# Japanese Bombs in Oz **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 17, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735 "2001-08-17T15:00:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jordi\_Pujol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/858c86/32.png) [@Jordi\_Pujol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jordi_Pujol)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/1 "2001-08-17T15:00:11Z")
What I think all those Aussies saw was Paul Hogan’s career. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010817.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010817.html) ---
**Author:** ![ModernRonin2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@ModernRonin2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ModernRonin2)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/2 "2001-08-17T17:44:45Z")
Here’s an idea, genii: SEND A GUY WITH A GEIGER COUNTER TO THE SUPPOSED SITE OF THE BOMB. I do not know of any kind of nuke that does not leave residual radiation around. Even 50 years later, the background radiation levels in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still measurably higher than average. if the Aum cult set off a nuke, we should be able to find the radiation in the air all around the site, no problem. Four years is not an issue. I hope this has been done, and the crackpots who advance the nuke theory are just hiding the info because it doesn’t support their whack-job point of view. -Ben ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/3 "2001-08-17T17:52:57Z")
What would a Geiger counter prove? I mean, sure, nukes leave behind a lot of residual radiation. (Ironically, less for a modern bomb than for Fat Man or Little Boy, but still a lot.) But of course, infolded Tesla slugs wouldn’t leave behind any radiation at all! Granted, the primary reason for that is that there’s no such thing as an infolded Tesla slug, other than maybe a very confused and uncomfortable shelless mollusk, but do you think that that’s going to matter to a conspiracy theorist? ---
**Author:** ![Lorelei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Lorelei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorelei)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/4 "2001-08-17T19:20:15Z")
One possible reason for the apparent fireball is that it may have been earthquake lights. One of those well-attested phenomena ignored by scientists until they can think up an explanation for them (like ball lightning), earthquake lights are seldom studied because, well, they are harder to catch and tame than Norway rats or even infolded Tesla slugs. Scientific note: In 9 out of 10 races, infolded Tesla slugs beat banana slugs to the vat of Guinness. But the banana slugs preferred daiquiris. Lorelei ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/5 "2001-08-17T21:14:57Z")
Ooh, ooh, there’s another twist dear old Cecil missed out on: Some of the most spectacular meteor “impact” events, including the Tunguska meteor of 1908(?), occured when the meteor **detonated in midair.** It is entirely possible for an incoming space rock to get hot enough on its way through the atmosphere to literally explode before it hits the ground. This is why, despite the many square miles of flattened trees, there is no impact crater in Tunguska. This may also be why there is no impact crater around Banjawarn, Australia. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/6 "2001-08-17T22:00:45Z")
Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t even a comparatively-small atomic bomb create a disturbance of more than 3.9 Richter unless (or maybe even if) it was a high air burst? It seems to me a 3.9 is too little to jump to the conclusion it was a nuke. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/7 "2001-08-18T00:02:46Z")
A 1 Meg nuclear bomb produces a 7.2 Richter, equivalent to the SanFran earthquake(the BIG one). From [here](http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast09Jul98_1.htm) What immediately set my teeth on edge when first reading Cecil’s article was > [@](#): > > The book you’re reading is undoubtedly Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country . Aaarrgh!! That damned Bill Bryson again. His books will produce more crap emails and whacko letters than any mortal alive. Wait! What am I saying? This guy will keep Cecil in business for YEARS! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/8 "2001-08-18T00:07:09Z")
Oh! And I think Clive’s response > [@](#): > > We do however note that there is no evidence of atmospheric sound waves (a ‘sonic boom’ for instance) visible on the seismic records. Evidence for these waves have been observed on records associated with known meteor sightings. --Clive Collins would indicate that it wasn’t a meteorite that detonated in the atmosphere. A quake seems the best theory. ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/9 "2001-08-18T02:43:40Z")
Here’s a [charming little website](http://janus.astro.umd.edu/astro/impact.html) which permits one to experimentally crash asteroids onto the planet of one’s choice and see the results. So, I chose the following parameters: impact on land on earth (you cannot choose a more specific target, like Perth or anything), iron composition and diameter either .5 meters or 1.6 meters (to match the parameters suggested by IRIS). I crashed at least 30 virtual asteroids at each diameter. The result was uniformly a shooting star (i.e., no actual impacts). Change the diameter to a kilometer or two, though, and you start getting nuclear-sized craters and armageddon some of the time. I don’t really know what position this supports or how accurate the site is, but you can’t say I’m not willing to do my part for the common good.😃 ---
**Author:** ![shawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@shawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shawk)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/10 "2001-08-18T04:33:59Z")
If there was a fireball, the satellites that look for atmospheric nuclear explosions didn’t see it. The double flash of an atmospheric nuclear explosion is unique, BTW. The only fireball that these satellites detected that was a mystery later turned out to be a sea test of the Israeli/South African atomic bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/11 "2001-08-18T04:47:05Z")
Umm, you need to be more accurate. The South Atlantic test by South Africa/Israel is what was made public by the powers that be. If you are not informed about it, you have no knowledge that such an even occurred, or not. Spy satellites detect far more than what will ever be made public. ---
**Author:** ![CWN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/12 "2001-08-18T21:02:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*Ooh, ooh, there’s another twist dear old Cecil missed out on: > > Some of the most spectacular meteor “impact” events, including the Tunguska meteor of 1908(?), occured when the meteor **detonated in midair.** It is entirely possible for an incoming space rock to get hot enough on its way through the atmosphere to literally explode before it hits the ground. This is why, despite the many square miles of flattened trees, there is no impact crater in Tunguska. > > This may also be why there is no impact crater around Banjawarn, Australia. \*\* I believe Carl Sagan thought it was a fragment of a \*\* comet \*\* No radiation and no fragments. The Tunguska event did produce massive shock waves that were noticed in London. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/13 "2001-08-18T23:38:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*Ooh, ooh, there’s another twist dear old Cecil missed out on: > > Some of the most spectacular meteor “impact” events, including the Tunguska meteor of 1908(?), occured when the meteor **detonated in midair.** It is entirely possible for an incoming space rock to get hot enough on its way through the atmosphere to literally explode before it hits the ground. This is why, despite the many square miles of flattened trees, there is no impact crater in Tunguska. > > This may also be why there is no impact crater around Banjawarn, Australia. \*\* Only one problem with this. The eyewitness accounts of the fireball(s) do not coincide with a shooting star, meteorite and/or defragmenting comet. So what was it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/14 "2001-08-19T01:51:04Z")
**Duckster** Now that you have assured us that government secrecy is the important factor here, just what are they hiding? And why? Unless you can provide evidence otherwise, the answers provided by Clive, the Seismologist, indicate that it was probably nothing more than an earthquake. And just because Crazy Harry decides _years_ after the fact to start interviewing witnesses doesn’t cut it. The Heavens know how many meteors they may have seen in the intervening years. Again, Duckster, Clive’s comments > [@](#): > > We do however note that there is no evidence of atmospheric sound waves (a ‘sonic boom’ for instance) visible on the seismic records. Evidence for these waves have been observed on records associated with known meteor sightings. --Clive Collins pretty much rule out an explosion, whether in the air or on the ground. How do you refute his evidence? After all, his statements about the abundance of earthquakes in the area refute your claim > [@](#): > > That area of Western Australia is devoid of natural earthquake activity to the point that records indicate any seismic activity in the last 10,000 years must either be man-made or extra-terrestrial (comets, meteorites, etc.) in origin. which you made in the other thread. What was your source for that claim? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-bombs-in-oz/76735/15 "2001-08-20T04:04:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > **Duckster Now that you have assured us that government secrecy is the important factor here, just what are they hiding? And why?** Australia has been a testing ground from high-tech since WWII. The British performed several atomic tests there at several locations. Revelations of what they were doing continue to this day. Within the last three months, Aussie researchers discovered a 50 plus year coverup regarding human test subjects during some of these tests. They’ve also uncovered a conspiracy of shipping body parts to the US and the UK to test for stronium 90 from people who lived and died in Australia. In more banal settings, quite a bit of software is tested in Australia before being released to the American and European markets. As to what they may be hiding, you tell me. I could tell you stories but without any ability to verify them for you, we would get into conspiracies and whodunits and why, things which are irrelevant to me. > [@](#): > > Unless you can provide evidence otherwise, the answers provided by Clive, the Seismologist, indicate that it was probably nothing more than an earthquake. And just because Crazy Harry decides _years_ after the fact to start interviewing witnesses doesn’t cut it. The Heavens know how many meteors they may have seen in the intervening years. I don’t dismiss Clive’s statements one bit. I just don’t trust his employer. I don’t know why the Australian government does what it does with regard to secrecy. If I did, then maybe I could understand why the ASIO amendment of 1999 allows that agency to access any computer at any time for any reason to add, modify and/or delete any data, without the knowledge of the owner of that data, nor without any third-party warrant. > [@](#): > > Again, Duckster, Clive’s comments > > > [@](#): > > > > We do however note that there is no evidence of atmospheric sound waves (a ‘sonic boom’ for instance) visible on the seismic records. Evidence for these waves have been observed on records associated with known meteor sightings. --Clive Collins > > pretty much rule out an explosion, whether in the air or on the ground. How do you refute his evidence? After all, his statements about the abundance of earthquakes in the area refute your claim > > > [@](#): > > > > That area of Western Australia is devoid of natural earthquake activity to the point that records indicate any seismic activity in the last 10,000 years must either be man-made or extra-terrestrial (comets, meteorites, etc.) in origin. > > which you made in the other thread. What was your source for that claim? It came from a couple of geologists I met in Australia. I had no reason to doubt their opinions at the time. I still don’t. I guess it comes from making friends with folks and over time, one develops a level of trust. I have a tendency to accept and believe people I trust. I also have a tendency to question any “authoritative” voice from an Australian government agency. I know the latter may not make sense to you but as I said earlier at some point, you just have to live there for an extended period to understand.