All Segments
Hydrogen bombs are TOO BIG to be worth making
4 segments available
From my conversation with Richard Rhodes, historian and author of "The Making of the Atomic Bomb." Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMdMiYsfHKo Or read the transcript here: https://www.dwarkeshpatel.com/p/richard-rhodes Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwarkesh_sp Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3oBack9 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3S5g2YK
Segments Timeline
The Limits of Hydrogen Bombs
Richard Rhodes discusses Edward Teller's calculations regarding the potential size of hydrogen bombs, revealing that a bomb exceeding 100 megatons would be impractical. Teller concluded that such a bomb would create a fireball too large to be effective, as it would simply dissipate into space, highlighting the limitations of nuclear weaponry.
" The atom bomb, the pictures we see of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, that is simply the detonator of a modern nuclear bomb. Edward Teller was the co-inventor of the hydrogen bomb. He sat down and calcu..."
The Limits of Hydrogen Bombs
Richard Rhodes discusses Edward Teller's calculations regarding the potential size of hydrogen bombs, revealing that a bomb exceeding 100 megatons would be impractical due to the lack of a sufficiently large target on Earth. He explains that a 1000-megaton bomb would create a fireball too large to be effective, as it would simply dissipate into space, highlighting the military inefficiency of such massive weapons.
" The atom bomb, the pictures we see of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, that is simply the detonator of a modern nuclear bomb. Edward Teller was the co-inventor of the hydrogen bomb. He sat down and calcu..."
Oppenheimer's Perspective on Targets
In this segment, Rhodes shares a pivotal moment involving Robert Oppenheimer, who was asked if he would have used a hydrogen bomb on Hiroshima. Oppenheimer's response underscores the idea that the target was too small for such a massive weapon, emphasizing the strategic considerations behind nuclear warfare.
"So he figured that it would just be a waste of energy because it would all blow out into space. So he figured that a bomb more than a hundred megatons would just be a total waste because there's n..."
Oppenheimer's Perspective on Targets
In this segment, Rhodes recounts a pivotal moment where Robert Oppenheimer was asked if he would have used a hydrogen bomb on Hiroshima. Oppenheimer's response underscores the notion that the target was too small for such a powerful weapon, emphasizing the strategic considerations that limit the use of hydrogen bombs in warfare.
"there's no target on earth big enough to justify that from a military point of view. Robert Oppenheimer was asked, "If you'd had a hydrogen bomb for Hiroshima, wouldn't you have used it? And Oppen..."