# Atomic Test Baker

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 29, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933 "2009-09-29T01:10:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933/1 "2009-09-29T01:10:50Z")

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In Operation Crossroads, the US detonated a nuclear device in shallow water amidst retired allied naval vessels, along with captured Japanese and German ships.

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zCoxmru38Xs/hqdefault.jpg "Baker test") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCoxmru38Xs)

Is the dark streak on the “mushroom stalk” at time index 0.56 in fact a ship knocked vertical by the blast?

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**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933/2 "2009-09-29T01:44:45Z")

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yes, its the battleship U.S.S. Arkansas.  
Wiki link\> [Operation Crossroads - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Crossroads)

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933/3 "2009-09-29T04:47:48Z")

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Most Disappointing Thread Title. I wasn’t thinking Able/Baker/Charlie… I was thinking of someone from _Good Housekeeping_ setting out brownie batter on the Trinity range and seeing if you could cook it in a fraction of a second…

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**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933/4 "2009-09-29T05:49:45Z")

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> [@toadspittle](#):
>
> Most Disappointing Thread Title. I wasn’t thinking Able/Baker/Charlie… I was thinking of someone from _Good Housekeeping_ setting out brownie batter on the Trinity range and seeing if you could cook it in a fraction of a second…

Well, there was the case of the atomic scientist who lit a cigarette with an atomic bomb…

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**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933/5 "2009-09-29T15:53:25Z")

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> [@Polycarp](#):
>
> Well, there was the case of the atomic scientist who lit a cigarette with an atomic bomb…

Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atomic-test-baker/511933/6 "2009-09-29T16:01:44Z")

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> [@LIONsob](#):
>
> yes, its the battleship U.S.S. Arkansas.  
> Wiki link\> [Operation Crossroads - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Crossroads)

You can see the ship clearly at about 0:51 before the spray engulfs it.