Slashdot Mirror
British Chicken-Warmed Nuke
darrellberry writes "During the Cold War, British researchers developed a nuclear landmine, kept operational during cold conditions by packing it full of live chickens. This story has appeared in a few UK media channels this morning. Probably an April Fools', but who knows? The bomb is supposedly on display at the National Archives in Kew, so if you live in London you can go and see for yourselves..." Also a BBC story and an older New Scientist blurb.
...good for dept?
Uhm, yes. They don't make very good boomerangs.
Or coffee filters. Or baseball gloves. (Although that one would be fun)
Sent from your iPad.
This BBC story says that "Plans to fill a nuclear landmine with chickens to regulate its temperature were considered during the Cold War. Officials at the National Archives say it is coincidence the secret plan was revealed on 1 April."
I, for one, welcome our nuclear chicken overlords...
What is the diffference between April Fool's Day and every other day on Slashdot?
On April fools day, everyone knows slashdot will be full of useless information. Every other day, the editors aren't aware fo this fact.
Mustm orrowwwww......
Stop
Reading
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Until
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Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
I like the fact that one of our railways cost more than a trip to the moon.
And takes just as long too
Ah. I always wondered about the origin of Cluckzilla, who ravaged Leeds during the late 1960s.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Seymour Cray would've used oxen to warm his nuclear landmine.
Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
Most people on slashdot celebrate Valentine's Day by choking the chicken. Does that count?
If this were true, I can already imagine Soviet army personel encountering this weapon:
Soviet private: In the name of Lenin, what's that awful noise?Soviet sergeant: It sounds like... Oh no...
Soviet private: Chickens? A whole bunch of chickens?
Soviet sergeant: PULL BACK!!! Tell Dmitri to launch all ICBMs! Get me in contact with the Kremlin!
Soviet private: What? They're going to peck us to death?
Soviet sergeant: Silence, cappitalist pig! Those anglobastards witll suffer for their foul crime!
Hate me!
I think everyone's overlooking the very real possibility that these chickens were used for more than just heat.
Like styrofoam in the H-bomb, this seemingly innocuous packing material (chickens) might be converted to plasma by radiation pressure, thereby dramatically increasing the explosive yield of the device.
Just wait. I give it 20 years, and we'll see these docs declassified. Of course, then we'll have to worry about rogue states building C-bombs.
Does all the included chicken poop make this a dirty bomb?