From west to east in every part of the world and their philosophies, there is a place for the idea of doomsday. Ancient texts and traditions around the world have mentioned the concept of doomsday repeatedly, however, it was always a mystery how doomsday will come to us.
Because human imagination was wide earlier on than their accomplishments, therefore initially it was assumed to be an act of the God (whether Allah, Shiva, Or Jesus), however, as of now we are much more advanced than we were earlier. Now we know how to craft our imagination into reality.
Perhaps this was the reason why we created the tools of doomsday on our own without taking the help of any kind of god. If you are not sure what I am talking about the phrase ‘weapons of mass destruction’ would be helpful for you.
Weapons that are made to cause harm to a large number of humans are known as weapons of mass destruction. As of now the weapons which can induce mass destruction are nuclear, radiological, chemical, and biological. While all of them possess an equal threat to humans, nuclear weapons are the hot deal now because of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Nevertheless, siding with the war on nuclear weapons is indeed a hot deal, because out of nine countries that possess nuclear weapons a majority of them are in disputes with each other (USA & North Korea, India & Pakistan, China & India, etc.)
In this article, we will discover the reason for the rise of nuclear weapons, how deadly they are, why they still exist, and what challenges humanity faces when a nuclear war broke out (assuming the nuclear war will destroy every single place in the world, not just strategic places), and how the concept of nuclear apocalypse has shaped in our mind over and what is a problem with it.
From the invention of nuclear bombs to the first execution in Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear weapons have showcased the misery they can bring. However, do you know that this weapon of mass destruction was claimed to invented for defence? But how so?
Nuclear Bombs: Preparation
Well, the story begins in WWII when allied and axis forces are in a struggle with each other, to overpower other, there was a race for inventing the most disastrous weapons and major countries were in research of atomic energy for preparing such a weapon.
In 1942–45, the United States government developed the first atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project. The newly recognized fission process was exploited for military purposes by American scientists who fled fascist regimes in Europe in 1939.
Under the direction of Vannevar Bush, the Office of Scientific Research and Development took over the project on December 6, 1941. Because the U.S. would need to construct a vast array of pilot plants, laboratories, and manufacturing facilities by mid-1942 when the United States entered World War II, the War Department was given joint responsibility for the project by the War Department. Thus, the assembled scientists were able to carry out their mission with the army corps of engineers.
A research effort that would stretch across the nation became known as the “Manhattan Project.” At the time, a similar project was being developed by German scientists, and the British were also investigating it.
Afterwards, explosive materials had to be produced and made suitable for use in actual weapons. It is impossible to separate the atoms of uranium-238 from each other using chemical means; they must rather be separated physically. Uranium-235, the essential fissionable component of the postulated bomb, cannot be separated from its natural companion, uranium-238, which is much more abundant.
A variety of physical methods were explored to accomplish this, and two were selected – the electromagnetic process developed at the University of California, Berkeley, under Ernest Orlando Lawrence, and the diffusion process developed at Columbia University under Urey.
To achieve a supercritical mass (and therefore a nuclear explosion), methods of rapidly bringing together fissionable material had to be devised, as well as the actual construction of a deliverable weapon that could be dropped from a plane and fused at the appropriate moment in the air.
Fissionable material could not be produced until most of these issues were resolved, so the first adequate amounts could be used on the front lines as quickly as possible. There was enough plutonium-239 from the Hanford Works by the summer of 1945 for an actual nuclear explosion to take place, and weapon development and design had advanced sufficiently for a field test.
Working on Nuclear Weapon
The Immediate Effect of Nuclear War
While there is a detail on how nuclear weapons work scientifically, however, it is not possible to summarize the entire process, as it is complex to limit them to words.
The impact of nuclear bombs blast (which can be shaped in a bomb or a missile) can be explained. After the burst of nuclear weapons, they release four types of energy: a blast wave (causes injury or death), intense light (causes blindness with naked eyes), heat (causes burns from moderate to intense), and radiation (causes acute radiation syndrome/ARS).
An explosion of a nuclear weapon produces a large fireball. Fireballs vaporize everything inside and travel upward. As a result, a mushroom-shaped cloud is created. During cooling, the cloud’s material becomes dust-like particles and falls back to earth as fallout. Often, the fallout from explosions is carried by the wind and ends up miles away from the site where it originated. As a result of its radioactivity, the fallout can contaminate anything it lands on.
A nuclear weapon would cause great destruction in a multidimensional way (ranging in a variety of fields)
- Destruction and death: Nuclear weapons release enormous amounts of energy when they explode, which can cause widespread destruction and death. The radiation released by the weapon can cause serious health problems and death in those who are exposed to it.
- Environmental damage: The explosion of a nuclear weapon releases large amounts of radiation into the environment, which can cause long-term environmental damage. This can include the contamination of soil and water sources, as well as the destruction of crops and other vegetation.
- Economic and social disruption: A nuclear war would have significant economic and social consequences, including the disruption of trade and the collapse of entire industries. It would also likely lead to widespread displacement and refugee crises, as well as political instability and further conflict.
- Health effects: Radiation exposure can cause various health effects, including cancer, genetic damage, and other serious illnesses. These effects can be long-lasting and may not manifest for many years after exposure.
Furthermore, unlike in other cases where bombs will just cause short-term casualties, in nuclear bombs long-term damage is prevalent, then the question arises why do we have them?
Nuclear Survival
From the invention of a nuclear weapon, it became a literal weapon of god, and the countries who have invented are refusing to give up on them as perpetrators of weapons have occasionally thought acquiring nuclear weapons would balance global power. Therefore, shifting the power balance in favour of a single country incentivizes other countries to make their nuclear weapon to acquire power.
Long story short the reasons for the possession of nuclear weapons have been summarized in the following reasons
- Deterrence: Some countries argue that they need nuclear weapons as a deterrent against other countries that also have nuclear weapons. The idea is that the threat of a nuclear retaliation can deter another country from using its nuclear weapons, and therefore prevent a nuclear war.
- International status: Possessing nuclear weapons can also be seen as a sign of a country’s international status and power. Some countries may feel that having nuclear weapons enhances their standing on the world stage and gives them more leverage in international negotiations.
- Security: Some countries may see nuclear weapons as a way to protect their security and that of their allies. They may believe that having nuclear weapons gives them a strategic advantage and makes them less vulnerable to attack.
- Domestic politics: In some cases, governments may see the possession of nuclear weapons as a way to bolster their domestic political support. They may argue that the weapons are necessary for the protection of the country and its people and that having them is a sign of strength and national pride.
Owners of Destruction
Considering the danger nuclear weapons hold, the owners of them should be responsible. As of 2023, nuclear weapons have been successfully detonated by eight sovereign states. Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), five countries (the United States, Russia (successor of the former Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France, and China) are considered nuclear weapons states (NWS).
Other countries that possess nuclear weapons are India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Since the entry into force of the NPT in 1970, these three countries are not been parties to the Treaty and have conducted public nuclear tests. North Korea was a party to the NPT but withdrew in 2003. Israel is generally recognized as having nuclear weapons but does not recognize them, maintaining a policy of deliberate ambiguity. It is estimated that Israel possesses between 75 and 400 nuclear warheads. One possible engine of nuclear ambiguity is deterrence at a minimal political cost.
Countries that once possessed nuclear weapons include South Africa (which developed nuclear weapons but later disassembled its arsenal before joining the NPT) and the republics of the Soviet Union ex-Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, weapons countries that have been repatriated to Russia.
It is estimated that 13,080 nuclear weapons will exist worldwide in 2021, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Nearly 30% of them are deployed with combat forces, and more than 90% are Russian or American.
Why Worry About It?
If a nuclear war were to break out, it would have devastating consequences for all parties involved and for the entire world. The use of nuclear weapons would cause widespread destruction, death, and injury, as well as long-term environmental damage.
A nuclear war would likely involve the use of multiple nuclear weapons by different countries, which would lead to significant loss and destruction. The explosion of nuclear weapons releases high levels of radiation, which can cause serious health effects, such as cancer and genetic damage, in people who are exposed to it. The radiation can also contaminate the environment and lead to long-term environmental damage, including the destruction of crops and the contamination of water sources.
In addition to the immediate effects of a nuclear war, there would likely be significant long-term consequences, including economic and social disruption, political instability, and the potential for further conflict. The international community would need to work together to address the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the affected countries, as well as to prevent future nuclear conflicts.
However, whether the international community will come together to address the issues of nuclear war is subjective, the destruction it will create is objective, thus making the possibility of nuclear war much worse.
In case of nuclear war where the entire planet is in shambles, the countries (Finland, Canada, America, the United Kingdom, and more) relying on nuclear bunkers are likely to survive until the end and even can revive humanity. Because most European powers have the majority of nuclear bunkers, it would be not out of the blue when in the post-nuclear war the white people will be the most prevalent.
Currently, Switzerland is the most prepared country on the ground level for nuclear war.
However, this isn’t would be even the start of the human struggle for keeping the entire species in existence. In the Post-nuclear war world where the radiation will be common as air, survival requires more than will. Because saving one from the explosion was just the start of what lies ahead the 4 immediate problems because of a nuclear explosion are nuclear winter, nuclear famine, electromagnetic pulse, and nuclear fallout.
To find out how humanity will face all of these challenges we have to look back and analyze how people from Japan survived and endured the nuclear explosion. In the case of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there was a huge help from the outsiders (neighbouring districts to a foreign country) for their food security and healthcare of victims.
Furthermore, the surrender of Japan brings further help and with help of Allied forces, the revival of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was planned out.
However, in a full-scale nuclear war, help from outside can only mean help from Aliens because in a full-scale nuclear war entire humanity would suffer the same scared everyone has to secure as much as they can because of the uncertainty.
Because of the destruction of every possible infrastructure the collaboration will be limited to human capabilities. The war will push humanity to go back to ancient methods. It is very much likely to say that even collaborative efforts will be a distant future after the nuclear war.
However, what it takes to revive humanity in such a situation, is to address it first we have to understand the challenges along the way.
Challenges in Revival?
Reviving humanity after the nuclear war is a herculean task, because of the challenges on the way.
After the nuclear war, the first and foremost challenge in food security and water. Nevertheless, the bunkers have short-term storage of it, however, food production will be the most serious issue humanity will face after the nuclear war.
Because of the situation, agriculture seems the only way to food security, however, it might be a bit of a problem because the radiation has radiated the soil thus causing problems for agriculture for safe food.
Companies made many bunkers as part of their advertisement. Not to be in surprise Switzerland is the most prepared country in the world for nuclear war.
Moving on, the next issue revolves around the roaming of humans, because of radiation in the air free roaming in street would be like kissing the grim reaper, however, staying in a bunker would be a slow death. While there are millions of possibilities for the challenges of humanity, however, based on all these challenges and keeping the recurrent technology into account a nuclear war would be the farewell gift of humanity to earth.
But wait for a second if that is all the case why are we so unprepared?
Why Are We So Underprepared?
The reason is that the majority of nations are relying on diplomacy. For annihilating the chances of a nuclear war. In addition to that our notion of perceiving nuclear war directly as a nuclear holocaust is somewhat overrated because the notion of nuclear work that we inherit today has come came from them during the era of the Cold War when the USSR and USA.
In that era, almost everyone in the US was preparing for nuclear war, whether from school, public housing, real estate, and more. & Maybe it was capitalism that drives the notion.
In reality, the nuclear war is not as threatening as Hollywood portrays it. Because of various reasons, nuclear war will restrict to certain countries, and explosions will be limited to one district. However, when compared to this huge world. Those nuclear weapons are nowhere close to exterminating entire humanity.
Conclusion
Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that nuclear bombs are should be allowed for wreaking havoc. For the same reason, the International community has signed (NPT) & (INF) treaty to reduce the chances of a nuclear war.
However, we need to ask the question of whether nuclear bombs are needed now.
Last Updated on November 20, 2023 by ayeshayusuf
