Was the bombing of Japan Necessary?
“No. And it wasn’t necessary either. Militarily Japan was finished (as the Soviet invasion of Manchuria that August showed). Further blockade and urban destruction would have produced a surrender in August or September at the latest, without the need for the costly anticipated invasion or the atomic bomb.
Could the Chernobyl disaster be prevented?
The Chernobyl series seems to suggest there were a number of ways the explosion could have been prevented. These include if the staff at Chernobyl had been better trained, if the Soviet government had learned from the lessons of the past and if they had not been so averse to spending money.
Why did they bury the Chernobyl victims in concrete?
When Ignatenko died, his body — along with those of 27 other firefighters who died of radiation sickness in the following weeks — was still radioactive. They had to be buried beneath hefty amounts of zinc and concrete to protect the public.
Did a helicopter actually crash at Chernobyl?
The helicopter crash The dramatic scene early on in which a helicopter crashes while attempting to fly over the reactor — apparently due to the intense radiation — never happened.
Are animals in Chernobyl mutated?
Despite looking normal, Chernobyl’s animals and plants are mutants. According to a 2001 study in Biological Conservation, Chernobyl-caused genetic mutations in plants and animals increased by a factor of 20.
Is it safe to visit Pripyat?
Both Chernobyl and Pripyat have been deemed safe for tourists to visit since 2010. However, tourists have to be screened before they visit and checked for radioactive particles after they leave. Tourists are also told not to touch objects that have been cordoned off and not to sit down anywhere.
Can you visit the elephant’s foot?
In this incident, the Corium resembles the shape of an elephant’s foot, hence the name. Today, it still radiates heat and death, and is therefore still very dangerous. Fortunately, it is sealed under the New Safe Confinement, so visiting the Chernobyl Power Plant and working near the new sarcophagus is safe.
How long will Pripyat be uninhabitable?
Caesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years before it decays while iodine-131 is much more short-lived at just eight days. However, the stronger radiation around the power plant itself has likely rendered the immediate area of the disaster uninhabitable for 20,000 years.
Is Pripyat still uninhabitable?
The areas surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, including the nearby city of Pripyat, have since deteriorated into abandoned ghost towns. But some residents have returned to their villages following the explosion and evacuation, despite dangerous levels of radiation, and some remain there today.
How many miles around Chernobyl is uninhabitable?
The Exclusion Zone was established on 2 May 1986 soon after the Chernobyl disaster, when a Soviet government commission headed by Nikolai Ryzhkov decided on a “rather arbitrary” area of a 30-kilometre (19 mi) radius from Reactor 4 as the designated evacuation area.
How long will Fukushima be uninhabitable?
Workers at Fukushima Daiichi are battling with huge quantities of radioactive water, while decommissioning the plant is expected to take at least four decades.