#operation plumbbob

[mudwerks]

(via CLOUD DANCER - Pulp International)

The above photo shows model Anna Lee Mahoney, aka Lee Merlin, wearing a mushroom cloud outfit. She was a dancer at the Copa Room in Las Vegas, and this photo was shot during the series of detonations at the Nevada Test Site codenamed Operation Plumbbob, which took place between May 28 and October 7, 1957

[zekekaiju]

The three most frustrating aspects of the human race was  their tenacity, uncouthness, and extreme unpredictability.These qualities are what originally necessitated the galactic blockade agreed upon by the greater council of systems and managed by the theorosians. The blockade was a mild inconvenience to most races as  the human galaxy sat right between the greater and lesser star systems. The theorosions were uniquely qualified to supervise the blockade as they had the least contact with the human race. While this may seem to be a disadvantage, other races were prone to erasing their own history regarding humans. This embarrassment fueled historical restructuring frequently resulted in a lack of perspective from younger members of their race. Only the theorosians kept an accurate record of the cosmos. It was their people's pride and even they will admit that the record had gaps in regards to human history with other sentient races. Still they understood best how dangerous and unpredictable humans were and how necessary the blockade truly was.  

Blockade Admiral Thorack theorized the unpredictability of humans resulted from their unique blend of stupidity, intelligence and willingness to die. He cursed that unpredictability at this moment. Humans had recently discovered atomic power, in the only way they discovered anything, as a weapon. Their whole history was weapons, humans had even found ways to weaponize art. Violence was the universal language of humans and they spoke it well. But that was beside the point, the point was that humanity had launched its first object into space and in a predictably uncouth move that object was a wastehole cover. A wastehole cover moving at 68934 clicks per stones ( approximately 125000 mph Earth speed contributed by Cosmic Defender 349728) that rapidly left their atmosphere and then their solar system smashing through the blockade. The ship shields were designed for lasers an asteroids. The energy net for the lasers disrupted the photons synchronicity reducing them to harmless beams of light. This was useless against the rogue wastehole cover while the astroid net was designed to catch much larger objects. The wastehole cover slipped right past them and ripped through the ships in a collision path.  Fortunately, only the command ship had sentients on it, the rest were drones. 

“Ensign  GRabildilap call a meeting of the galactic council we must expand the  blockade”

The galactic counsel was skeptical of the blockade expansion to say the least. 

“The whole Galaxy, you want to blockade the entire galaxy because some primitives launched a feces covered discus at you! That will add cycles to the transit between the greater and lesser systems. I had no idea the Theorosians were such cowards” counciler Vaetus screeched. 

He was a gramboling, a techno-organic lifeform, and also a relatively new councilman. Unfortunately, this meant he was woefully ignorant of his species' own history with the earthlings. The Grambolings had erased all data on them to cover up their disastrous colonization attempt. 

“What would happen to our colonization planets within the galaxy” questioned counciler Veretis. She at least was taking this seriously, although Admiral Thorack couldn’t help but wonder if this was influenced by her own kinds disastrous invasion that she was a part of. 

“They would have to be abandoned” here he was interrupted by numerous angry shouts. “Council we must take this seriously if there is one thing humans are good at it is weapons” again he was interrupted 

“ are we sure it is a weapon?” 

Thorack slumped slightly “no despite all our data we do not know for certain if it is a weapon or just the humans playing with their bombs. What we do know is that humans have begun looking to the edge of their gravitational system and beyond. They may have spotted us. Humans are remarkably territorial and possessive, if they think we are intruding then this may be a warning shot. We must move the blockade or risk outright war, a war history has shown us we will eventually lose. Humans remember grievances for centuries, they have feuded for generations amongst their own kind but are perfectly capable of mobilizing against another threat. They do not surrender, they do not stop and they do not die."

The arguing continued for several hours but finally it was resolved the galaxy would be blockaded and the humans left alone. Some of the council would doubtless try to ignore the blockade but the galaxy at large would be safe and that is all that matters. A few flops later (years in human numbering) humans began to send vessels into space. In a typically human way, they did this by strapping a bomb to the back of a thin metal case and launching it upward. Eventually humans would find them and contact would be made. When that day comes the Galaxy itself would have to change, but until then the blockade would remain.

Note added by Cosmic defender 349728

“Yeah we were just playing with nukes, no idea you were there.

[jareckiworld]

Satoshi Furui — Mushroom Cloud II (Plumbbob Fizeau)  [oil on wood, 1997]

[trannanas]

Kerran heitettii kaivonkansi vitun lujaa ilmaan (Robert Brownlee heitti ja se käy salilla) ja kuulu vaa poks eikä jääny mössöö tai mtn

[nelc]

Operation Plumbbob

[govpubsfinds]

“It is recognized that we are now well into the atomic age. Learning to live with the by-products of nuclear reactions is now necessary and urgent” (Pg.1).

Operation Plumbbob was the largest and longest nuclear test in US history, spanning much of the spring and summer of 1957. The tests included numerous nuclear explosions in the Nevada desert.

This report focuses specifically on the effectiveness of various designs of nuclear bomb shelters, such as the one in the photo above. 

United States. Federal Civil Defense Administration & U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (1957). "Operation Plumbbob" Shelters and Associated Tests. Washington, DC: United States Federal Civil Defense Administration.

[didanawisgi]

“Between May and December 1957, the U.S. military began a series of war games meant to simulate a Soviet invasion of California. For added authenticity, they decided to conduct these games in the vicinity of an actual nuclear explosion, presumably because the local fireworks depot was all out of dry ice and smoke bombs. As many as 16,000 soldiers maneuvered dangerously close to the blast sites of various atomic bombs for tests with names like Troop Test Smokey, which was presumably launched by its adorable bear mascot. All in, a total of 250,000 people were involved in the entire operation.

As seen in this footage used in the documentary The Atomic Cafe, the government managed to get the troops to run at the blast by supplying them with completely inaccurate information about nuclear weapon radiation. So even though this 1951 film indicates that it was well known that alpha particle radiation could enter the body through openings in the skin like the nose and mouth, an interview with soldiers immediately after the test has one soldier smiling while explaining "I got a mouth full of dirt!"

The toll of all this Red Dawning was later estimated at 38,000 thyroid tumors developing and 1,900 people dying, but, once again, that was determined only after fighting the government in court and gathering overwhelming evidence. It wasn't until the 1970s that the government began offering compensation to anyone.

Also 1,200 pigs were subjected to extreme, immediately life-threatening radiation as well. We would have mentioned that earlier in the article, but we didn't want any of you animal-lover types to read that first and let it be your whole impression of the entry.”

[humanoidhistory]

NATO observers watch the detonation of nuclear test Boltzmann on May 28, 1957, part of Operation Plumbbob.