In that Twilight Zone episode with the bookworm bank teller, why is--

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the lack of nuclear fallout in the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last," where the protagonist, a bank teller, survives nuclear detonations without apparent radiation effects. Participants highlight that fallout is influenced by environmental factors such as wind and that the narrative takes creative liberties with plausibility. Additionally, the conversation touches on the differences between fission and fusion bombs, noting that modern thermonuclear weapons produce less fallout compared to earlier fission bombs. The episode is recognized for its fantasy elements, emphasizing storytelling over scientific accuracy.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of nuclear physics, specifically fission and fusion processes.
  • Familiarity with the Twilight Zone series and its thematic elements.
  • Knowledge of radiation effects and acute radiation poisoning.
  • Awareness of historical context regarding nuclear weapon development in the late 1950s.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the differences between fission and fusion nuclear weapons.
  • Explore the effects of nuclear fallout and environmental factors influencing radiation spread.
  • Watch the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last" for a deeper analysis of its themes.
  • Investigate the historical development of thermonuclear weapons and their implications.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for fans of the Twilight Zone, students of nuclear physics, and anyone interested in the intersection of science and storytelling in media.

Eclair_de_XII
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--there no nuclear fallout after a bunch of nuclear detonations supposedly destroy the world? The man seemingly just walks out of the vault after having retreated to it to read a book on his lunch break, without being affected by any residual radiation. Was nuclear physics not well-developed enough in the late 1950s for the writers of this episode to know that it exists, or is my woefully scant knowledge of physics betraying me once more?
 
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Oh that was a great episode, when he had all the time in the world now to read without being bothered, then he lost his (_______)! It's just a story, that can happen only in the Twilight Zone...….
 
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1. Fallout is fickle, dependent in winds and other factors.
2. Just because he didn't get sick in the story doesn't mean there wasn't fallout. The story ended.
3. It's fantasy.
 
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Like most if not all Twilight Zone stories, Time enough at Last took rather extensive license regarding plausibility.
 
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Last night I happened to see one of my favorite episodes, "Twenty Two." That one scared the bejeepers out of me as a kid. I looked on IMDB and was surprised to learn the creepy nurse was played by Arline Sax [Martel], later to play T'Pring on Star Trek.
 
There's an episode of the Twilight Zone where Bill Shatner (and no-one else) can see a gremlin on the wing of the plane he's on. The episode later got remade with John Lithgow. So in the episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun when Dick Solomon (Lithgow) meets the Big Giant Head (Shatner) at the airport there's a brief conversation about seeing something on the wing - "that happened to me, too!"
 
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Ibix said:
So in the episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun when Dick Solomon (Lithgow) meets the Big Giant Head (Shatner) at the airport there's a brief conversation about seeing something on the wing - "that happened to me, too!"
Did not know that!
 
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Hey you Twilight Zone and PhysicsForums enthusiasts! Try a search on YouTube for "Twilight Zone Burgess Meredith" and see what interesting videos you might find listed.
 
  • #10
Pretty sure that the end of the episode happened a mere days after the nuclear war. All he seemed to have time to do was to organize the books he wanted to read. With the exception of acute radiation poisoning from huge doses at once, any negative effects would take a long time to develop, possibly even years.

Also, I think at the time, second generation thermonuclear weapons were much more common than the first gen fission bombs. Fallout only comes from fission, which in these new bombs were only used as a trigger mechanism for the much more powerful fusion stage. A powerful hydrogen bomb probably produces much less fallout than even the Hiroshima bomb.
 
  • #11
Here's a link to the original story at the Gutenberg Project: Time Enough at Last, by Lyn Venable

[Notice: original 28-year copyright was expired in 1982; if renewed, 28-year renewal was expired in 2010.]
 
  • #12
Henry Bemis said:
That's not fair. That's not fair at all. There was time now. There was—was all
the time I needed…! It's not fair! It's not fair!
Time Enough at Last - Wikipedia
.
 
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  • #13
It could've been much worse...

 
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  • #14
PhanthomJay said:
Oh that was a great episode, when he had all the time in the world now to read without being bothered, then he lost his (_______)! It's just a story, that can happen only in the Twilight Zone...….

I would have LOVED to hear Rod Serling deliver your last sentence. Nice post.
 
  • #15
I don’t recall that episode being specific as to how wherever he was was destroyed but I could be wrong