nukes

[Stewart5]

How come that no one else than the humans have dicovered nuclear weapons its a basic tech it seems, just some explosoves and uranium/plutonium should not every civilisation realy figure that out? eventualy....like before thay figure out how to make energy weapons and stuff like that?

if i remeber high school correctly, its a little more complicated than simply having nuclear material and some explosives................that way anyone could make a nuke here on earth just by getting nuclear by-products......

Life adapts quickly, just look at Chernobyl. Wildlife around Chernobyl is actually doing better than in other parts of Ukraine.

That's because they all have two heads and no one wants to eat them.

well, fission is very polluting. fusion is much cleaner.

But isn't it an unobtainable theory at the moment?

[Apsu]

actually it is that simpel, Uramium is a natural resourse, and can be picked up like any rock.
then its just a matter of enrichment, and that is "just the same" as for any metal. When you have enough, about 10kg you can make a bomb. (thats about a tennisball in size). And maybe best to point out that that is whit the wests technology...otherwise you need more. And US and its ally, uses a I think its called a neutrin detonator in the center of the ball, Russians do not or did not in the "earlydays". what the neutrin detonator is exactly I do not know but I can guess... the effect is that you need less uranium for critical mass, if I understand it correctly. then you need a high powered explosive like C4 to put around the uranium....heer comes the tricky part, all the explosives must explode simutaneous otherwise you do not get critical mass in the center of the uranuim. this is the simpelest of the nuclerar disigns....

[wise one]

didnt the people from the ark have nuclear bombs that they used on their own people to make sure the wraith wouldnt come to their planet

thye were able to sustain their whole race in a single dart buffer

[Crazedwraith]

Nukes are not basic tech. In any way shape of form. You need quite an advanced understanding of physics, uranium and a way to enrich it.

You can't 'just pick up uranium like any other rock' this indicates a complete lack of comprehension of geology and mining processes.

[thekillman]

not to mention the need of advanced refinery processes, c4 isnt made by medieval people, and the very understanding of matter as we do has come a LONG way. we made a hypothesis of matter 2000 years ago and further back, but most of it wasnt proven untill "recently". 100 years ago radiation was discovered, and 50 years ago we had the first nuke. seeing as most races have to come some 2000 years to catch up with us, we're safe

[Giantevilhead]

That's because they all have two heads and no one wants to eat them.

Actually, mutation among animals living around Chernobyl are not nearly as high as expected. Human interference causes far more harm to wildlife than radioactive contamination. Animals can actually adapt to increased levels of radioactivity. We kill animals and destroy their habitat much faster than they adapt.

not to mention the need of advanced refinery processes, c4 isnt made by medieval people, and the very understanding of matter as we do has come a LONG way. we made a hypothesis of matter 2000 years ago and further back, but most of it wasnt proven untill "recently". 100 years ago radiation was discovered, and 50 years ago we had the first nuke. seeing as most races have to come some 2000 years to catch up with us, we're safe

That's not entirely true. Bacterias figured out a way to refine Uranium 1.8 billion years ago.

[RubberJesus]

But isn't it(fusion) an unobtainable theory at the moment?

no fusion is easy to produce it's just as of now it takes more energy to create fusion than we can draw out of the process, there are tabletop devices that produce fusion

Correct, The Kelownans had probably the best human version of a bomb.

I think the gatebuster naquadriah enhanced nuclear bomb is a bit more powerful as the explosion alone encompassed most of a continent and would probably end all life on that planet

[morrismike]

That's not entirely true. Bacterias figured out a way to refine Uranium 1.8 billion years ago.


Please provide a link, the nuclear power industry would be very interested to find out more.

[Voxyn]

I am going to assume that bacteria utilising nuclear fission is correct just so that I can point out that it has no bearing whatsoever on why other human races cannot or do not use nuclear fission technology.
How many human races out there in the Stargate galaxies even know what a bacteria is or looks like? I doubt it's many.
If I remember correctly, the Genii were pleased to receive antibiotics from Atlantis because their own medicines were crappy.
The Travellers have probably gotten passed the fission stage. At least for weapons.
It would require permanent mining settlements somewhere.


Also: "tabletop devices that produce fusion"?
Don't believe you. Source please.

[Giantevilhead]

Biological organisms refine minerals all the time. Uranium is naturally occurring element. Some bacteria just happened to have evolved the ability to refine it, either that or they're advanced agents sent by the Tyranid to establish a foothold on earth.

http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0010.shtml

[Voxyn]

Biological organisms refine minerals all the time. Uranium is naturally occurring element. Some bacteria just happened to have evolved the ability to refine it, either that or they're advanced agents sent by the Tyranid to establish a foothold on earth.

http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/factsheets/doeymp0010.shtml

Interesting read.
Nothing about bacteria in it though.

[morrismike]

Groundwater caused the fission not bacteria. Please go to the back of the class.

[Giantevilhead]

http://www.alamut.com/proj/98/nuclea...lock_Oklo.html

[morrismike]

Still nothing to even indicate that bacteria concentrated uranium itself let along enrich it. Water infiltrated a porous deposit of uranium and the fissile material started a very slow chain reaction. I apologize, you don't need to go to the back of the class, the corner will suffice.

[Giantevilhead]

You do know that oxygen doesn't magically appear out of thin air don't you?