8 Likes
7 Likes
6 Likes
9 Likes
7 Likes
That reminds me; anyone who lives within about 50 miles of a nuclear power plant should get some iodine pills in case of an accident. The city of Toronto gives them out for free, but you have to send in for them, and they will mail them to you. Other cities might do the same. My brother and his family live very close to a power plant, and they get iodine pills automatically. They have a shelf life of about 12 years.
I rarely say “You should” to people, but this is one of the exceptions.
14 Likes
8 Likes
7 Likes
7 Likes
6 Likes
Well, the Brits are entirely useless really when push comes to shove. Their “independent nuclear deterrent” relies completely on American cooperation. They have the Vanguard SSBNs, but they don’t just use the same type of missile as the Ohios - they use the same Trident missiles built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems from a shared pool stored at King’s Bay, Georgia.
They have their own Holbrook warheads and claim that it’s their own design, but since it must be 100% compatible with the missile, odds are it is largely based on the US W76 design.
The warheads are built by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). From 1999 to 2021 AWE was run by a private consortium that included Lockheed Martin.
And that’s it for the independent British nuclear deterrent. Trident is the only nuclear weapon system operated by the UK since the tactical WE.177 free-fall bombs were decommissioned in 1998.
9 Likes
7 Likes
10 Likes
6 Likes
9 Likes
9 Likes
8 Likes
What could possibly go wrong. At least beta particles are stopped by thin metal, or even paper.
Beta particles are more penetrating than alpha particles, but are less damaging to living tissue and DNA because the ionizations they produce are more widely spaced. They travel farther in air than alpha particles, but can be stopped by a layer of clothing or by a thin layer of a substance such as aluminum. Some beta particles are capable of penetrating the skin and causing damage such as skin burns. However, as with alpha-emitters, beta-emitters are most hazardous when they are inhaled or swallowed.
4 Likes