes was he really into vampire hunting or is that just a rumor?

[@WilliamLee-bv4tv]

Honestly Kyle, as much as I missed your characteristic nerdy humor and cheesy jokes, I love this documentary format just as much. Never stop creating man

[@bearlogg7974]

Were getting ”nuked” every time we feel the sun

[@ItsaDigitalHamster]

8:00 - technically it decreases by an "inverse square law" - "exponential decrease" is when the formula involves a constant to the power of minus the distance, exp(-x)

[@brianderx]

You forgot to say "Um... Actually," so you will receive no points.

[@raygun26]

I remember watching this so many times, and finding it hilarious and scary they were like “my only regret is all you (people who stayed back) weren’t here to experience it”

[@MarcosProjects]

I'm curious about the modern day considerations of the EMP factor. I'm sure at the time electronics were far less critical to society, or maybe these relatively 'little' genie nukes were small enough that it wouldn't have been a problem, but I've heard that it would only take a small handful of large nukes detonated at the right altitude above the US to wipe out any electrical equipment that isn't hardened against it. I seem to remember hearing this in a context that would be closer to rumor than reliable source, is it not true? Just surprised that the video didn't address whether the EM pulse could be problematic, would love to know. Thanks Kyle

[@breadman32398]

I think they have to be detonated much higher than most aircraft fly to get that effect.

[@MarcosProjects]

Now that I think about it I suppose the fact that the camera this footage came from continued functioning would suggest that the EMP wasn't strong enough to kill that at least...

[@shadowtheimpure]

@@MarcosProjects At that time, most cameras had no electronics. They were mechanical.

[@GeraldMMonroe]

I understand the emp is solely an interaction between the magnetosphere around the earth and the weapon. So it's not like movies, most nukes won't cause an emp. It take a large warhead and detonated in the right place in the magnetosphere. Some ICBMs may not even have enough propellant to do this. And it won't take out a lot of devices - this camera uses rolls of film. It does use a motor but the thing is in a metal housing and probably powered by a battery. So it's fairly resistant to emp.

[@MrDJAK777]

Much like the ionizing radiation the strength of the pulse only goes so far and is related to yield given the correct detonation point. On the bright side stealth aircraft are somewhat resistant by default even before the radiation hardened equipment.

[@Broken-Flesh]

I never knew this kind of test was ever conducted. This video was great! 👍

[@bayscit]

Someone saw these men and decided to start a burger chain

[@UzairW]

Ah yes such a delight to have one of these Half Life Histories episodes which does not involve catastrophic personal injury or doomsday scenarios! Thanks Kyle, as others have said this series is one of the best on KZbin. Keep them coming discount-Thor 😎

[@rallymodeller]

"31 bases, across 20 states"... and several provinces. US-controlled Genies also equipped Canadian CF101 Voodoo interceptors based in BC, Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Excellent video Kyle, as always.

[@Irish381]

This was the defense strategy for NORAD. As agreed upon by president Eisenhower and Canadian PM Diefenbaker.

[@Fenthule]

Interesting, I had no idea we've ever had nukes on Canadian soil. Wild. Leave it to Kyle and his incredibly informed viewership to teach you something new consistently.

[@rallymodeller]

@@Irish381 Diefenbaker was incredibly anti-nuke, though. It took until the Pearson government for the plan -- Genies and nuclear-armed BOMARCs -- to fully come into place.

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

@@Irish381 Diefenbaker.............. _Spits_

[@sakaraist]

@@Fenthule Not only have there been active warheads stationed in Canada, It's also one of the largest suppliers of high-grade uranium to the states for use in reactors & warheads

[@felizkemal]

Time, distance and also the YIELD. What was not mentioned in the video is that the yield of the Genie shot was around 1/10th of the Little Boy. So it was also one of the tiniest nuclear bombs ever detonated.

[@GavinKnightYT]

Enjoyed this video. Really well put together and interesting to watch. Rare to see on youtube

[@rileybolling761]

I like the phrase “ could glass” makes me think of halo. And oddly it puts into perspective just how bad an ICBM could be. Anyways, awesome video. You have some of the most well produced documentaries on this platform Kyle. Love the videos and I can’t wait for the next one!

[@burp2019]

it would be the same sort of effect, just in way smaller scale lol

[@Tuzszo]

Nuclear bombs are what gave us the concept of glassing in the first place. It was in the wake of the Trinity test that scientists first discovered "Trinitite", little beads and shards of desert sand turned to glass by the heat of nuclear fire.

[@BipolarBLKSheep]

TDS (Time, Distance, Shielding) and ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) are some of the best safety practices out there for radiation safety. It's pretty basic but quite effective. People get terrified at the thought of anything radioactive, when just simple methods can basically nullify any potential risk.

[@erikawanner7355]

Yup. Learned about about those practices when I took some nuclear pharmacy selectives when I was in pharmacy school.

[@kylehill]

We practiced ALARA in Chernobyl

[@darwinism8181]

People are outright reasonably terrified at the idea of radiation, even if someone with a bunch of technical knowledge assures you that you'll be safe from an extremely low-yield detonation at a known distance. These things are terrifying even if you know their limitations, and low-yield detonations at safe distances still don't really reassure people who can, extremely reasonably, know that not every piece of ordinance always goes exactly where it's meant to.

[@10pitate]

@@darwinism8181 nuclear things nowaday are safe(except weapons of course), so the only unreasonable fear is fear of accidents, fear of a nuke is very reasonable lmao

[@mb106429]

Did ALARA implemented at Chernobyl have any effect on the quantity or inventory of radio toxins that thrown into the environment?

[@handgun559]

"If it's so safe, YOU stand under it."

[@berthold64]

Safe and effective

[@karenstasik2979]

That was fascinating! Thank you

[@Killacam1992]

If 3 majors, a Lieutenant colonel and a colonel volunteered for this and the military OK’d it and a few no name privates weren’t voluntold then you know this is legit and the government was 110% confident in the test. Any military guys watching this know what I’m talking about.

[@JamesBond-uz2dm]

Correct, if it was five grunts, the chance of failure increases ...... exponentially.

[@TheNavalAviator]

Plus being older at the time of exposure makes you less susceptible to the long-term health risks of radiation.

[@rhuttrho88]

That's what I thought immediately.

[@austinlamons3729]

Oh yeah! My thoughts exactly lol

[@InstaLabSparti]

Greek Army: " I need two volunteers you and you!"

[@Merennulli]

Great video. It's sad that it's forever remembered as the "5 men" when it was 6. I get the "population 5" publicity photo, but now that we know the cameraman, it's frustrating that he isn't counted.

[@puncheex2]

That's the Air Force for you.

[@RandomGuy9]

The camera man was never in danger that's why.

[@Merennulli]

@@RandomGuy9 He was a few feet away under the same nuclear detonation. All 6 had the same danger or lack thereof.

[@puncheex2]

@@RandomGuy9 Why do you say that? Do you think he was standing under a tree or something? Yes, we do know he came out unscathed but at the time it was hardly known that about any of them.

[@benjaminradez2679]

@@puncheex2 you don’t understand the true power of Cameraman, it has traveled deep into space and other dimensions.

[@cturdo]

Douglas produced the Genie missile. They were deployed, not manufactured, into the early 1980s on the older interceptors.

[@davidcarr7436]

RCAF F-101B's carried the Genie in their bomber interceptor role. They also carried the Falcon missle.

[@kingnaga619]

Seriously, you are the nuclear Attenborough. I could watch you talk about everything nuclear forever.

[@ryanbolson23]

What a brilliant comparison that is spot on!

[@sovietmoose5624]

The Atomborough!

[@Rachel-fi4sc]

As long as that's not "Atombomber", we're good.

[@watcher805]

Kyle your videos on force and speed and disadvantages of superpowers and stuff like that is what got me watching you, but your creativity, courage, and attitude are what has kept me. Since then I've come to really appreciate your "healthy obsession" with nuclear energy, for two reasons. First, I had a desire to learn more about it myself, and second, I believe a new era of nuclear energy is coming. Stay safe and keep up the excellent work.

[@Kyle-im6ke]

Thank you

[@trickytreyperfected1482]

@@Kyle-im6ke thank you for the chuckle

[@1985indeed]

I was actually the mushroom cloud from this test. I was worried about those chaps, so thanks for the information and I am glad they were all safe and well for years afterwards. 👍

[@rhuttrho88]

You got beat up a lot as a kid huh? Especially in high-school. I know.🤦🏿‍♂️

[@1985indeed]

@@rhuttrho88 Sadly, due to the threat of radiation and fall out, the authorities decided that any form of education would have a solo pursuit not in the presence of fellow pupils or teachers.

[@jimmyjango5213]

When you said 'until next time', I was half expecting a delayed 'distance' to go on the end. Nice mini doco

[@xanafein8453]

Please compile this series into a DVD release. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[@erikawanner7355]

Same!

[@Aivri]

Seconding this idea.

[@Pwnulolumad]

DVD is below 1080 quality... I'm not sure if it's even full 720p

[@xanafein8453]

@@Pwnulolumad that's your takeaway? Really?

[@capitaldcolon1795]

Imagine still wanting DVDs in 2022.

[@vircervoteksisto5038]

One addition to make to this. The effective radius of the Genie wasn't 1,000 feet. It was 1 mile because the radiation released by the bomb would create deadlier, secondary radiation when it struck the metallic hulls of the attacking aircraft in a phenomenon called the bremsstrahlung effect. This would deliver an incapacitating dose of radiation to the attacking aircraft crew members within minutes of the detonation.

[@richardosl]

... And what would happen if the Genie struck a bomber carrying a megaton+ bomb at close proximity?

[@atomicwinter31]

@@richardosl if it was only hit by radiation, probably nothing. Nuclear bombs dont just go off by radiation, they need a precise trigger mechanism to activate, causing a massive amount of energy to be released in a tiny area, which is what we call a "bomb". If it was struck directly by the nuke, it wouldnt explode, but would most likely add to the fallout created by the bomb, as the payload is shredded and scattered as radioactive debris.

[@ssnerd583]

......bloody hell but I havent heard of the bremsstrahlung effect in 40 years....lol w0w....

[@genericname7300]

@@atomicwinter31 ahhhhh okay, thank you, this was my biggest question 🙏

[@user-em7lp1sb4k]

@@richardosl Nothing would happen the devices in the aircraft would just break apart and fall to earth.

[@anim8torfiddler871]

Thanks for the post. As much as I've had to study some of these issues for some of the technical programs I was commissioned to produce, there are nonetheless GAPs in my knowledge. I sure wish more people had real information instead of the crazy distortions that have been spread so irresponsibly

[@haydenanderson245]

Glad I found this channel! Really enjoying the content!

[@musashiaharon9808]

Fascinating! 7:57 "The intensity of a nuclear bomb's pressure wave, ionizing radiation, and scalding heat decreases exponentially with the square of the distance traveled." That's not exponential decay, that's quadratic, because the exponent isn't changing. I prefer "rapidly," since in the context of science, implying an exponential function would be incorrect here.

[@theouxepl1222]

Thanks for pointing out that part also bothered me. To be exact one could say the intensity decreases quadratically.

[@a.evelyn5498]

I’d assume he meant “exponentially” in a colloquial way, as in “hugely.” But I love the correction you make still so that it’s more precise.

[@tgbluewolf]

Agreed with @RobABankWithABagel , in order to teach more people, it has to be understandable to those who don't know as much about it, not just to those who are already in the field. If he'd said "quadratically", *hopefully* people would look it up, but honestly I'd expect most to just ignore the "stuffy" science lingo. That being said, thank you for your explanation! I'm not in the field, so I learned something new. 👍

[@Theimtheimtheim]

Rapidly definitely is the word to use here, an exponential decrease is just something completely different...

[@mikeciul8599]

Being a computer science person, I might have said "polynomially"... :D

[@jonbong8547]

I appreciate how Kyle always takes such a wide stance. Its more stable, more powerful harder to be knocked over in. Thats a man who knows what he's doing. Thats a man you can trust.

[@smf2072]

oh for sure..... he's the man with the 411 ! 😂👍

[@michaelcherokee8906]

Huh, youre right, he does stand quite wide. I wonder if he's been knocked over too many times and decided to darn well do something about it from then on.

[@markh4211]

@jonbong8547 That's a man who's easier to kick in the nads.

[@Bobo-ox7fj]

@@markh4211 use the immediate adrenaline rush to ignore the delayed pain and nausea, and become the guy everyone knows that gets kicked in the balls and has no reaction except getting angrier

[@lexyshannon9428]

That's a man I want for president

[@ozmoozmo9002]

This how the camera man got his powers!

[@SergioArellano-yd7ik]

He became da da da da Camara-Man

[@zuke-ci4vd]

This is a excellent video, a truly incredible job. 👏👏👏😎👍

[@justinbanks2380]

Cannot put into words how good this series is. The information, the visuals, the story telling and presentation. Thank you Kyle (and team)

[@pikuhana9406]

right? Absolutely incredible

[@Rekkuza-eu6sp]

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus! The world is quickly headed for destruction, and sooner or later you will have to sit at the judgement seat and give an account for your actions. Belief in messiah alone is not enough to grant you salvation - Matthew 7:21-23, John 3:3, John 3:36 (ESV is the best translation for John 3:36). Call on the name of Jesus and pray for Him to intervene in your life! - Revelation 3:20. Contemplate how the Roman Empire fulfilled the role of the beast from the sea in Revelation 13. Revelation 17 confirms that it is in fact Rome. From this we can conclude that A) Jesus is the Son of God and can predict the future or make it happen, B) The world leaders/nations/governments etc have been conspiring together for the last 3000+ years going back to Babylon and before, C) History as we know it is fake. You don't really need to speculate once you start a relationship with God tho. Can't get a response from God? Fasting can help increase your perception and prayer can help initiate events. God will ignore you if your prayer does not align with His purpose (James 4:3) or if you are approaching Him when "unclean" (Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:2, Micah 3:4). Stop eating food sacrificed to idols (McDonald's, Wendy's etc) stop glorifying yourself on social media or making other images of yourself (Second Commandment), stop gossiping about other people, stop watching obscene content etc and you should get a response. Have a blessed day!

[@danielbradley5255]

I think you just did 😉

[@ShawnJonesHellion]

Thank the programmers generating earth. The humhams are likely a npc race as they can't even outthink their npc masters. If we can rewrite their pasts an make them say they created something that didn't actually exist 20 years ago. It means neither of their storyline existed. So therefore someone else did the work to make it appear so

[@Teryn180]

I always appreciate how approachable you make the hard science part of things, and how this whole series of videos has pulled back the wall of myth and fear around all things nuclear, replacing it with informed caution and respect.

[@samuelgabvillacorta9895]

“Hey bro, can you just stand here really quickly? I got an idea. “Sure man” *NUCLEAR WARHEAD DETONATES*

[@shpidermonky6443]

My cousins grandpa was at the test where they set off a nuke and had people charge it after, i remember he told them that when the nuke went off he tried to block the light with his hands and maybe closed his eyes but it was so bright he saw a x ray basically of his hands, saw the bones and whatnot. Pretty nuts

[@Volamek]

Wow. A happy ending for once. I think the series needed this. Well done!

[@julez6136]

Half-Life Histories will for ever be one of the most accurate and respectful documentary series. Thank you for keeping it going Kyle!

[@FlamingRobzilla]

That was actually very interesting. Thank you.

[@talion4033]

You’re my favourite science channel by far. I wish we watched your videos in school. They’re very informative and easy to digest while being presented honestly and in an enjoyable manner

[@alonelychocolatebar1954]

You're the one source I know I can always refer people to when trying inform them on anything nuclear. I regularly find myself saying "if you want to know about it, I'm pretty sure Kyle has at least 3 videos explaining the specific topic you're after." You always deliver, more than once, everytime.

[@cynthiaweaver100]

Love your videos. Thanks Kyle.

[@inkpenproductions3373]

This information should be required learning. Thank you.

[@bedrox2001]

6:05 "Physicaly impossible to esacpe deletion" idk why but i found that funny but dark at the same time

[@bradyvelvet9432]

4:51 at this moment it almost looks like they’re on a set against a blue backdrop with very bright stage lights kicking on above them. An eerie sight!

[@linuxguy1199]

I'd totally volunteer to see that, honestly that'd be cool as hell!

[@BIG_MOPPER]

I have watched/read so much info on nuclear bombs and it's still so hard to fathom the power of them.

[@nathanb011]

A long time ago I heard horror stories about how all these men ended up dying of cancer soon after. Weird. I certainly trust you more than my memory of some random internet post, but it makes me question who would put that misinformation out there.

[@AlphaCentCom]

We have the internet today, we can probably find what happened to them.

[@pickol2485]

Could be thinking of the other nuclear tests they did on soldiers. Toured them through nuclear fallout and they either got cancer or something

[@Jwlar]

Lots of soldiers who were sent to view nuclear weapons tests did get cancer, just not these ones.

[@rolletroll2338]

Every thing related to nuclear tend to be grossly misunderstood or exagerated.

[@darrinsiberia]

The whole thing was a PR stunt. Even if they died of cancer shortly after. Would our bully government let people know that?

[@stevenwhoward87]

This makes me want you to cover the darker, much darker side to where the U.S. used its own in nuclear weapons tests. Much has and still remains unheard of these cases, but a lot of "nuclear veterans" have spoken out and their stories still need to be heard.

[@dylantaylor8389]

It’s not as vile as you’re making it seem. People got sick from approaching ground zero too soon. Some were just too close. All these events are detailed for the most part. We were not compiling people to purposely incinerate them. There was no need for that we saw what it did to structures. Sure they exposed people to radiation from them to see what would happen but that’s what they did. It doesn’t get darker then that. What you’re thinking of is probably what the nazis were doing that we now benefit from in the fields of medicine.

[@alhen9023]

@@dylantaylor8389 and the us brought over tons of nazi doctors and scientists

[@stevenwhoward87]

@@dylantaylor8389 not as vile? Some of these veterans descibe being positioned too close- they did not chose to be there. Some recount seeing things similar to the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (people with melted skin and other grotesque things). Did the U.S. intend this for research? Not really for me to make that judgement call, but they did keep this all a secret and only through veterans speaking out was anything ever remotely disclosed. My main argument is not whether or not it is "vile" or intentional, rather, their stories must be heard so we can continue to learn from our mistakes however big or small

[@NateBluehooves]

@@stevenwhoward87 could you link some sources? Would be an interesting subject to read up on.

[@stevenwhoward87]

@@NateBluehooves a good place to start is the documentary/interview "The Atomic Soldiers" by Morgan Knibbe. It has been quite some time since I read up on the topic but there are a few articles, videos, and resources around quoting the few remaining soldiers who have come forward. If I recall, some tried to protest proper compensation for the medical issues that resulted from their experience during the Clinton presidency and likely onward. I think the government had a pretty lack-luster response- similar in ways to veterans today who've suffered from toxic dumps during the Iraq war and the government resisting a bit. I feel the nuclear veterans had it worse though as they weren't allowed to discuss it even amongst each other