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British Chicken-Warmed Nuke

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the chickens-is-there-anything-they're-not-good-for? dept.

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.

9 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. Not a prank by Space+cowboy · · Score: 5, Informative


    The BBC are running a separate 'this is true, honest' story, detailing other unlikely stories alongside... I like the fact that one of our railways cost more than a trip to the moon.

    Only in the UK...

    Simon

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
    1. Re:Not a prank by isorox · · Score: 5, Funny

      I like the fact that one of our railways cost more than a trip to the moon.

      And takes just as long too

  2. from the chickens-is-there-anything-they're-not... by Em+Emalb · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...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.
  3. Not an April Fool! by CaptainBaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    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...

  4. Not unusual by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Missing are the brilliant types of engineers who can find an answer to a problem around them without needing a bigger budget and stuff.

    My father worked (among the other 10,000) engineers in Oakridge, TN, during WWII and they frequently packed delicate nulcear instruments in popcorn (dry popped, no salt or butter) simply because it worked well and was easy to dispose of.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  5. (OT -- I think) Does anyone else see... by kclittle · · Score: 5, Funny
    the deep irony of being given 5 moderator points to /. on April 1?

    --
    Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
  6. Cluckzilla by AtariAmarok · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ah. I always wondered about the origin of Cluckzilla, who ravaged Leeds during the late 1960s.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  7. Lovely! by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!
  8. Partly a Hoax, partly true! by timbos · · Score: 5, Informative
    Blue Peacock does/did exist. I have the dubious privilege of having touched the only remaining example, housed in the museum collection at AWE. The other is (and I quote the curator here) `lost'!

    It was a `landmine' designed to be set on a timer to ambush the Soviets as they advanced across Europe. It was based on the Blue Danube device that was the UK's first air-delivered nuclear weapon (essentially, they removed the fins).

    The device had up to an 8-day timer, but could also be set off locally --- either by booby trap, incase it was discovered, or a trigger. Amusingly there was a 10 second delay when you operated the trigger, just time to duck and cover :o) The chickens, though? That's clearly a hoax. Apart from anything else, the device was air and water tight.