Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site vice.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!alberta!ubc-vision!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekcad!vice!keithl From: keithl@vice.UUCP (Keith Lofstrom) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Armageddon on your pocket calculator Message-ID: <1276@vice.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Nov-83 01:05:49 EST Article-I.D.: vice.1276 Posted: Tue Nov 29 01:05:49 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 15-Feb-84 04:09:25 EST Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 35 Because the results of these calculations are politically incorrect, they should not be taken seriously by intellectuals. (Data from Science News, CRC handbook and The Effects of Nuclear Weapons ) World Nuclear Arsenal ~= 10000 MT 1 Megaton = 1e15 calories Solar insolation = 20,000 calories / ( m^2 - minute ) Earth Area facing sun = pi * (6371 Km)^2 = 4e13 m^2 ( 1e4 * 1e15 ) / ( 2e4 * 4e13 ) = 12.5 minutes sunlight Wasn't that funny? Let's try another one: Mass of Oceans = 1.67e24 grams 1 calorie = 1 gm * 1 degree C ( 1e4 * 1e15 ) / 1.67e24 = 0.000006 degree C What a relief! On the other hand: Mass of human brain (mostly water) ~= 1000 g Brain scrambling temperature change ~= +10 degrees C Population of Earth ~= 5e9 Hiroshima bomb ~= 0.01 Megatons ( 5e9 * 1e3 * 10 ) / ( 1e-2 * 1e15 ) = 5 bombs ( 1e4 * 1e15 ) / (5e9 * 1e3 * 10 ) = 200,000 times "overscramble" Horrors! :-) apples and oranges from the mathematically sarcastic (and politically incorrect) asbestos calculator of: -- Keith Lofstrom uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,chico,pur-ee,cbosg,ihnss}!teklabs!vice!keithl CSnet: keithl@tek ARPAnet:keithl.tek@rand-relay