Was Oppenheimer right? | What would happen if a nuclear bomb was dropped on a UK city?

It's a question that was once incredibly important, then became less relevant, but with current global politics has come back to the fore – What would happen after a nuclear strike?

Mike Fernie investigates this brutally apocalyptic subject matter by visiting Scotland's secret bunker in the Kingdom of Fife, diving into the science and engineering behind both atomic and hydrogen weapons.

Music: MB01WOVIHQAGMXK

[offgrid]

Building bunkers for the very people that start the wars is insanity. Putting our "leaders" in harms way and making sure they know they're the first to go is by far the best way of preventing any such conflict.

[alanjames]

Great video. However there is one additional aspect of a nuclear explosion that you didn't mention. After the initial flash followed by heat and then blast there is a fourth effect - it is called drag back. Once the force of the shock wave is over the air rushes back to fill the vacuum created by the shock wave. The drag back effect causes further catastrophic damage.

[laurelhardy]

In the event of a nuclear explosion, I would like to be in the 3 mile zone area, so I would disintegrate ASAP.

[rbob]

As a kid in the 80's, my mother worked for the MoD within the Nuclear department. If an attack was imminent, she had a place in a bunker, but the family did not. And for the reason, that after many years going down bunkers for fire drills. The amount of video's and classified footage of the effects from these, she left the department and worked elsewhere. Her advice was that if one went off, she would just march us outside. I guess, because we would not feel a thing and would be the kindest thing to do for us all, rather than try and survive along with the cancer rate and other diseases within an apocalyptic world.

[ADF]

After the bomb goes off all we'll hear is Clarkson say "And on that bombshell"

[chrisholland]

In 1984, the BBC produced a documentary drama, 'Threads ' .It was made during the Cold War and was critically acclaimed. It was said this docu drama was the closest Britain came to nuclear war.

[XpunisherX]

Imagine spending your life career as a physicist and you make history by splitting the atom but your government sees potential to use it as a form of world control

[georgesmith]

Cant wait for the follow up video - James May Reassembles Thermo-Nuclear Bomb part 1

[Graham_Wideman]

Nothing says "expertise" like "nucular".

[gmarkisGianmarcoMaioli]

The eeriness from watching this vid whilst on a casual walk in the neighbourhood is on another level.
I started picturing what a nuclear mushroom would look like on the horizon.

[AJ_UK_LIVE]

I must congratulate your team on your cinematography. Top notch colour-grading here. A beautiful and interesting video. Well done.

[kalmm]

If you were in the bugout bunker kitchen i imagine you would be fine.

[mrxcx]

This was such an informative video. It is such a scary thought that any country in the world would even consider this in today's day and age.

[karlsilcock]

I've always wondered what justification politicians used to justify their survival post apocalypse and the same goes for any nobility that would have been saved as well. Why save a group of people who's skill sets would in all honesty be quite useless and in fact are more likely to be a drain on whatever society would be left than any realistic benefit.

[thornbird]

I watched Threads the British movie of a nuclear war, its horrific 😢 and knowing now the bombs are so much stronger, it would be quite easy to destroy the planet 😮

[arunodg]

1. lucy does a budget travel show
2. james may promotes his new gin
3. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF A NUCLEAR BOMB-

[HHH]

Great job Mike. You need to do more of this type doc videos.

[stuartkseels]

Mike, as much as we all love you. There is only ONE 'U' in nuclear!

[Kevinfordsynthesizers]

Over 30 years ago I supplied valves and other plant controls. Many nuclear shelters were still in operation at the time and I visited a couple under the strictest security. The air filtration plants would fail regularly - usually every fortnight- and as I was informed by one of the engineers, in the event of nuclear attack one of the personnel who would not be permitted in the facility at that critical time would be the engineers..

[JG]

I always found it interesting that the Cheyenne Mountain Complex was designed specifically to withstand nuclear (thermonuclear I believe) weapons, but by the time construction was completed the thinking was that a direct hit would still be able to destroy it. It’s also fascinating to me that the only way a fusion reaction can be kicked off (with current tech) is by using a fission reaction. Simply incredible.