Oppenheimer, Atomic Bomb and Population Health
A brilliant movie on a phenomenal but dangerous discovery..
Oh - I do love a good movie. To think that going to the cinema may become a thing of the past because of Netflix, Amazon and other forms of streaming makes me quite sad. Going to the cinema is always quite exciting. Tucking into popcorn with a loved one (or alone) with others around you who are equally excited to watch a movie is a brilliant experience.
It feels even better when the film is good and I must say, Oppenheimer was a brilliant movie. Based on the American theoretical physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan takes a fairly “geeky” character and makes him one of international intrigue. I won’t spoil it for you but this theatrical take on the “father” of the atomic bomb was pretty spectacular.
I had some idea about who Oppenheimer was through my own studies in history but the process by which he and his team created the atomic bomb was very interesting. One can marvel at the wonders of nuclear physics but I’m sure Oppenheimer never imagined the impact nuclear technology could have on health.
The Cold War era was defined by anxiety around the use of nuclear weapons. In addition to their potential to cause thousands of deaths in a blink of an eye, the long term effects of nuclear weapons are now well known. Such weapons do not simply create an explosion but rather causes a fission reaction that produces a number of deadly “waves.” These include blast waves, thermal waves, radiation and an eventual radioactive fallout which each have their own effects. Numerous studies and modelling has been done on the effect of nuclear weapons on physical health, crop health, life expectancy and other parameters. I’ve recently had a look at some studies, primarily done on those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and here are some really startling findings:
Among the long-term effects suffered by atomic bomb survivors in Japan, the most deadly was leukaemia in children. The Radiation Effects Research Foundation estimates the attributable risk of leukaemia to be 46% for bomb victims.
Studies have also estimated the attributable rate of radiation exposure to solid cancer to be 10.7%.
Data on births in the 30-year period after the atomic bomb demonstrated increases in children with a small head size and mental disability, as well as impairment in physical growth.
The fallout from a nuclear explosion would lead to a cooling of the atmosphere resulting in shorter growing seasons, food shortages and eventual famine.
There is a significant risk of sea life with ocean identification. This can be specifically be seen in former nuclear testing grounds such as Algeria, Kazakhstan and the USA.
Unfortunately, conflicts continue globally and countries around the world are holding onto nuclear weapons. Testing continues to be conducted and despite the diversified ways in which the components of such weapons can be obtained, the threat of fallout whether due to an explosion or from labs is possible.
Oppenheimer found himself in a moral conundrum which I can totally appreciate. Not only was there a risk of the atomic bomb falling into the wrong hands, there was also the issue of the radiation potentially ruining the lives of anyone it came into contact with.
Let’s hope we can emerge from this dark century with a brighter and healthier future.
See you soon :)
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