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The radiation fallout from an ICBM nuclear strike would most definitely wipe out a city.

A cracked nuclear power core has ruined a region for decades.

I recall my grandmother had a couple complete sets of encyclopedias from the 70's. I remember studying nukes in them. It described exactly how to build one. It's a core surrounded by shaped charges. The charges go off and concentrates a compression shockwave at the core, triggering the chain reaction.

How the hell is it illegal to know how to build one when the ingredients and construction are publicly published? It's not like you can buy fusion material at the drug store.

I thought most science-educated people knew the procedure. The one factor preventing the construction of a nuke is acquiring the core fusion material which is extremely rare, expensive, and dangerously radioactive.

The primary difference between a nuclear reactor and a nuclear bomb in terms of their explosion capabilities boils down to their design and the reaction control mechanisms involved.

A nuclear reactor is designed to generate heat for electricity production, not to explode. A nuclear bomb is designed to release a massive amount of energy in a very short time, leading to an explosion.

In a nuclear reactor, the chain reaction is controlled and sustained at a steady rate. Control rods made of materials that absorb neutrons are inserted into the reactor core to regulate the chain reaction. By adjusting the position of these rods, the reaction can be slowed down or sped up, ensuring that the reactor operates safely at the desired capacity. In contrast, a nuclear bomb is designed to allow an uncontrolled, rapid chain reaction. By bringing a supercritical mass of fissile material together quickly, it ensures that the chain reaction accelerates exponentially, releasing a tremendous amount of energy almost instantaneously.

The fissile material in a nuclear reactor is usually less enriched compared to that in a nuclear bomb. Nuclear reactors typically use uranium that is less than 20% enriched with the fissile isotope U-235, or they use plutonium in a mixture with uranium and other elements. Nuclear weapons require highly enriched uranium (typically over 90% U-235) or a significant quantity of plutonium to achieve the fast, uncontrolled chain reaction necessary for an explosion.

A nuclear bomb is designed to quickly assemble a supercritical mass of fissile material into a specific configuration that promotes a rapid, uncontrolled chain reaction. In contrast, the fissile material in a nuclear reactor is arranged in such a way as to maintain a controlled, sustained chain reaction, preventing the possibility of a sudden, explosive release of energy.

Nuclear reactors are equipped with numerous safety systems designed to prevent accidents, including the release of radioactivity and potential explosions. These systems can shut down the reactor completely in the case of a malfunction. While accidents can occur, as seen in Chernobyl and Fukushima, these are not nuclear explosions but rather steam explosions and meltdowns due to loss of cooling and control.

Very logical. Please don't be a flat earther.

What does this mean?


What law?