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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
19 hours ago
- Economic Times
We got rare in abundance
Go forth and stumble on it The physicist Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear program, sought to extract power from the beach sands along India's vast coastline. Eighty years later, Bhabha's foresight might help India and the world break free of a crippling dependence on China for rare earth the height of the arms race during the Cold War, Bhabha switched to using thorium, which is in abundant supply in India, when the US restricted the enrichment of uranium for nuclear energy. The hunt for thorium led to the finding and extraction of neodymium as well. Kerala, Orissa or Tamil Nadu are rich in monazite, a key mineral source for both thorium and neodymium. With estimated reserves of 11.93 million tonnes of monazite which in turn contains ~1.07 million tonnes of thorium, a fourth of world's known thorium reserves are in India, making us the top source for the radioactive resource. Compared to rare earth magnets like samarium cobalt, neo or neodymium magnets are far more powerful with the highest energy product of all the magnet materials. They are high in magnetic strength, more versatile and less brittle than samarium cobalt, thereby most cost effective. Even without any heavy rare earth elements like dysprosium, terbium which we have no access to, a neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnet, will only be 10-15% weaker but fully functional and will be able to handle 95% of all applications, Vivek Vikram Singh, Group CEO of Sona Comstar -- among the biggest importer of rare earth magnets into India at ~200 tons/year estimated for FY26 – told me. By adding copper further improvements is also possible, he added. But unlike China, we never really took the next step forward – converting neodymium oxides to metal. Neither did we process that metal to make permanent magnets out of it, for modern manufacturing usage. They are called so since they don't lose their magnetic property once decades back, Beijing had the strategic vision to figure out that heavy rare earth magnets will one day run every motor in the world. By curbing its exports, China has brought the whole world to a grinding halt. This is not the first time. Back in 2010, following a spat with Japan over the East China Sea, Beijing used a similar strategy and weaponized rare earth exports. But what's worse, since we failed to see the future, Japan Inc came piggybacking on our critical minerals. Hitachi Metals and TDK joined forces and sourced neodymium from Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL) -- a sarkari monopoly similar to Coal India of the past – for sourcing. That seeded Japan's own magnet manufacturing and were soon stockpiling to insulate their domestic industries from future supply shocks. Today 94% of the world's rare earth magnet capacity may well be in China, but Japan has managed to eke out a 4% share. The rest is scattered worldwide. If necessity made Japan wiser and innovative, it's high time India – that got 53,700 tonnes of rare earth magnets shipped for multiple industry usage -- starts focussing on investing in these critical building blocks. China has exposed global vulnerabilities to retaliate against President Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcements. We should liberate ourselves too from such of anything that needs a high temperature motor, very high torque and is confined in a small space, heat resistant magnets are a must. From wind turbines, space, smartphones, robotics, fighter jets, even the missiles used in Operation Sindoor to pinpoint enemy targets inside Pakistan or domestic appliances, much of the world's modern technology relies on these magnets. Electric vehicles alone have 33% of total usage of these rare earth magnets that allow their motors to function at high speed. But they are also used in less exotic, though no less critical, functions performed by such parts as windshield wipers, headlights, starters, speedometers, speakers and seat belt are no cars in the world – electric or ICE – where usage of these magnets is zero. It may weigh just 200 grams and cost $2, but just one small component can shut down entire production. Being the 3rd largest automobile market, we are among those hardest-hit as suppliers of OEMs are staring at the last leg of their inventory that may last till mid-July. Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest automaker, is slashing the production forecast for its upcoming electric SUV did we land up on such a brink of chronic shortage? Raw materials or rare earth mining has not been the bottleneck. Value addition has. Without economies of scale, massive subsidies were essential for sustaining commercial developments and China hammered prices to such low levels that Make in India would have needed massive cash support both capex and operating quick fix workarounds like temporarily relocating the entire component supply chain and manufacturing to the Mainland will only make us fall into their hands further. This is exactly what China is hoping for. Currently, it's a Rs 1800 crore problem. Killing the homegrown components industry will have a multi-billion dollar impact jeopardising both employment and what to do about magnets? The solution may involve three stages: One, in the short run, hammer out a diplomatic solution with China to save the domestic auto-component industry. But fundamentally, we cannot shy away from developing indigenous magnets making capacities of at least 5000 tonnes. Neodymium oxides are in abundance – IREL's annual production is estimated at 1200 tonnes -- and can easily be stepped up. Step two therefore means working with domestic miners like Hindalco, Vedanta or Tatas to help with the intermediary steps. If there was ever a strong economic case for production-linked incentive, then this must be it. Three: Any component manufacturer with knowledge of metallurgy and is familiar with processes like pressing, sintering, coating and forging can then step in to work with the metal powder and finish making the final product. With domestic capacity, heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium – currently on the ban list – can be imported from countries like Australia and other friendly nations that have massive untapped reserves of rare earths. A step-by-step approach will also be a tribute to Bhabha, who also conceived India's nuclear power program in three stages. However, some caution is warranted. Rare earth mining is a highly polluting activity. Ruining our coastal ecology for the sake of a magnet in electric vehicles will involve costly trade offs. They need to be thought through. If rare earths extraction comes at the planet's expense, EV solutions will become part of the problem. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Benchmarked with BSE 1000, this index fund will diversify your bets. But at a cost. Yet another battle over neem; this time it's a startup vs. Procter & Gamble Warren Buffett-fan Pabrai is betting big on Edelweiss' Rashesh Shah. Will it pay off? Move over tariffs, China wields rare earths in an economic war of a different kind Stock Radar: MGL trades above upwards sloping trendline, reclaims 100-EMA; check target & stop loss F&O Radar | Deploy Bull Call Spread in GAIL to play a bullish bet These 7 banking stocks can give more than 20% returns in 1 year, according to analysts Being an Amul shareholder is not possible; the next best dairy sector bets: 4 stocks, different market caps, upside potential is incidental
India.com
2 days 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
5 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.
