# Nukes and Quakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332 "2011-03-11T21:00:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332/21 "2011-03-15T05:34:45Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It’s likely enough that they created an acronym for it. > > 🆒 Not saying you were suggesting it but to be clear a nuclear power plant cannot blow up like a nuclear bomb. That is not to say they can’t cause a mess but the big boom is not in the cards for them. The physics are all wrong. Couldn’t make it do that if you tried. ---
**Author:** ![ramel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb8c5e/32.png) [@ramel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramel)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332/22 "2011-03-15T05:43:09Z")
There was one case where the rocket a nuclear warhead was on exploded, propelling the warhead half a mile away where it crashed to the ground. No detonation. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332/23 "2011-03-15T05:51:11Z")
> [@ramel](#): > > There was one case where the rocket a nuclear warhead was on exploded, propelling the warhead half a mile away where it crashed to the ground. No detonation. A good nuclear explosion needs a bunch of things to go exactly right. And by exactly I mean insanely exactly. Any part of that insanely exactly process messes up and you either get a fizzle (low yield nuke) or nothing at all. (Depends how it fucks up and it is not hard for it to fuck up…these things have serious precision to work.) ---
**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:** [March 15, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332/24 "2011-03-15T14:41:12Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Nuclear bombs are not like conventional bombs. You could stand there and pound on it with a sledgehammer and it won’t go off. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I should note that in the case of the accident in Spain two of the four bombs had their conventional explosives detonate. This did not result in a nuclear detonation but did make them the first dirty bombs and contaminated the area. Too bad for the guy with the sledgehammer, eh? ---
**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:** [March 15, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332/25 "2011-03-15T14:46:36Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > As far as I know, the nuclear weapons aren’t even armed when they are sitting in their silos, so it would be impossible to trigger them unless someone armed them first. Concur. > [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Now, in earthquake country, e.g. LLNL, I would make sure any pits or cores or other fissionable material, were stored in earthquake-resistant cradles, to prevent any inadvertent criticality accidents. Seismic safety is heavily emphasized in the defense nuclear complex. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332/26 "2011-03-15T15:45:03Z")
> [@Romeo\_and\_Whatsherface](#): > > Oh, I was banking on it being stupid enough to draw that highly coveted 12-15-year old audience.🙂 I just figured if it was so incredibly stupid that even some sugar-hyped 12-year-old would be yelling, “Aw, THAT couldn’t happen!” through a mouthful of Skittles, I might have trouble getting it past the suits at Paramount…Wait. What am I saying? Those _are_ the suits at Paramount! > > I stand corrected. Thanks. Best of luck on your new movie career! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nukes-and-quakes/574332.md?page=1)