How did Robert McNamara's 100 megaton bomb stay hidden from the public eye?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the historical context and technical aspects of a purported 100 megaton bomb designed during the Cold War, as mentioned by Robert McNamara in the documentary "Fog of War." Participants explore how such a powerful bomb could remain hidden from public knowledge, the implications of its detonation, and the subsequent downsizing of the bomb by the Soviets.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical
  • Anecdotal

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how a 100 megaton bomb could be kept secret, considering the potential fallout and seismic signatures from such a large explosion.
  • Another participant suggests that the bomb's design was initially for 100 megatons but was ultimately reduced to 58 megatons due to concerns about the consequences of a larger detonation.
  • Some participants clarify that McNamara was referring to the Soviets' decision to downsize the Tsar bomb from 100 megatons to 50 megatons.
  • Anecdotes are shared about the detection of shock waves from the Tsar bomb in Miami, highlighting the bomb's significant impact even at great distances.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of shock waves and their travel paths, with one participant noting that the Great Circle Route is the shortest distance between two points on a sphere.
  • Participants express curiosity about the historical context and technical details surrounding the bomb and its testing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the specifics of the bomb's design and its historical implications. While some agree on the downsizing of the bomb, there is no consensus on how such a powerful weapon could be concealed or the exact details of its testing.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various historical anecdotes and technical details, but there are limitations in the assumptions made about the bomb's design and the implications of its detonation. The discussion includes unresolved questions regarding the detection of the bomb's shock waves and the technology available at the time.

Posy McPostface
In Fog Of War, a superb documentary about the life lessons learned by Robert McNamara is mentioned the design development and detonation of a 100 megaton bomb. I have no reason to doubt what McNamara said was untrue or a lie, what's the point of that anyway?

Anyone have any ideas how such a powerful bomb could be held in secret or covertly detonated? I don't mean to imply a conspiracy; but, how could you hide the fallout, seismic and sonic signatures from such a gigantic blast? Otherwise, we'd refer to this bomb as the largest explosion and not the USSR's 50 megaton 'Tsar bomba'.

Transcript from the documentary:
http://www.errolmorris.com/film/fow_transcript.html

Quote:
During the Kennedy administration, they designed a 100 megaton bomb. It was tested in the atmosphere. I remember this. Cold War? Hell, it was a hot war!
 
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New From my understanding, the design was for a 100 megaton bomb, but they halved it because they were chickens (not really, I guess). I think it ended up as a 58 megaton explosion.
 
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Ok, did some more research. By 'they' McNamara was referring to the Soviets, which downsized the Tsar bomb from 100 Mt to 50 Mt.

Sorry, clarified this on my own.
 
DiracPool said:
From my understanding, the design was for a 100 megaton bomb, but they halved it because they were chickens (not really, I guess). I think it ended up as a 58 megaton explosion.

Yes, nobody in their right mind would detonate a 100 Mt bomb at least with the technology available at the time. Thanks to the scientists that pointed the issue with the fallout from such a bomb and convinced the Soviet leaders to downsize Tsar to around 50 Mt.
 
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DiracPool said:
From my understanding, the design was for a 100 megaton bomb, but they halved it because they were chickenshits (not really, I guess). I think it ended up as a 58 megaton explosion.
May I ask where your picture is from? I have a philia for Greek or Roman statures.
 
Ahh, so it is Coeus. A great Titan indeed. What was Prometheus relation to Coeus?
 
Posy McPostface said:
Ok, did some more research. By 'they' McNamara was referring to the Soviets, which downsized the Tsar bomb from 100 Mt to 50 Mt.

Boring anecdote

That bomb was an Earth shaker.
Dad worked at the Miami Weather Bureau office then. When he came home from work that day he took sister and me out to see the barometric pressure recorder. Back then they were analog strip charts, paper and ink. Sure enough there were two blips on it that he said were the shock waves reaching Miami , one from each side of the great circle route connecting Miami and northern Russia.

Sure there are sensitive instruments these days that detect such explosions, but to upset a meteorological aneroid barometer halfway around the world - that was really something for 1961..
 
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jim hardy said:
Boring anecdote

That bomb was an Earth shaker.
Dad worked at the Miami Weather Bureau office then. When he came home from work that day he took sister and me out to see the barometric pressure recorder. Back then they were analog strip charts, paper and ink. Sure enough there were two blips on it that he said were the shock waves reaching Miami , one from each side of the great circle route connecting Miami and northern Russia.

Sure there are sensitive instruments these days that detect such explosions, but to upset a meteorological aneroid barometer halfway around the world - that was really something for 1961..

Not a boring day at work was had, all thanks to the Russians and their 50 megaton bomb.
 
jim hardy said:
Boring anecdote

That bomb was an Earth shaker.
Dad worked at the Miami Weather Bureau office then. When he came home from work that day he took sister and me out to see the barometric pressure recorder. Back then they were analog strip charts, paper and ink. Sure enough there were two blips on it that he said were the shock waves reaching Miami , one from each side of the great circle route connecting Miami and northern Russia.

Sure there are sensitive instruments these days that detect such explosions, but to upset a meteorological aneroid barometer halfway around the world - that was really something for 1961..
Why would a shock wave take the Great Circle Route?

We did have listening devices waiting for the sound of Russian atomic tests in the air by 1949. They were hoisted by balloon trains. One of them crashed near Roswell, New Mexico.
 
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Noisy Rhysling said:
Why would a shock wave take the Great Circle Route?

What other route could it take? That's the shortest distance between two points on a sphere.
 
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jim hardy said:
What other route could it take? That's the shortest distance between two points on a sphere.
Sorry, that got linked to the Nagumo Kido Butai by means too esoteric to get into.