Yet Another Argument With Science Television: Ancient Civilization Naturally Nuked

In summary, the History Channel has found that producing nonsense makes a whole lot of sense in terms of what is important to them ($$$$).
  • #1
BadBrain
196
1
Right now I'm watching "Civilization Lost" on the H2 CHannel, and they just discussed an idea I've heard before, concerning the possibility of a nuclear fission detonation of natural origin having destroyed an African civilization.

I don't buy that. :mad:

I mean, even those of us who have never helped design nuclear reactors are still physicists, and we know how difficult it would be to come up with a design that would reach critical mass, and how we would bite our fingernails hoping the thing would actually work.

What they appear to be suggesting is that the combination of uranium ore (NOT elemental uranium, but uranium ore) and water created a natural nuclear reactor, so that you essentially have an uncontained controlled nuclear fission reaction à la Fukushima or Chernobyl.

Sorry about the nice civilization, but I just can't buy this explanation for its disappearance.

Then again, someone on another site to which I regularly post said that I was one lab accident short of becoming a comic-book super-villain! :rofl:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2


BadBrain said:
What they appear to be suggesting is that the combination of uranium ore (NOT elemental uranium, but uranium ore) and water created a natural nuclear reactor,
This did happen long ago. It's the Oklo natural reactors. See http://www.ans.org/pi/np/oklo/. By "long ago" I meant 1.5 billion years ago, just a tiny bit older than the oldest civilization.

The History Channel has found that producing nonsense makes a whole lot of sense in terms of what is important to them ($$$$).
 
  • #3


Nuclear fission did occur naturally. There was no explosion: some steam was released. The radioactive decay products were found in our time.

Sadly the History channel has gone the National Enquirer route. I guess that is where the money is. They had a broadcast about the teleportation of a Navy destroyer, this allegedly due to the consequences of Einstein's Unified Field Theory.
 
  • #4


PatrickPowers said:
Nuclear fission did occur naturally. There was no explosion: some steam was released. The radioactive decay products were found in our time.

Sadly the History channel has gone the National Enquirer route. I guess that is where the money is. They had a broadcast about the teleportation of a Navy destroyer, this allegedly due to the consequences of Einstein's Unified Field Theory.

So what you're saying is that what happened wasn't Fukushima nor Chernobyl, but, rather, Three Mile Island.

That must have been one rich concentration of uranium ore!

D.H.:

Thanks for the link! :wink:
 
  • #5


Well, anyways, here's my musical salute to that poor lost civilization in Gabon (even though it's a Brazilian Santerist song that refers to Cameroon (which is, at least, adjacent to Gabon)).

Well, here it is:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #6


BadBrain said:
So what you're saying is that what happened wasn't Fukushima nor Chernobyl, but, rather, Three Mile Island.

That must have been one rich concentration of uranium ore!

D.H.:

Thanks for the link! :wink:

It was a small scale event. At the time the concentration of U-235 (or is it 238, I don't recall) was high enough (5%?)that reactions could occur naturally. Since then enough has decayed that the concentration is 3% or so and must be enriched artificially.
 
  • #7


PatrickPowers said:
It was a small scale event. At the time the concentration of U-235 (or is it 238, I don't recall) was high enough (5%?)that reactions could occur naturally. Since then enough has decayed that the concentration is 3% or so and must be enriched artificially.

Yeah, 1.5 -1.7 billion years ago, Uranium ores would have contained significantly higher concentrations of fissile U-235, as it's half-life is ~700 million years. A cave lined with this rich ore, and periodically filling with a neutron moderator could in theory (and evidently) become a natural reactor.
 
  • #8


D H said:
By "long ago" I meant 1.5 billion years ago, just a tiny bit older than the oldest civilization.

Uh, looks to me that you're off by at least three orders here.
 
  • #9


MarcoD said:
D H said:
By "long ago" I meant 1.5 billion years ago, just a tiny bit older than the oldest civilization.
Uh, looks to me that you're off by at least three orders here.
Only 3? I make it 5 at least.
 
  • #10


MarcoD said:
Uh, looks to me that you're off by at least three orders here.
If I was only off by three orders of magnitude, that would place the lost culture of Atlantis at about 1.5 million years ago. Shoot! Everyone knows that Atlantis was founded no earlier than 15,000 years ago. I was off by at least five orders of magnitude.More seriously, do I really need to add some smiley or a /sarc tag every time I make an obvious attempt at humor? (And that “By "long ago" I meant 1.5 billion years ago, just a tiny bit older than the oldest civilization” should have been obvious.)
 
  • #11


I think we all know what is REALLY going on here...

ancient-aliens-it-was-aliens.jpg
 
  • #12


mplayer said:
I think we all know what is REALLY going on here...

ancient-aliens-it-was-aliens.jpg

Love it.

F**kin' love it.
 
  • #13


mplayer said:
I think we all know what is REALLY going on here...

ancient-aliens-it-was-aliens.jpg

You'll fit in well here.
 

1. What evidence supports the idea that ancient civilizations were naturally nuked?

The evidence for ancient civilizations being naturally nuked is mostly based on geological and archaeological findings. For example, scientists have discovered evidence of high levels of radiation in ancient sites, such as Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan and Harappa in India. Additionally, there have been findings of vitrified stone, which is created when extreme heat melts and fuses rock together, in several ancient sites around the world. These findings suggest that a powerful and intense heat source, similar to a nuclear explosion, was present in these areas thousands of years ago.

2. How could a natural nuclear event occur without human intervention?

There are several theories on how a natural nuclear event could have occurred without human intervention. One possibility is a massive solar storm, also known as a coronal mass ejection, which could release a burst of charged particles that would cause a nuclear reaction when interacting with uranium deposits on Earth’s surface. Another theory suggests that a comet or meteor impact could have triggered a nuclear reaction by compressing and heating up the surrounding rocks and minerals. Additionally, some scientists believe that a natural nuclear reactor, similar to the one found in Oklo, Gabon, could have occurred in ancient times and produced a nuclear explosion.

3. What impact would a natural nuclear event have on ancient civilizations?

A natural nuclear event would have a catastrophic impact on ancient civilizations. The explosion would release a massive amount of energy, causing destruction and devastation in the surrounding areas. The resulting shockwaves, heat, and radiation would have killed or injured humans and animals, destroyed buildings and infrastructure, and contaminated the environment. This would have led to the collapse of these civilizations and a significant disruption in human history.

4. Is there any evidence of a natural nuclear event happening in modern times?

Yes, there is evidence of a natural nuclear event happening in modern times. In 1908, a massive explosion, known as the Tunguska event, occurred in Siberia, Russia. The explosion, estimated to be about 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, devastated an area of over 800 square miles. However, scientists believe that the explosion was caused by a meteor or comet impact, rather than a natural nuclear event.

5. Can natural nuclear events happen in the future?

Yes, natural nuclear events can happen in the future. While rare, the conditions for a natural nuclear explosion still exist on Earth, such as high concentrations of uranium and other radioactive elements. Additionally, the potential for a massive solar storm or a comet or meteor impact still exists. However, with advancements in technology and better understanding of these events, scientists are better equipped to predict and potentially prevent such catastrophes from happening in the future.

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top