Fun With Nuclear Testing

[Mad Max RW]

<strong>[Community -> Update]</strong>

Here's a couple stories coming from opposite sides of the world that somehow relate to each other. Earlier today <A HREF="http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jh ... /worldNews" target=_blank>Russia successfully test fired</a> their brand new Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile. Remember, the one that can supposedly get past the <A HREF="http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,141 ... 66,00.html" target=_blank>US's cutting edge defense system</a>. Good news for Russia. Bad news for people who thought the Cold War was over.
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<br>In the US, instead of testing actual nuclear weapons to see if they still work, a bunch of clever scientists figured with a lot more money they can <A HREF="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2959711" target=_blank>simulate the whole thing</a> in the fastest computer on the planet. The huge stockpile of nukes is getting older, and nobody really knows what's going on inside all of them or if they might spontaneously blow up. They might also do nothing when actually needed. Nuclear physicist <B>Bruce Goodwin</b> explains the government's approach:<blockquote><em>"They are made out of very corrosive materials," Goodwin said. "Yet the charge from the government is that this warhead -- which is made of these materials which are not happy with each other -- should remain perfectly safe and reliable indefinitely."</em></blockquote>The seven-minute simulation will take about four months. With technology ten years ago it would have taken 60,000 years.

[Gadro]

Good news for Russia. Bad news for people who thought the Cold War was over.

Well, I don't see the point with Cold War... They have weapons, of course, Cold War or not. But anyway, indeed, I don't think that nuclear weapons are really up to date and efficient weapons nowadays.

[S4ur0n27]

That's for sure! Russia would launch a nuke, it would get shot down over the Pacific by the mad american defense system and radioactive clouds would go around dropping mad acid rains over everyone's head, but HEY, this isn't important!

[Kashluk]

It's M.A.D. lemme tell ya, it's M.A.D.

This might sound really pessimistic, but I wouldn't be so surprised if there was a new cold war. Russia's been going to the shitter lately, because Putin's trying to create a whole one-party police state once again. He's got the duma, he's got all the ministerys plus he has a strong foothold in both secret service and military. One little change in the law and he can be the president indefinitely, too. Hooray!