
This weapon is much more dangerous than a nuclear weapon, its name is..., it can...
This weapon is much more dangerous than a nuclear weapon, its name is..., it can...
From rocks to rockets, the weapons of war have changed over time, but a few stand out as revolutionary for their killing power. And these are said to be the nuclear weapons. However, now there are deadlier weapons that can cause much more damage.
Thermal nuclear weapon, also known as hydrogen bomb, is a type of nuclear weapon which is based on the nuclear fusion process. Atomic bombs use the fission of heavy elements such as uranium or plutonium.
Then the fusion reaction starts with the same heat and pressure.
In this, light nuclei of hydrogen (like deuterium and tritium) combine to form heavier elements and release tremendous energy.
This energy is many times more than that of an atomic bomb. Thermal means very high temperature.
It has two stages – first: fission and second: fusion.
Thermal nuclear bombs can be thousands of times more destructive than ordinary nuclear bombs.
Whereas in thermal nuclear bomb or hydrogen bomb, fission reaction takes place first, which generates extreme heat and pressure.
Historical context
The largest hydrogen bomb ever detonated was 'Tsar Bomba,' tested by the Soviet Union in 1961. It had an explosive yield equivalent to 50 megatons of TNT. The development of the hydrogen bomb was a key aspect of the Cold War nuclear arms race. The United States and the Soviet Union, among others, developed these weapons.
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India.com
16 hours ago
- India.com
'India needs hundreds of satellites to intercept hypersonic missiles', warns..., says US planning to create 500...
(Representational image: AI generated) New Delhi: There was a time when in the modern world when wars were fought between two or more militaries using conventional weapons for both attack and defence. Since the disintegration of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, technology became an integral part of warfare. If we say technology is the lifeline of modern warfare than not many will disagree. The scenario in the 21st century has given way to new, much advanced, sophisticated, and cutting-edge systems. We can say it has become futuristic as we have observed evolution of fighter jets, missiles, artillery, submarines, and other modes. In this process, space has emerged as the base or the command centre of many countries' militaries. Space has been flooded with satellites that play key role in modern war theatre. In this regard, former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Dr. Sreedhara Panicker Somanath has warned that without a massive satellite boost, India's armed forces risk blind spots in crisis. He described it an unacceptable vulnerability in an era where wars are being fought in the skies through networking and signals. 'The importance of space for defence has been understood very well now. It has been demonstrated very well in some of the recent conflicts. For example, the Ukraine conflict. It has shown it very well how it played a role, and recently in India also,' said Dr Somanath as he cited studies according to which more than 50% of the space-based applications will be in defence. He went on to say that state-funded military programmes will soon dominate the economics of space systems. Referring to the limited role of human beings in the present day combat, Dr Somanath said, 'Many of the conflicts are not in occupation. You wage cyber warfare. Now, wars are fought to create problems and havoc in countries. There is no occupation of anything. In this context, satellites deliver critical frameworks of communication for secure command and frameworks for observation to track threats in real time.' Citing example of hypersonic missiles, which are almost impermeable to ground defences, have hastened the need for orbital early warning. Dr Somanath said the USA is working on the idea of creating a 500 satellite constellation for an early warning system and a neutralising system, detecting launches, and guiding counter-measures long before impact. Dr Somanath warned that India must balance this scale. 'You need hundreds of such satellites. Their period of observations is hardly 15 minutes and the next satellite should come immediately to cover that area,' he said. Dr Somanath called for night-vision, beyond visible imaging, thermal, radar, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, each feeding AI-driven analytics to distil massive data into battlefield decisions. Satellites themselves must evolve into both offensive platforms and hardened assets, as you have to protect your own satellites because the satellites are also a war occupant, he observed. Dr. Somanath served as ISRO chairman from 2022 to 2025. Under his chairmanship, ISRO carried out the lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan-3, making India the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole.


Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
10 Eerie predictions from history that shockingly came true
Predictions have fascinated humanity for centuries, whether they came from prophets, scientists, or writers. While most forecasts miss the mark or fade into obscurity, a rare few have turned out to be incredibly accurate. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now These striking insights offered glimpses into the future that seemed almost too precise to believe. Some were rooted in deep observation, while others appeared to be the result of sheer intuition. From world wars and space travel to the internet and organ transplants, these predictions came true in ways that continue to amaze us today. Here are ten historical forecasts that remarkably became reality. From Wi-Fi to World War, predictions that came true across the world 1. The Cold War- Alexis de Tocqueville (1840) French political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville predicted the rise of two dominant global powers during his travels in the United States. In Democracy in America, he wrote that Russia and America would one day "hold the destinies of half the world in their hands." This seemed unlikely in the 19th century, but Tocqueville's foresight was remarkable. His prediction came true during the Cold War era in the 20th century, when the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers locked in a tense global rivalry that shaped world politics for decades. 2. His own death- Mark Twain (1909) Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was born shortly after Halley's Comet passed in 1835. In 1909, Twain made a striking prediction about his own death. He famously said, 'I came in with Halley's Comet… it is coming again, and I expect to go out with it.' This eerie prediction proved accurate when Twain died on April 21, 1910—just one day after the comet's return. His statement is often cited as one of the most personal and accurate prophecies ever made by a public figure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 3. Wireless communication- Nikola Tesla (Early 1900s) Nikola Tesla was far ahead of his time in predicting the future of communication technology. In 1909, he envisioned a world where wireless messages could be transmitted easily and widely, so simple that anyone could own and operate their own device. Tesla also described a 'global brain' connected by wireless networks, anticipating the modern internet. His remarkable foresight paved the way for mobile phones, Wi-Fi, and other wireless technologies that have become essential to everyday life, transforming the way people communicate, access information, and interact worldwide. 4. World War II- Ferdinand Foch (1919) French general Ferdinand Foch expressed deep concerns over the Treaty of Versailles, signed after World War I. He believed the treaty was far too lenient on Germany and warned that it was not a true peace but merely an armistice that would last twenty years. His fears were tragically realized in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, triggering World War II. Foch's statement showed his sharp understanding of the political realities and tensions that would soon escalate into another devastating global conflict just two decades after the end of the first. 5. Photo and colour technology- John Elfreth Watkins (1900) In 1900, engineer John Elfreth Watkins published an article titled What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years. He made several striking predictions, including the ability to 'telegraph photographs from any distance,' foreseeing real-time image sharing and live broadcasts. Watkins also anticipated the development of full-color photography at a time when black-and-white photos were the norm. His vision accurately forecasted technological advances that have since revolutionized media, communication, and entertainment, shaping how people capture and share moments in vibrant color and instant detail. 6. Organ transplants- Robert Boyle (Mid-17th Century) Robert Boyle, a founder of modern chemistry, imagined future medical breakthroughs long before they were possible. Among his scientific hopes was the 'cure of diseases by transplantation,' despite having no scientific basis or technology to achieve this at the time. Nearly three centuries later, Boyle's vision became reality when the first successful human kidney transplant was performed in 1954. His foresight reflects the spirit of scientific progress—anticipating life-saving treatments that continue to evolve and transform modern medicine today. 7. The Moon landing- Jules Verne (1865) Jules Verne's science fiction novel From the Earth to the Moon described a manned mission to the moon launched from Florida. The story included a capsule called the 'Columbiad,' carrying three astronauts who splashed down in the ocean upon return. Verne's imaginative details were astonishingly accurate. Exactly 100 years later, NASA's Apollo 11 mission launched from Florida with a spacecraft called 'Columbia,' a crew of three astronauts, and a splashdown recovery in the ocean. His visionary writing remains a remarkable example of fiction predicting reality. 8. The Titanic disaster- Morgan Robertson (1898) In his novella Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan, Morgan Robertson eerily described the sinking of an 'unsinkable' giant ship named Titan, which struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The story included details such as a lack of enough lifeboats, resulting in massive loss of life. Fourteen years after the novella's publication, the real Titanic met almost the exact same fate in 1912. The parallels between Robertson's fictional ship and the Titanic's disaster continue to fascinate and shock readers and historians alike. 9. Satellite communications- Arthur C. Clarke (1945) In 1945, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke proposed using geostationary satellites to enable global communications. At the time, this idea was purely theoretical. Clarke's vision became the blueprint for modern satellite technology, which today supports GPS navigation, television broadcasts, and worldwide internet connectivity. The orbit Clarke described is now known as the 'Clarke Orbit,' and his prediction helped shape the way people around the world communicate and access information from space-based systems. 10. Smartphones and AI assistants- Ray Kurzweil (Early 1990s) Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil foresaw a future where people would carry portable devices connected to a global network, offering real-time information and voice interaction. In the early 1990s, Kurzweil predicted the rise of smartphones and AI-powered digital assistants like Siri and Alexa. Today, these technologies are a part of everyday life, transforming communication, productivity, and personal convenience. His predictions highlight how artificial intelligence and mobile computing continue to reshape society in profound ways.
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First Post
5 days ago
- First Post
How a researcher plans to save the planet by detonating a nuke on the ocean floor
A young Microsoft engineer has proposed a radical idea to combat climate change — detonating an 81-gigatonne nuclear bomb beneath the ocean floor to pulverise basalt and sequester carbon dioxide. Drawing inspiration from both past nuclear experiments and modern climate science, this untested geoengineering concept aims to contain radiation while offsetting decades of carbon emissions read more The paper presents a bold proposal to employ a buried nuclear explosion in a remote basaltic seabed for pulverising basalt, thereby accelerating carbon sequestration. Representational Image/AI-generated via Firstpost An out-of-the-box idea to counter climate change has surfaced from an unlikely source — Andy Haverly, a 25-year-old software engineer with no formal background in climate or nuclear science. Published in January earlier this year on the open-access platform arXiv, Haverly's paper puts forward an extreme method: burying and detonating a nuclear device deep beneath the seafloor to trigger a massive carbon capture process. 'By precisely locating the explosion beneath the seabed, we aim to confine debris, radiation, and energy while ensuring rapid rock weathering at a scale substantial enough to make a meaningful dent in atmospheric carbon levels,' the study states. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The method revolves around using the raw power of a nuclear detonation to pulverise basalt rock — abundant on the ocean floor — thereby accelerating a natural process known as Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), which binds carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into solid minerals. What is the proposal? At the heart of the proposal lies the unprecedented yield of the nuclear device Haverly envisions. The study calls for a blast of 81 gigatonnes, which is more than 1,600 times the explosive force of the 50-megaton Tsar Bomba, the largest nuclear bomb ever detonated, tested by the Soviet Union in 1961. The target for this operation is the Kerguelen Plateau, a remote basalt-rich region in the Southern Ocean. According to the study, the nuclear device would need to be buried 3 to 5 kilometres into the basaltic seabed, which itself lies 6 to 8 kilometers beneath the ocean surface. This depth, combined with water pressure of up to 800 atmospheres, would act as a natural buffer, containing the explosive force and localising its effects. 'By burying the nuclear device kilometers underground under kilometers of water, we can be certain that the explosion will first pulverise the rock then be contained by the water,' the paper claims. The method's core aim is to accelerate basalt's chemical interaction with CO₂, a process that already occurs in nature over geological time scales. Haverly proposes artificially speeding it up on an enormous scale. What will the plan require? Haverly's calculations are based on several key assumptions drawn from existing scientific literature. The model assumes that humanity emits approximately 36 gigatonnes of CO₂ annually and aims to sequester 30 years' worth of these emissions — around 1.08 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD To accomplish this, the paper estimates that 3.86 trillion tonnes of basalt would need to be pulverised. This figure is derived using ERW models, which suggest that one ton of basalt can sequester 0.28 tonnes of CO₂. Pulverising this much basalt would require an estimated 3.05 × 10²⁰ joules of energy — equivalent to an 81-gigatonne nuclear explosion. The detonation's efficiency is assumed to be 90 per cent in pulverising basalt, based on past modelling of nuclear impacts on geological material. Is there previous research on this? The proposal echoes mid-20th-century nuclear research. Between 1957 and 1977, the United States pursued Project Plowshare, a programme that tested the application of nuclear explosions for civil engineering. One of the most famous events, the 1962 'Sedan' test, created a crater more than 300 metres wide and spread radioactive fallout across several states. Project Sedan, a Plowshare Program test, left quite the mark! 😲 Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) created The Plowshare Program, in June 1957, to explore the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Project Sedan became the 2nd and largest Plowshare experiment. — Atomic Museum (@AtomicMuseum) January 29, 2024 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Project Plowshare intended to create artificial harbours, canals and mine pits. Despite its ambition, it was eventually discontinued due to public opposition, environmental consequences and limited success. Haverly's plan draws conceptually from these tests but differs in its specific aim — carbon capture through rock pulverisation, rather than excavation. What about safety concerns? Although the proposed detonation would dwarf previous nuclear tests, the study insists that the risk to human life and global ecosystems is manageable — if not minimal. The paper states: 'Few or no loss of life due to the immediate effects of radiation.' It also includes a disclaimer about long-term consequences, admitting the project 'will impact people and cause losses.' Nonetheless, Haverly downplays the scale of fallout, stating, 'this increase in radiation would be, according to Haverly, 'just a drop in the ocean.'' He adds: 'Each year we emit more radiation from coal-fired power plants and have already detonated over 2,000 nuclear devices.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD To mitigate radiological impact, the paper recommends using a standard fission-fusion hydrogen bomb, optimised to reduce persistent radioactive contamination. The surrounding basalt is expected to trap and contain most of the emitted radiation locally. Even so, the detonation would render a section of the seabed 'uninhabitable for decades', according to the study. The total affected area would be restricted to a few dozen square kilometres, minimising ecosystem destruction compared to the widespread environmental disruption projected from unchecked climate change. Is it worth the risk in the long term? The proposal positions this destruction as a tolerable trade-off when compared to the catastrophic effects of a warming planet. The report argues that climate change will pose a far more extensive and persistent threat to global ecosystems by the year 2100. Rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, ocean acidification and extreme weather events are already contributing to biodiversity loss and food insecurity. In this context, the local environmental cost of the explosion, the study suggests, is justified by the potential for large-scale carbon sequestration. The idea has emerged as the world increasingly entertains controversial geoengineering solutions. The United Kingdom's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) has backed an experimental programme worth £50 million to explore sunlight-dimming methods, including stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These strategies aim to temporarily cool the planet by reflecting sunlight or enhancing the reflectivity of oceanic clouds. How much will the plan cost? Beyond environmental trade-offs, Haverly's proposal touts its cost-effectiveness. According to the study, the nuclear device would cost approximately $10 billion, while climate change-related damage is projected to exceed $100 trillion by the year 2100, based on estimates by IPCC and economists like Nicholas Stern. 'This is a 10,000x return on investment,' the paper argues. The author suggests that even though the proposal is 'radical,' it offers immense economic value, particularly if executed in time to prevent worst-case climate scenarios. Haverly also sets a tight timeline, proposing that the explosion could be deployed within a decade, pending testing, design and political approval. Can this method succeed? The study lays out several conditional assumptions necessary for the success of this idea: That the detonation will not trigger a global catastrophe. That the device is too large for military use and would not escalate global tensions. That current climate trajectories continue without major decarbonisation breakthroughs. That the explosion can sequester 30 years of CO₂ emissions. Haverly maintains that this proposal must be evaluated seriously, not as an act of desperation, but as a calculated intervention. 'This is not to be taken lightly,' he warns in the study, acknowledging both its potential and its dangers. The conclusion summarises the proposition as a scientifically structured yet radical climate mitigation strategy. 'By specifying the necessary parameters, we demonstrate the potential for effective carbon sequestration while minimising adverse side effects,' the paper states. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies