US conducts subcritical nuclear test - in Nev., underground

[donsu]

the bastards

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200602/s1577409.htm

The Energy Department has confirmed the United States has carried out a subcritical nuclear experiment at an underground test site in Nevada on Thursday (local time).

The test was aimed at gathering ''scientific data that provides crucial information to maintain the safety and reliability of... nuclear weapons without having to conduct underground nuclear tests,'' the department said.

Some anti-nuclear groups are concerned that the Bush administration is trying to accelerate its efforts to develop new nuclear arms through such tests.

-snip-

The test, conducted together with Britain, represented the first since May 2004 and the ninth under the administration of President George W Bush.
-snip-
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and the really sad part is that most young americans haven't a clue about anything nuclear. which makes them dangerous.

we need a whole lot of nuke tutoring fast! like yesterday.

[iconoclastNYC]

1. Disturbing. But remember we are using nukes in Iraq

It's called depleted uranium and it is as dangerous as nuclear fallout.

The winds are picking it up and spreading it as far as europe.

[MercutioATC]

9. My local hospital is using nukes.

They have a great nuclear medicine program...

:eyes:

We are NOT using "nukes" in Iraq.

[Ready4Change]

2. Any details on "subcritical?"

I've not heard the term before.

Edit: I just read the linked article. Sounds like they detonate a conventional near nuclear material, like plutonium, to see if it is still as stable as they think it should be. I'd guess they do this to be sure that, if someone were to drop a warhead during maintenance, that it can't accidentally go off.

These aren't "little" nuclear explosions. These are conventional explosions to make sure there won't be accidental BIG nuclear explosions.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Without doing these, we'd be unsure if the existing aresenal of nukes we currently have is safe or not.

[jpak]

3. Critical goes boom and is a no no

Subcritical goes fizz and skirts the issue of renewed weapons testing...

:)

[donsu]

4. nothing nuclear is SAFE - nothing!

nt

[seriousstan]

5. BEWARE>>>>>>>>>>>>THE SUN!!!

:nuke:

[donsu]

8. yeah, without the ozone layer the sun becomes our enemy

giving us cancer and upsetting flora and fauna

[Ready4Change]

7. Not arguing whether they are safe.

Fact is, we have a huge arsenal of Cold War leftovers.

I don't like having all these laying around either. But, since we've got them, we've also got the responsibility to ensure they are stored as safely as possible, until we can rid ourselves of them.

No way they can ever be "safe." I just want them stored as safely as possible. And that requires we inform ourselves about their condition.

[RufusEarl]

6. Probably some type of tactical nuke, it's still a damn nuclear weapon!