From a newspaper called “The Scotsman”:
Arms race fear over new bomb
by JOHN INNES
US SCIENTISTS are working on a space-age weapon that experts fear could trigger a new arms race, it was claimed last night.
The gamma ray bomb blurs the line between conventional and nuclear explosives. It produces an enormous burst of energy from atoms without involving nuclear fission or fusion.
Just one gram of the explosive could store more energy than 50 kilograms of TNT.
A gamma bomb would produce little fall-out compared with a normal nuclear weapon, although undetonated particles could cause long-term health problems for anyone breathing them in.
Despite the fact that research is at an early stage and a practical weapon may not be built for many years, some experts are already worried.
Dr Andre Gsponer, the director of the Independent Scientific Research Institute in Geneva, believes countries without such weapons would not be able to fight ones that possessed them.
The result could be a arms race – or, worse, a decision to resort to nuclear weapons, he claims.
• 
The result could be a arms race – or, worse, a decision to resort to nuclear weapons, he claims.
Great. Just great. Does anyone else hear four horsemen riding in?
HUH??????
Is that real?
What’s next, a war between humans and mutants who live among us?
Me thinks those scientists have read one to many issues of the the Incredible Hulk. A Gamma ray bomb thats straight out of the comic. Course wouldn’t be cool if some guy got exposed to gamma radation and hulked out. Not that would happen.
“A gamma bomb would produce little fall-out compared with a normal nuclear weapon, although undetonated particles could cause long-term health problems for anyone breathing them in.”
Scientists also noted possible long-term health problems for anybody unfortunate enough to have a run-in with one of the savage green behemoths created by the blast
Except for Hugh Jackman. Hugh Jackman would be fine.
Yep, feel free to make with the funnies.
A gamma bomb. You’d think they’d try to hide that name for it…
Two thoughts:
Its tragic that we are still looking for better to wipe each other out.
Its a testimony to good science fiction/fantasy writing when the ideas becomes real.
I’m always skeptical of news reports that include phrasing like it was claimed last night in reference to grandiose claims, without ever quite getting around to mentioning who, precisely, it was doing the claiming…
Does the Scottsman have a website? I’d love to share this article with people online.
Actually, this might work without registry: http://www.news.scotsman.com/archive.cfm?id=888972003
**Its a testimony to good science fiction/fantasy writing when the ideas becomes real.
Posted by Mike **
Mike, I think that’s the first time Stan Lee’s been accused of good science fiction writing.
I’m always skeptical of news reports that include phrasing like it was claimed last night in reference to grandiose claims, without ever quite getting around to mentioning who, precisely, it was doing the claiming…
Unfortunately, a lot of times the only way a journalist can get important information is on the condition of anonymity, thus the “it was claimed” statements. It’s one of those fine lines journalism has to toe: Decreased credibility vs. getting an important story out. (That is, of course, not counting those who use this situation to make up stories out of whole cloth…) The ideal approach, then, is to get the info from an anonymous source and follow it up with someone who will go on the record.
Actually, I’d rather they developed the gamma bomb that PAD/Bruce Banner proposed in “What Savage Beast” – a bomb that was the opposite of what the neutron bomb was supposed to be: it destroyed everything except organic matter. You drop it on a battlefield, and all of the tanks, guns, and clothes are vaporized, leaving a bunch of naked soldiers to contemplate what they are doing out there…
-Joe (who is also in favor of having women in combat positions…)
Everything will be fine as long as they keep punk kids off of the testing grounds and no one named Igor is involved in the project.
Mark B.
“Dr Andre Gsponer, the director of the Independent Scientific Research Institute in Geneva, believes countries without such weapons would not be able to fight ones that possessed them.”
Now THAT’S the sort of information Dr Andre Gsponer ought to keep under his hat if he wants people to avoid pursuing this thing.
Gsponer? Is that the Hampton Gsponer’s, I wonder?
Well, I’m glad that Dr. Banner is on our side and will probably perfect the R&D on the Gamma Bomb for the U.S. first.
That’s if he doesn’t turn all big and green first.
“Actually, I’d rather they developed the gamma bomb that PAD/Bruce Banner proposed in “What Savage Beast” – a bomb that was the opposite of what the neutron bomb was supposed to be: it destroyed everything except organic matter. You drop it on a battlefield, and all of the tanks, guns, and clothes are vaporized, leaving a bunch of naked soldiers to contemplate what they are doing out there…”
According to the PAD-penned Hulk Negative One issue, the comic book version of Bruce Banner proposed that sort of gamma bomb also, before it was resdesigned at the military’s behest to be more destructive.
(Naked army girls … gosh …)
I’m sure PAD will tell us more about the gamma bomb as soon as his home power is restored…
According to the PAD-penned Hulk Negative One issue, the comic book version of Bruce Banner proposed that sort of gamma bomb also, before it was resdesigned at the military’s behest to be more destructive.
I’ll have to pick that one up…
I’m sure PAD will tell us more about the gamma bomb as soon as his home power is restored…
Best of luck to those of you in the power outage. At least there isn’t any storm damage to go along with it like we had in Memphis last month…
-Joe
Power outage? Ick.
My condolences — during the Bay Area’s big batch’o’storms in December, we lost power for a week. That was about five days beyond “remotely interesting.”
Here’s hoping yours goes nowhere near that far.
As for the gamma bomb story … I’m pretty sure the “buncha naked soldiers” bomb goes back a lot further than PAD. I’m almost certain I remember Arlo Guthrie yakkin’ about such things in concerts at least 15 years ago if not more.
Still a dámņ good idea, though. I might even enlist. 🙂
TWL
“As for the gamma bomb story … I’m pretty sure the “buncha naked soldiers” bomb goes back a lot further than PAD.”
Does anyone else remember the Maxwell Smart movie “The Nude Bomb”?
I wish I didn’t…
Anyone know if there are any experimental space flights being planned too? Doomed looking ones, with a small crew? Anyone know any doctors with a limp planning a trip to Norway? Any contractors hired by a brooding millionaire with a penchant for large dark caves? Just checking…
funny? weapons of mass destruction are only evil when “bad” people have them otherwise there prudent and sensible and are there to protect our FREEDOM
if there are weapons of Mass Destruction. Are there weapons of Minimal destruction? They destroy very little when set off. Think about that.
*if there are weapons of Mass Destruction. Are there weapons of Minimal destruction? They destroy very little when set off. Think about that. *
How about firecrakers? That would seem to qualify as a weapon of minimal destruction.
Now, if it turns out that the bomb actually does create beneficial mutations – say, of the comic book kind – what’s to stop a wily President from bombing his own people? Claim it was done by an enemy, then round up a bunch of angry super-powered folk to wipe out whoever he wants to blame?
Hmm…aside from the super-powered part of this, maybe this has already happened…
I forgot who I first read this comment from, but a while back someone pointed out that after some point of gamma-powered dangerous mutations (Hulk, Leader, Abombination), the US should’ve immediately ceased production/research on the gamma bomb.
Why? Well, let’s think about this. You drop a gamma bomb on, let’s say, Moscow. Yeah, a lot of buildings are destroyed, and people killed and injured.
But a few thousand Hulk-power-level mutates just got created. Who are *really* ticked off at the US for dropping that bomb….
funny? weapons of mass destruction are only evil when “bad” people have them otherwise there prudent and sensible and are there to protect our FREEDOM
By bad people do you mean rulers that have used them against their own countrymen? Yeah, I would call WMD’s evil in those hands.
But then again, a hammer can be used to drive in a nail or bash in a skull. Evil is in the use. The US and other countries with WMD’s generally have them to prevent attacks, because to provoke a counterattack is too horrible to comprehend for most sensible folks.
Sorry to break this thread, but I just awoke to the news of the blackout in NY. Best to all of you folks living there, hope you’re all doing fine.
Anyone know if there are any experimental space flights being planned too? Doomed looking ones, with a small crew? Anyone know any doctors with a limp planning a trip to Norway? Any contractors hired by a brooding millionaire with a penchant for large dark caves? Just checking…
No…. but I did discover this really nifty new fruit drink….
Gingold…?
Heh, power’s back on in Cleveland. Oh no, 9 hours w/o electricity, I was forced to read a book, with a flash light. How will the world survive? (And widespread looting in Ottawa, what’s that all about?)
Heh, power’s back on in Cleveland. Oh no, 9 hours w/o electricity, I was forced to read a book, with a flash light. How will the world survive? (And widespread looting in Ottawa, what’s that all about?)
Hey, those Ottawa politicians are a crazy bunch.
Anyway, you know what this Gamma Bomb stuff means? In 10 years time, when Marvel does Ultimate Ultimate Hulk, they’ll have a gamma bomb responsible for his transformation. Because the late 1990s/early 21st century revamps will be just too dated.
Allen
Anyway, you know what this Gamma Bomb stuff means? In 10 years time, when Marvel does Ultimate Ultimate Hulk, they’ll have a gamma bomb responsible for his transformation. Because the late 1990s/early 21st century revamps will be just too dated.
Ugh, Allen please don’t mention ultimate hulk. Am I the only one who can’t stand his origin?
> I forgot who I first read this comment from, but a while back someone pointed out that after some point of gamma-powered dangerous mutations (Hulk, Leader, Abombination), the US should’ve immediately ceased production/research on the gamma bomb.
> Why? Well, let’s think about this. You drop a gamma bomb on, let’s say, Moscow. Yeah, a lot of buildings are destroyed, and people killed and injured.
> But a few thousand Hulk-power-level mutates just got created. Who are *really* ticked off at the US for dropping that bomb….
LOL
According to Bob Park, the news on this new weapon isn’t all it’s cracked to be – http://www.aps.org/WN/
THE ISOMER BOMB: HOW A DENTIST’S X-RAY MACHINE WENT TO WAR.
Well, maybe not quite. A news story in this week’s issue of New Scientist magazine reports that the Department of Defense is currently pursuing an isomer bomb, which would supposedly release its energy in the form of gamma rays from the decay of a nuclear isomer of Hf-178. Indeed, such nuclear isomers are on the Militarily Critical Technologies List. The claim is that decay can be accelerated by irradiation with low-energy x-rays. We’re told that the scientist who did the research used an x-ray machine borrowed from a dentist friend. A JASON panel determined that the idea is theoretically implausible and the evidence shaky at best. A group that attempted to reproduce the effect in a carefully controlled study at the Advanced Photon Source found nothing.
Hi there. I did a Googlesearch for Andre Gsponer and found this article:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/14-8-19103-0-40-21.html
I lack the proper background to tell whether or not it’s legit, but there you go.
So many nukes, nobody out there to use them on! That little pickle must be keeping the Pentagon and their weapons manufacturers up all night.
You will be probably very surprised to learn that this stumulated emission from Hf nuclea was “found” by a large international group of 13 reserches, one of them from Russia, other from Ukraine, a couple from Romania. ( what can you do independently if all your universities are full of chineses, indians etc.). You should also know that this effect was not confirmed by other research groups and still under discussion.
The only absolutely clear thing is that DoD is a collection of bášŧárdš
I forgot who I first read this comment from, but a while back someone pointed out that after some point of gamma-powered dangerous mutations (Hulk, Leader, Abombination), the US should’ve immediately ceased production/research on the gamma bomb. [etc.]
Tom, you’re thinking of the old Usenet chestnut, “Comics for Physicists.” Stuff like “Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider. Aside from a slight increase in his chances of contracting cancer, nothing happens.” 🙂
–R.J.