Today, we’re going to be tackling 10 more myths about nuclear war. Let’s get to it. Myth number one. All major American cities will be destroyed if Russia or China attack the United States. Rational actors are going to focus on primary targets such as nuclear weapons facilities, launchers, ports, airstrips, and military bases. Civilian populations can’t launch nuclear weapons. And for that reason, they are not an imminent threat. In fact, cities may be held for ransom and used as leverage during negotiations once the immediate first strike is over. For example, if one side managed to successfully do a first strike while sustaining minimal damage on their side, they could threaten to target civilian cities to force a surrender.

The only cities that need to be particularly vigilant are those near important corridors as they may be targeted by bombing to disrupt retaliatory actions. Cities that are close to military infrastructure such as bases, naval ports, and defense-related industrial facilities should also be on high alert. Cities that are home to important government buildings like Washington D.C. will also be targets. Additionally, urban areas susceptible to unpredictable weather patterns like wind, rain, or snow might be at greater risk for the spread of nuclear fallout. Beyond merely being the last nation standing, a country would aim to preserve as much of the society it has conquered for its imperialist objectives.

Furthermore, if it was true that mutually assured destruction would be an absolute deterrent to nuclear war, countries around the world would not be amassing conventional forces and doing large-scale military exercises to prepare for wars with Russia and China. Think about it, why build massive armies if you think everything will be wiped out in a nuclear exchange? Whether it’s the massive NATO steadfast defender exercise in 2024 or Russia’s recent leak plans to engage in a war with Europe that consists of using a blend of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, one thing is for sure, those in the highest echelons of the military do believe that nuclear wars are winnable.

So no, just because you live in a major American city doesn’t mean you’re going to be nuked when World War 3 starts. Myth number two, most of the food and water will be contaminated by fallout, so nothing will be safe to consume and will all die of starvation. Here’s the truth, if your food and water is protected via airtight containers, reservoir, or tanks, they will remain uncontaminated from alpha and beta particles. Gamma radiation will have no effect on the food, so canned foods and those in hermetically sealed packages will be perfectly fine to consume. If you have something like stored grain in an open air container, removing the first few inches of any potentially contaminated grains can minimize the risk of exposure to radioactive particles.

This is why it’s so important to have a Geiger counter or scintillator to test these types of exposed food sources. If your water is exposed, filtering it with a standard water filter can minimize alpha-beta particles ingested, but be advised that that water filter may be now contaminated with alpha-beta particles. In regions that are heavily contaminated by fallout, animals that have ingested contaminated food or water can accumulate radioactive particles in their internal organs. It’s crucial to avoid hunting wild game in regions that might be contaminated with radiation. In areas of minimal fallout, the meat from animals should be generally safe to eat.

Using a Geiger counter to test the meat beforehand will be imperative. Generally speaking, avoiding fresh produce and meat after nuclear disaster will be ideal. If you do end up having to rely on exposed fruits and vegetables to survive, the simple act of peeling them can effectively remove most of the fallout. Just make sure you’re wearing gloves. The outer layers are where the radioactive particles tend to settle, so by peeling your produce, you will significantly reduce the contamination. Myth number three. Unborn children and grandchildren of those exposed to nuclear radiation from explosions will be malformed or genetically damaged.

Contrary to what’s depicted in the movie Threads or Mad Max, this is simply not the case. In 1977, a research paper titled a 30-year study of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki found that abnormalities in children of parents exposed to radiation were no higher than those in children of unexposed parents. While some fetuses exposed to radiation may experience genetic damage, the concern about long-term impacts on future generations from radiation exposure is not scientifically supported. That said, in the event of a nuclear disaster, the highest priority for radiation protection should be given to pregnant women and young children, as they are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of radiation.

If a nuclear war were to occur and you want to take extra precautions, individuals, whether pregnant babies or children, can take potassium iodide tablets. This will help prevent radioactive iodine from entering and damaging the thyroid gland, leading to acute radiation sickness. Myth number four. Nuclear war against the US and Russia would result in mutually assured destruction leading to the extermination of the entire human race. This idea is in fact based on misleading calculations. One flawed approach multiplies the number of casualties from a kiloton explosion in Nagasaki and Hiroshima by an estimated total number of kilotons possessed by the world’s powers.

Additionally, these calculations rest on the assumption that the entire world’s population would be concentrated in an area the size of downtown Hiroshima or Nagasaki, with a Hiroshima-sized bomb detonating over each crowd. This concept is further undermined by faulty calculations that rely on the exaggerated claims about the long-term effects of radiation in nuclear war that we’re discussing in this video today. Myth. Blindness and cancers would skyrocket because the nuclear explosions would destroy so much of the protective ozone that too much ultraviolet light would reach the earth’s surface. Cops will be destroyed and food production will be drastically limited.

While it’s true that nuclear explosions do release significant amounts of gases such as nitrogen oxides which can damage stratospheric ozone, the extent of this damage has often been exaggerated in theoretical calculations. For example, research done from large weapons tests conducted between 1952 and 1962 suggested a 10% reduction in total ozone. Yet the observations that were cited during this research project showed no actual reduction in ozone levels or increase in ultraviolet light. The reasons for making such false conclusions are unknown. It’s also important to remember that the warheads used in these tests were much larger than those that we have today, meaning modern warheads would contribute far less to ozone depletion.

In addition, due to the phase-out of ozone-depleting chemicals over the past 40 years, the issue is now less of a concern amongst the public. While survivors of a nuclear attack might be at risk of skin cancer, this would primarily be a concern if they do not take necessary precautions such as wearing appropriate protective clothing in the immediate aftermath. Myth The radioactive fallout from a nuclear war would poison the air and all parts of the environment. Everybody would die as a result. The truth is, the fallout from a nuclear explosion stays airborne for a significant period of time, so by the time it reaches people several miles away, the amount of radioactive decay of many of the isotopes present in a nuclear blast will have diminished drastically in their lethality.

For example, after about 7 hours, residual radioactivity will drop to about 10% of what it was at the 1 hour mark, and after 48 hours, it decreases to just 1%. Essentially, for every 7-fold increase in time after the explosion, the radiation dose rate decreases by a factor of 10. This means it’s generally safe to leave your bunker after a couple weeks from the time of the initial blast. However, if you are closer to the blast site, you should be more concerned about debris from a ground burst attack. The earth and materials ejected from the crater will be highly radioactive and won’t have had time to decay.

It’s important to note that a nuclear explosion produces a complex mix of nearly 300 different isotopes of elements, with half-lives from fractions of a second to millions of years. So some of these isotopes will be highly radioactive for an extended period of time after the initial blast. But by and large, the lethality of radioactive fallout has been grossly exaggerated. Myth number 7, radioactive fallout penetrates everything. Gamma radiation is absolutely deadly, but there are proven ways to drastically reduce your exposure to deadly gamma radiation from radioactive fallout. The key is to increase the amount of shielding between yourself and the outside.

Shielding can essentially be any heavy, dense material. The more shielding you have, the less gamma radiation you’ll be exposed to. When building a radiation shield, consider the halving thickness of the materials you use. This is the thickness required to reduce radiation exposure by half. For example, packed dirt has a halving thickness of about 3.6 inches. That means every 3.6 inches of dirt you put between you and the irradiated hellscape outside is going to half your exposure to radiation. You can also use other things, like books, water jugs, or even concrete. The concrete halving thickness, for example, is 2.4 inches.

Using multiple layers of denser materials will offer more protection. For more detailed information on this topic, go and check out our video featuring Kai the Radiation Guy. Myth number eight. A heavy nuclear attack would cause firestorms that would exhaust the oxygen in the air. Those sheltered would likely be killed by the intense heat. The reality is that firestorms are relatively rare because they require very specific environmental and weather conditions. Thermal pulses from an airburst, for example, can ignite flammable materials within an area roughly the size of the initial blast and cause second-degree burns to individuals up to 10 miles away from a one-megaton explosion.

However, in order for a firestorm to develop, the weather needs to be dry and clear, and the explosion must occur in a densely populated city or an area with many flammable structures around it. Cloudy or smoggy weather can reduce the risk of a firestorm developing, as particles in the air absorb and scatter heat radiation, minimizing flammability. Myth number nine. The people in the worst-hit parts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were all killed by the blast radiation and fire from the bombs. Everything was demolished. There was no escape. Anyone who believes that a nuclear attack will destroy everything and everyone is overlooking the shielding power of blast-protective shelters for survival.

For example, some people in Nagasaki survived unscathed while sheltered in air raid tunnels only a few hundred meters from ground zero. Mind you, this was only a 15 kiloton blast. Blast tests have demonstrated that small-pole, earth-covered shelters equipped with blast doors can withstand pressures of up to 53 psi without significant damage. The internal pressurize in these shelters was minimal, insufficient even to harm the occupants’ eardrums. These tests also show that such shelters can be constructed within a few days, provided you have the necessary materials. It is important to note that your house or basement will not offer you the protection you need if you are within the blast zone of a nuclear detonation.

This is why it’s imperative that you know how to build yourself a protective, blast-proof shelter. We’ll show you how to do that in a future video. Myth number ten. Some hydrogen bombs nowadays are over 1,000 times as deadly and destructive compared to the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Those who believe this myth overlook an important fact. A nuclear weapon that is 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb will cause the same level of damage over an area roughly 130 times larger, not 1,000 times larger. It’s far more likely that smaller-yield nuclear weapons will be strategically detonated a certain space apart in order to maximize the damage over a given area.

For example, Russia’s SS-18 missile comes with ten warheads, with each capable of targeting a separate location to achieve the greatest possible impact. We barely scratched the surface in addressing the complexity of these various myths of nuclear war. If you want more information, check out the book Nuclear War Survival Skills. This will provide you a wealth of information on how you can prepare for one of the worst possible outcomes. Check out our other videos here, where we talk about how to build a bug-out bag for a nuclear disaster, how to deal with radioactive fallout, discussing the effects of EMP with a NASA engineer, or one of our most recent videos where we debunk the concept of nuclear winter.

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