The full scope of a nuclear detonation is almost unimaginable.
Hopefully, no one will ever experience another of these catastrophic incidents.
But there is a scientifically supported plan of action that could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the area surrounding a nuclear explosion.
So what is this plan, and what exactly would it protect us from?
To create their destructive blast, these weapons harness the power of nuclear fission– in which an atom's nucleus is split in two.
This process produces an incredible amount of energy, and in some materials the neutrons produced by one fission are absorbed by nearby atoms, splitting additional nuclei.
These chain reactions can produce a range of explosive yields, but let's consider an explosion equivalent to 10,000 tons of TNT. 、
An explosion like this would create a fireball capable of decimating a few city blocks and a shockwave damaging buildings several kilometers away.
There is tragically nothing that can be done to save those in the fireball's radius.
However, for those in the shockwave and beyond, our scientifically supported protocol could be life saving.
