• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Anything Radioactive Topic

The Americans went through a phase the the 50's of thinking that nuclear weapons were the answer to everything.
The "Atoms for Peace" program attempted to persuade people that nukes could be used for everyday demolition, or excavating mines. Thankfully that one didn't get very far!

Atomic Annie was a super gun that fired atomic shells, only slightly less powerful than the Hiroshima "Little Boy" bomb.

But my favourite is the Davy Crockett atomic rocket launcher. An utterly useless design that would have detonated far too close to the people who fired it.
It did, however, provide photo opertunities such as this:

DavyCrockett-W54.jpg
 
I had to share this for those of you I don't have on facebook.

I'm sure we are all familiar by now with this classic shot from Threads, of a (rather fake looking) mushroom cloud looming over Shefield...

Threads-Mushroom-Cloud.jpg



... Well today, our own @Poisson, who lives in the area, took this picture from almost the same location...

10351957_760113447353629_7647604098466681933_n.jpg



... So @Kelpie did this...

10368217_10152419559955239_8619959321625074672_n.jpg


Threads 2014: This time it's personal.
 
I'll be revisiting for a better shot and you may see more epicness, especially if @Kelpie gets her mitts on it again :)
 
Might be an interesting photo project thinking about it, "Threads: 30 years on." How many locations are still recognisable?
 
5050542351_8154958e38_z.jpg


The front falls off these flats in some of the jump shots. My Grandma lived in one of these many moons ago.

Woolworths has changed slightly but I think is still recognisable.

The Old Town Hall remains, the new 'Eggbox' part as seen has been removed (thankfully)

The Nottingham House pub still remains:
WDtaq5G.png


Curbar Edge and Buxton still exist (even if Buxton is -95 degrees most of the time)
 
Cool! (I'd hit thanks if it was there etc.)

Now the trick will be to try and line up you photos as closely as possible to the original shots. I bet that most of the time that won't be possible, as you'd end up having to stand in the middle of a road to take them, though. (And don't forget to use a 4:3 aspect ratio for that retro TV feel ;) )
 
The only improvement that could be made is if it were taken on a Friday night and someone was weeing themselves.
 
Tonight at work we were chatting about nukes (as you do). The guy I was working with had an interesting tale to tell...

Many years ago, he worked on a live stage production of When The Wind Blows, in Cardiff. He explained the simple, yet highly effective way they achieved the explosion sequence. I'll spoiler it just incase it is ever restaged and you don't want it ruined.

The pros arch of the theatre was plain black, so just inside it they built a slightly smaller arch covered in black gauze. From the audience's point of view, it just looked like a slightly thicker than normal plain black proscenium, and unless you were very familiar with that theatre you wouldn't think anything of it.
Behind this gauze were 30+ (he forgets how many exactly) 5KW fresnel lamps, pointing straight at the audience. The whole arch was filled with as many of them as they could fit in there.

The theatre had a concrete honeycomb cell like structure under the raked seating of the auditorium, and in each cell they placed the biggest bass sub available at the time. There were also several subs hidden wherever else they could be fitted.

There was an array of wind machines above the stage.

When the time came, the well timed sequence went:
1) All the 5K lamps banged on at full power in silence. Apparently it was not just blindingly bright, but also painfully hot. People were shielding their faces with their arms from the heat. They faded out over the next 10 seconds.

2) The subs started to rumble, getting louder and louder as the light started to fade. (The sound was a slowed down tank passing by, apparently).

3) The shockwave finally hit, just as the lights faded to blackout, and the fans kicked in at full blast, while the subs went in to overdrive with the sound of a tank firing it's gun (again, slowed down).

4) While all this was distracting the audience, on stage the set is very quickly changed to a totally devistated cottage. Of course, even after the lights have faded, no one could see a thing because they were still totally blinded.

5) The fans and sound faded, and everyone was left in shocked silence for several very long seconds. Slowly, the lights came up to reveal the scene of devistation in the old couple's house, bathed in an eerie orange glow, with thick smoke, and the old guy delivered his "Blimey!" line.

My friend said that the first time they put all this together in rehearsal, even when they knew exactly what was going to happen, afterwards they all just sat there in shock for a minute or two, not knowing what to say. For the audience who, while they knew an explosion was comming, did not know how, it was apparently a very breathtaking experience. It almost goes without saying that he said it was the "most moving show I have ever worked on in my life".

I don't know about you lot, but this sounds like an amazing bit of theatre. I'd have loved to have seen it for myself.
 
That looks absolutely amazing. Is it strange that I had a dream about that post last night and how it was staged?
 
Just found an interesting article about the original Godzilla film. Not the hollywood re-edit, but the original Japanese cut. Apparently it starts with a direct reference to the Castle Bravo disaster.
It shames me to say I have never seen any of the million or so Godzilla films, but if I only see one, I want it to be this one.

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/godzilla-is-our-never-ending-nuclear-nightmare
 
What the heck

Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab
It was the most elaborate Atomic Energy educational set, including four types of uranium ore, a beta-alpha source (Pb-210), a pure beta source (Ru-106), a gamma source (Zn-65?), a spinthariscope, a cloud chamber with its own short-lived alpha source (Po-210).
Click to expand...
Source http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/atomictoys/GilbertU238Lab.htm

Glow in the dark kids anyone?
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Cool! (I'd hit thanks if it was there etc.)

Now the trick will be to try and line up you photos as closely as possible to the original shots. I bet that most of the time that won't be possible, as you'd end up having to stand in the middle of a road to take them, though. (And don't forget to use a 4:3 aspect ratio for that retro TV feel ;) )
Click to expand...




I know you said this a while back but I just have to say "JESUS CHRIST DUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in a bad dee dar................. sorry Sheffield accent.
 
I've just watched "The Day After" (finally). I couldn't take it seriously. Compared it to Threads is like comparing cartoon violence to Hostel.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
I've just watched "The Day After" (finally). I couldn't take it seriously. Compared it to Threads is like comparing cartoon violence to Hostel.
Click to expand...




is that the one with Steve guttenburg. Je saved the world you know. CHEERS STEVE ( don't make anymore films)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top