This page will be used for Mr. Webber's P.R.S. students to complete assignments and to communicate with fellow students on issues surrounding our 10th grade World History class.
Though the principles of William's shelter are sound, his shelter would not protect him in any real way from a nuclear blast or the resulting fallout. While lead does act as an effective barrier against gamma radiation, the small and separated amounts found in the pencils would not accomplish much at all, as it takes several centimeters of lead to effectively stop radiation. His use of several layers of different materials was smart, but the layers have to be much thicker and be made of much sturdier materials like concrete or even packed earth in order to stop the radiation. His placement of the shelter in the basement was better than somewhere aboveground, but a basement is not deep enough underground to shelter him from the blast or to keep the radiation away. His shelter is also much too small and likely under stocked with vital supplies, as it is not safe to emerge from a shelter for at least a few weeks after a nuclear blast due to the still very high concentrations of radiation. If William were to simply expand upon his basic shelter he would actually have a very solid and well designed shelter.
The combination of hydrogen isotopes in a nuclear weapon leads to the liberation of a large amount of energy in a small amount of time. As a result, the products, bomb casing and other weapon parts are raised to an incredibly high temperature, almost to the heat of the center of the sun. The maximum attainted temperature is tens of millions of degrees. Because of the heat produced, all the materials are converted into a gas. Within less than a millionth of a second of the detonation, the hot weapon radiates large amount of energy, mainly as invisible X rays, which are then absorbed into the surrounding atmosphere. This leads to the formation of a hot mass of air and gaseous weapon residue. With this in mind, William’s shelter could not stand up to the extreme effects of a nuclear bomb. Lead does provide protection from radiation, but with the levels William had, the lead would not help much at all. The basement is the safest place in his house and the thick cover of mattresses could’ve absorbed some of the heat and protected him from the falling debris. Depending on his proximity to the nuclear bomb, William might have survived the blast. He would however, needed food and water to sustain him while he waited for the radiation from the bomb to subside.
Dylan Forez and Cullen Riley The psychological effects of nuclear war in the 1950s were tremendous. There was a constant sense of fear as seen with William. The Fears of people were legitimate as was the threat. Programs such as “Duck and Cover” created a sense of fear, but also a sense of awareness for the problem of potential nuclear war. Programs such as this one were taught in schools, teaching the children how to be prepared and how to use their surroundings to their advantage. Ultimately, programs such as “Duck and Cover” and the governments Community Fallout Shelter Program allowed for people to sleep more comfortably and to have confidence that they would know what to do in the event of an atomic bomb being dropped. The shelter built by the character in the article was creative, but entirely ineffective. Real nuclear shelters are built from thick layers of concrete, not pencils laid on top of a ping-pong table. Even a fallout shelter made from 10 centimeters of lead would not be completely effective. The shelter’s main defense was the layer of pencils placed on top of the table. However, in order to half the number of gamma rays passing through, 4 inches of lead is required. This is vastly more than can be found in #2 pencils. Also, the bomb shelter built in the article consisted of miscellaneous items such as mattresses, on top of a ping-pong table. Not once was there any mention of any protection for the sides. Any radiation would easily pass through the open sides of the “shelter.” The fact that the shelter was in the basement was the right idea, but the shelter would need to be surrounded by thick layers of earth and concrete to be totally effective. Also the Author was lacking a sufficient amount of food, as you must stay within the shelter for a few week before you can leave, allowing for the concentration of radiation in the environment to decrease. This means that the shelter protecting the author was more psychologically than physically.
One megaton bomb covers approximately 1.5 miles. The Soviets had bombs with 22 megatons which would wipe out 33 miles of territory which explains why these people feared for their lives. Even if one was able to survive the bomb, they might experience extreme side effects from the radiation such as the loss of hair, the discontinuation of brain cell reproduction, and curled up skin. Tim O’Brien’s bomb shelter idea was not as effective as it could have been. The amount of shielding greatly decreases the intensity of radiation depending on thickness. His pencil idea might have worked if they contained more lead, however wood and lead have both been proven helpful to effectively decrease gamma rays. His design was not that far off, since charcoal briquettes can serve as filters which reduce the amount of radiation. Gas masks are also effective which is what O’Brien tried to create with the fallout mask. Other materials such as concrete, steel, packed soil, water, lumber, depleted uranium, and air were also used in shielding designs. For example, a 3.6 halving thickness (in inches) of packed soil is needed to cut radiation by 50%. There were a lot of bomb shelters that were created out of concrete and many were basements as well which would double the protection. O'Brien should have also brought down more food and water as well as other necessities to store down there since even if he had escaped the radiation, he would still need to survive in his fort for quite a long period of time until it is safe to resurface.
Jaclyn Cunitz and Corinne Peters: William Cowling had a right to be afraid of Nuclear weapons and the radiation that accompanies them. However, his protection wasn’t exactly standard and would have been little use to him if a nuclear weapon did, in fact, hit nearby his home. Even the government recommended fallout shelters that were part of the Civil Defense were little help. He still would have experienced the effects of nuclear fallout. These effects are anything but pleasant. Much of the damage is the cause of the shock wave. It is a solid wall of pressure that rushes outward from the explosion. It is strong enough to blow the walls away from a building, but since William’s structure is underground it would have a fighting chance as long as it was far enough away from ground zero. Another obstacle that his shelter would have to overcome would be the initial heat of the explosion. A person standing six miles away from the explosion will get six degree burns and, closer to the explosion, large areas will burst into flames simultaneously. But, the most log-term devastation is the nuclear fallout, or the residual radioactive hazards. William’s pencil-shield would be no help against this. After the explosion much of the material falls back down to earth within minutes, but some of the debris travels much higher and goes into the atmosphere. All of this material will then be spread out over the earth for the next few hours, days, and maybe even months. In fact, some of it could remain in the stratosphere for tens of years. Overall, William’s Ping-Pong table/ makeshift fallout shelter would do next to nothing for him if there was a nuclear attack. When people heard about all of these horrible effects, they became very panicky. In response to this fear, the government posted plans for fallout shelters. These were designed to allow survival and protection from radiation in a nuclear attack. Most commonly, these were built in basements. People often did this because of government recommendation. They thought that a few extra feet of earth would offer more protection. Also, the government posted the recommended widths of radiation repelling materials for walls. For example, materials included .4 inches of lead and 2.4 inches of concrete. Frequently, extra materials or multiple layers were added for more protection. The entrances to these shelters were angled, so gamma rays could not enter. A hand-cranked blower was attached by a pipe to a filter mechanism on the surface in order to provide ventilation. These shelters were also stocked with food and other necessities. In reality though, they were just safety blankets. They just made people feel good. If you really were within a certain distance of the attack, death would be inevitable. If, however, the shelters were a bit farther away, then they might have proven to be effective.
John Heenan and Emma- William's shelter would not be of much use if he is at all near Ground Zero. If we assume a bomb of 1 megatons, Chicago would be completely destroyed. Within 30 miles of Ground Zero, he is getting way more than a lethal dose of radiation, and even if the immediate blast doesn't kill him, he'll die for certain. If he is close enough, parts of his shelter, such as the cardboard will spontaneously combust. If he is close enough, the building he lives in will be knocked over by shock waves, crushing him under his pingpong table. If he is very close to ground zero, he may be instantly vaporized. Within a 90 mile radius, he will get a lethal dose and die within 2-14 days. Within about 160 miles, he will suffer severe effects including serious radiation sickness and birth defects and need emergency medical treatment to survive. If he is 250 miles away, he will escape with minor radiation sickness. The city of Chicago is 228.443 square miles which is definitely within the impact zone of the bomb. About 2.8 million people live in the city limits with many more outside in the suburbs. The only thing his bomb shelter changes is the way he thinks about his safety. If a bomb fell on his city, he would die, with or without the shelter. With it, he feels more confident with his government and his country and rather than pushing to end the war, he remains quiet and not threatened.
The effects of Nuclear bombs vary on a multitude of factors including (but not limited to) altitude and weather conditions in the area that is being bombed, as well as weapon design and explosive force. Energy released from Nuclear bombs is much greater than that produced by a chemical reaction. The environment is affected by nuclear bombing as well as humans. If an individual is within 90 miles of the initial site that was bombed, said person will have received a lethal dose of radioactivity. Between 90 and 250 miles away you will receive burns. Anywhere more than 250 will result in a little radiation sickness at most but will survive.
William’s shelter was constructed from a ping-pong table, mattresses, and pencil lead. The ping-pong table and mattresses would do absolutely nothing to protect him being horrible shelters from such strong radiation. However, William was on the right track with the pencil lead. Lead does protect against the destructive waves caused by the atom bomb, but in order for it to be effective, at least a couple feet would be needed. Even if his shelter was able to protect him, it is doubtful that he would have enough room to stock up on enough food and water rations and if a bomb were to be dropped, he would not be able to leave his shelter for at least a couple weeks due to potentially deadly radiation. Because of this, while he may have had building it, William’s shelter would not be the least bit helpful in the event of a nuclear bomb being dropped.
While commendable in concept, William’s shelter would most likely not protect him in the event of a nuclear war. If he were anywhere within ground zero of the blast, then he will almost certainly perish. In the event he did not die right off the bat, then he has to deal with the nuclear fallout from the blast. While lead, wood, and coal due provide protection against gamma rays, the quantity and denseness of the material would undoubtedly lead to him suffering from severe radiation poisoning. While being located in the basement is definitely the safest place to be in the house, he would still be subject to radiation assuming a distance of 190-270 miles away from ground zero with 270 being very slight radiation poisoning. Assuming he escapes with at most, minimal radiation poisoning, he would still have to survive in his shelter for a few months so that the fallout may dissipate into the ground. Ideally William would locate his shelter in some place “not likely to be blown up” and hopefully many hundreds of miles away from any major town that might be targeted. Of course in a total nuclear war involving many multitudes of warheads, fallout would eventually drift to him in which case a more fortified shelter would be beneficial to his health. One constructed underground with cement and lead fortified walls, advanced filtration systems, and an acceptable ration supply would give William the best chance at survival possible.
A nuclear attack gives off such a massive amount of radiation that it would be incredibly difficult to make a Ping-Pong table into an efficient fallout shelter. Factors that may not have been considered when developing his shelter may have been the proximity to his location and size of the bomb. If you are within 250 miles of a nuclear bomb when it is set off there is almost a one hundred percent guarantee that you will be killed from the mere impact of the explosion and die instantly. Anywhere beyond 250 miles away from the site that the nuclear bomb had been dropped there would be a high chance that the individual would suffer from severe radiation poisoning. This could cause anything from short-term effects like nausea to long term effects like cancer. The radiation caused problems for the next generation due to the birth defects that occurred because of the radiation. In theory, it would be nice to think that William’s Ping-Pong table would do the job and protect you, but there is also an insufficient amount of lead used to protect oneself from radiation. Lead would help because due to its composition it is able to absorb radiation, but it order to do this it would need to be several feet thick. It was a good try on William’s part and it would give him the safety of mind; however, it would more than likely not be able to stand a chance against the real thing.
Though William believed that his nuclear fallout shelter would protect him in the event of a nuclear holocaust, the shelter would be largely ineffective. His placing of the shelter below ground with four walls and a roof was a good choice. The ground forms a barrier from the massive amounts of radiation and the walls also are beneficial. However, a shelter further below ground would be ideal. In addition, William would also need to expand the size of her shelter so he could store appropriate amounts of food and water for himself and his family. Seeing as they would need to remain in the shelter for at least two weeks, he would need to include a bathroom and larger living facilities. The placement of lead pencils around his fort was a good idea in theory, but not reality. The lead was surrounded by wood, so there was not a full sheet of lead protecting the walls. Also, there would need to be much more lead to provide sufficient protection from the fallout. Steel and concrete covered in a thick layer of dirt are the best materials to use when building a shelter. While the ping-pong table structure soothes his mind, his body would not be protected from a nuclear explosion.
WIlliam sought refuge beneath the eaves of his ping-pong table. O'Brian's genius is not in the naivety of william, but in what he represents. William found himself confused, lost, afraid. These feelings were not novel for the era, for the Cold War struck the very same sense fear into the hearts of millions of Americans and Russians. William represents the people living in fear. His make-shift fallout shelter is a comment on the false sense of security that the millions afore mentioned, surrounded themselves with during the cold war. The precautions he took demonstrate the lack of integrity in their sense of security. O'Brian takes his metaphor even a step further when he sprinkles it with a glimpse into reality: William's father enters the story and illustrates the childishness of adults during "the nuclear age."
On a more relevant note: William's shelter was lacking adequate supplies of food and water for his family. His lead scheme was a flash of genius but not a sustained lightbulb of ingenuity. If he had placed lead blocks around the fort he would have been much better off. Choosing a location underground was a great choice but the basement was not sealed off and therefore would have let radiation seep into the room. The size of his school which we gather from context is rather large(large enough to have a supply closet filled with pencils.) indicates he lives in town or city. This is not the ideal location for one interested in avoiding Nuclear Fallout. William did the best he could.
William’s shelter was composed of several non-effective objects, such as mattresses and pencils. Although the lead in the pencils absorbs radiation from the bomb, the coverage is not nearly enough to assure safety. A real shelter requires lead walls thick enough to keep out dust particles with radiation molecules. Also, a nuclear bomb releases so much energy and heat at once, that the shelter would need to withstand temperatures close to those of the sun. Materials such as thick brick and concrete were commonly used during that time. William was smart to place his shelter below ground, so that when most of the energy is absorbed above him, he stays untouched. However he has the danger of objects falling on him and crushing his shelter. It is difficult to say whether he will be safe from those objects, simply because anything from a light to an entire building could fall on him. In either case, the initial strength of his shelter will somewhat protect him. Also, in the case of a nuclear attack, one might be forced to stay inside his or her shelter for weeks. William’s shelter must therefore hold enough food and water supply, a huge percentage of his living space. However, the most important function of the bomb shelters was to keep the mental stableness of the people that owned them. Even if the shelters didn’t work at all, people used them as a security blanket, a way to keep living their lives knowing that if there were an attack, they would be completely safe.
William grew up during the height of the Cold War and fearing a nuclear attack on the United States. One night William constructs a fallout shelter made from a Ping-Pong table, scraps of lumber and bricks, charcoal, cardboard, etc in his basement. The placement and basic structure of the shelter was good, but the material it was constructed from would not protect William from the damage the attack could cause. The walls of William’s shelter would not protect him from the aftermath of the attack because they were made out of cardboard boxes filled with newspaper. In a properly built shelter the structure would have concrete walls at least 12 inches thick. The roof would also be made out of concrete. William’s roof would do nothing to protect his body because it was simply made from a Ping-Pong table, old rugs, lumber, and bricks. When the thickness the walls and roofs are multiplied, the shielding multiplies.
If a nuclear attack were to occur William would need to build a larger shelter so his entire family could fit. Seeing that they might have to stay in the fallout for several days there would need to be a bathroom and plenty of space to keep a first aid, food, and water supplies. William has provided food, water, and a first aid kit but was it enough to last him for various days? Also he comes up with the Pencil Theory and stacks No. 2 soft-lead pencils on the roof. It is a good idea in theory but will not protect him. If he wanted to be shielded from the gamma rays he would need a thick cover of lead surrounding the walls and the roof. William believes that his fallout shelter will protect him, but he would need to construct one inefficiently with the correct materials to work.
Sadly, poor William’s bomb shelter would not provide him much protection in the event of a nuclear war! While it is true that widespread hysteria caused over 100,000 American families to create their own fallout shelters in their backyards or basements, William’s flimsy shelter would not hold out. True bomb shelters, ranging from the simplest – a corner of a basement – to more advanced – massive underground rooms, had several specifications that William’s lacked. A simple bomb shelter, for instance in the corner of a basement, would have walls and a ceiling of concrete blocks at least 2 feet thick, as opposed to Williams utter lack of walls and his thin ceiling. Even the simplest bomb shelter would also have a filtered pipe for an oxygen supply. William’s, of course, had a constant flow of air (he could thank the lack of walls for that), but this would not help him during a nuclear war, seeing as the air wasn’t filtered.
More advanced shelters, such as one buried at least under 4 feet of ground, had still more differences from William’s shelter. A typical 1950-era, underground shelter found in the average American’s backyard would be constructed of plywood, with a right-angled entrance to “divert” radiation. This would also have a filtered breathing pipe. More advanced shelters might even have a furnace for heating. William’s collection of blankets would most likely not cut it. Variations on the typical shelter included ones made of septic tanks and metal sheets.
William did attempt to get one thing right, however. Since he did not have the recommended 2 feet of concrete or 4 feet of dirt to block radiation rays, he tried to use rows and rows of pencils to block possible radiation. There were two slight flaws in his plan, however: the fact that the lead was extremely thin, and the fact that it wasn’t a solid sheet of lead. These flaws, however small, would render William’s shelter completely ineffective. The one thing it was helpful for, though, was allowing a young boy to get a good night’s sleep.
Though Wiliam’s bomb shelter did include some of the necessary materials, it is simply unrealistic to believe that it could have in anyway protected him if there was a real nuclear bomb dropped. The Tsar Bomba, for example, was so powerful that it could have caused third degree burns from over 60 miles away. That means that if the Tsar Bomba was dropped in Aneheim, we would still experience immense heat damage. It was so powerful, that its fireball was 26X larger than that of Nagasaki’s. It is simply unrealistic to assume that a ping-pong table and some mattresses could withstand such a powerful explosion. Though the actual components of William’s bomb “shelter” were small-scale components of a real bomb-shelter, they weren’t strong enough to withstand serious. Mattresses, which were supposed to absorb some of the heat, could not withstand a bomb that had an initial fireball of two miles. Although lead is very important to protect from radiation, there was not nearly enough of it to make any sort of difference. In general, the ideas were good but the overall implementation was not at all effective. If an actual bomb is dropped, William, you can kiss your ping pong table goodbye. Actual bomb shelters have much thicker and sturdier materials. Also, he probably would not have had enough food to last him long enough until people found him and helped him out of the city, now a radioactive wasteland that he would not have been able to or wanted to leave by himself (without some protection from the radiation). If William did survive the bomb blast (and the odds of that happening are 9234500000:1), then he would have been crushed by the rubble, starved to death, or quickly would have succumbed to radiation damage. My advice to William would be to do one of three things: get a legitimate bomb shelter, move to Canada, or accept the fact that you will never be able to build a bomb shelter with the materials you are using and try to live a normal childhood (a normal childhood involves not living every waking moment of your life in fear of a being bombed).
William experienced some sparks of genius for a boy his age while building his fallout shelter. However, even with William’s many precautions, he would not be guaranteed to survive a nuclear explosion within a 2/3 mile radius of his location. Some major methods of radiation protection are reducing the time of exposure (being as far away from the bomb as possible), building an effective fallout shelter (3 feet of densely packed dirt, lead with a density 11.3 per cm3 with a thickness of 1cm, 6 Centimeter thickness of concrete, 1 inch thickness of steel, 18 cm of water 11 inches of wood, .2 cm of depleted uranium (all of which reduce gamma ray intensity by 50 %)) and also being under ground. William’s shelter was underground in a basement, in contrast to a typical shelter, which is not proceeded by a house and foundation on the surface above. This situation in itself puts William more at risk if the destruction of constructions above were enough to penetrate and affect the shelter below. The number of stories in William’s house would also affect William and his fallout shelter. Above ground constructions with more levels absorb more radiation and shock that would therefore transfer less of these forces to the fallout shelter. William’s Ping pong table, mattresses and pencils may protect him from heat and pressure of falling objects but would most likely not protect him fully from radiation poisoning. It would also have been important for William to store a significant amount of nourishment supplies with which to sustain himself for the period of time it took for the radiation levels to settle.
The makeshift bomb shelter that William had assembled was a valiant effort, but, nonetheless, a vain one. Despite the fact that he had a layer of lead, which is effective in radiation shielding, the odds of his shelter protecting him in the event of a nuclear catastrophe seems unlikely. If an attack did occur he would want something stronger than mattresses as his foundation, such as bricks and concrete. The main purpose of a fallout shelter is to get as much mass between the resident of the shelter and the explosion and its after-effects. So, to increase William’s chance of survival, he should probably build his shelter in a less important city, that way the explosion is more likely to be farther away from him. If he is anywhere between 90 and 250 miles of the explosion he is likely to suffer from severe radiation sickness. If he is further than 250 miles away, he may suffer acute radiation sickness, but will most likely survive. Also, even if the bomb shelter manages to protect you from the immediate effects of the blast, you will still need to remain in the shelter for an extended period of time to avoid being effected by the fallout. William’s shelter was not equipped with the supplies needed to survive in such conditions. However, even though this shelter could never keep William safe in a real situation it did manage to put his mind at ease and grant him some peace.
William’s attempt at a fallout shelter was thought out and brave and fitting for the time. This shelter would not have protected the boy physically though it might have mentally. This shelter was built above ground having four not very stable walls and only a table as support. Ping Pong tables are not the most supportive or protective shelter one could choose. If the building were to collapse on his table it would most definitely crumble especially with the extra unnecessary weight placed on top. He would be crushed under the weight of the falling debris. The mattress could have absorbed some of the heat energy and the lead in the pencils could have protected him from a little radiation but in reality they would not have done much. For real protection in a fallout shelter one would need 1 cm of lead, 6cm of concrete, and 9cm of packed dirt as a layer to protect from the radiation. The bombs this poor child was against would do all the more damage. His food supply was not large enough to sustain him for as long as necessary either. One needs weeks worth of food in case of an explosion on the city. Most bomb shelters are built beneath the ground in order to avoid being blasted to pieces, which would be a great improvement on the ping-pong table above the ground. His water supply would have run out quickly along with everything else, which would make his life very hard. Shelter supplies were supposed to last about two weeks and his stores would never had lasted that long. So poor William’s shelter would not have lasted a nuclear bomb to protect him. He would have been crushed, been harmed by radiation and would have run out of food and water very quickly. It was a valiant effort of the little boy though. He had all the right pieces he just was not thinking big enough.
William’s fallout shelter, although surprisingly well-thought out for one built by a boy under a Ping Pong table, would not provide much real physical protection in a bombing. Fallout shelters were generally built with lead and concrete, rather than a Ping Pong table, pencils, and mattresses. While the layer of lead might offer some protection, scientists recommended that any fallout shelter be surrounded with at least one (preferably more than one) layer of 10 times the amount required of a material to reduce gamma ray radiation by 50%. The materials known at the time to limit gamma ray effects were, as William realized, lead, concrete, packed dirt, and large expanses of open air. However, at least 4 inches of lead, 2 feet of concrete, 3 feet of packed dirt, or 5000 feet of air would be needed to have any effect on decreasing atomic radiation. William’s thin layer of pencils would have done very little, and the mattresses and table even less. William did place his shelter in the basement as recommended and think to fill his shelter with some basic supplies, but he should have more thoroughly stocked the “shelter” as people were expected to remain within their fallout shelters for up to two weeks after an attack. Fortunately, William’s shelter granted him peace of mind, allowing him to sleep well and function normally despite the constant threat of instant death. His Ping Pong shelter was just as handy to him as a government-approved one would have been, as attacks remained entirely psychological.
Though the principles of William's shelter are sound, his shelter would not protect him in any real way from a nuclear blast or the resulting fallout. While lead does act as an effective barrier against gamma radiation, the small and separated amounts found in the pencils would not accomplish much at all, as it takes several centimeters of lead to effectively stop radiation. His use of several layers of different materials was smart, but the layers have to be much thicker and be made of much sturdier materials like concrete or even packed earth in order to stop the radiation. His placement of the shelter in the basement was better than somewhere aboveground, but a basement is not deep enough underground to shelter him from the blast or to keep the radiation away. His shelter is also much too small and likely under stocked with vital supplies, as it is not safe to emerge from a shelter for at least a few weeks after a nuclear blast due to the still very high concentrations of radiation. If William were to simply expand upon his basic shelter he would actually have a very solid and well designed shelter.
ReplyDeleteThe combination of hydrogen isotopes in a nuclear weapon leads to the liberation of a large amount of energy in a small amount of time. As a result, the products, bomb casing and other weapon parts are raised to an incredibly high temperature, almost to the heat of the center of the sun. The maximum attainted temperature is tens of millions of degrees. Because of the heat produced, all the materials are converted into a gas. Within less than a millionth of a second of the detonation, the hot weapon radiates large amount of energy, mainly as invisible X rays, which are then absorbed into the surrounding atmosphere. This leads to the formation of a hot mass of air and gaseous weapon residue. With this in mind, William’s shelter could not stand up to the extreme effects of a nuclear bomb. Lead does provide protection from radiation, but with the levels William had, the lead would not help much at all. The basement is the safest place in his house and the thick cover of mattresses could’ve absorbed some of the heat and protected him from the falling debris. Depending on his proximity to the nuclear bomb, William might have survived the blast. He would however, needed food and water to sustain him while he waited for the radiation from the bomb to subside.
ReplyDeleteDylan Forez and Cullen Riley
ReplyDeleteThe psychological effects of nuclear war in the 1950s were tremendous. There was a constant sense of fear as seen with William. The Fears of people were legitimate as was the threat. Programs such as “Duck and Cover” created a sense of fear, but also a sense of awareness for the problem of potential nuclear war. Programs such as this one were taught in schools, teaching the children how to be prepared and how to use their surroundings to their advantage. Ultimately, programs such as “Duck and Cover” and the governments Community Fallout Shelter Program allowed for people to sleep more comfortably and to have confidence that they would know what to do in the event of an atomic bomb being dropped. The shelter built by the character in the article was creative, but entirely ineffective. Real nuclear shelters are built from thick layers of concrete, not pencils laid on top of a ping-pong table. Even a fallout shelter made from 10 centimeters of lead would not be completely effective. The shelter’s main defense was the layer of pencils placed on top of the table. However, in order to half the number of gamma rays passing through, 4 inches of lead is required. This is vastly more than can be found in #2 pencils. Also, the bomb shelter built in the article consisted of miscellaneous items such as mattresses, on top of a ping-pong table. Not once was there any mention of any protection for the sides. Any radiation would easily pass through the open sides of the “shelter.” The fact that the shelter was in the basement was the right idea, but the shelter would need to be surrounded by thick layers of earth and concrete to be totally effective. Also the Author was lacking a sufficient amount of food, as you must stay within the shelter for a few week before you can leave, allowing for the concentration of radiation in the environment to decrease. This means that the shelter protecting the author was more psychologically than physically.
Rachel Latterich and Kellen Maichen
ReplyDeleteOne megaton bomb covers approximately 1.5 miles. The Soviets had bombs with 22 megatons which would wipe out 33 miles of territory which explains why these people feared for their lives. Even if one was able to survive the bomb, they might experience extreme side effects from the radiation such as the loss of hair, the discontinuation of brain cell reproduction, and curled up skin.
Tim O’Brien’s bomb shelter idea was not as effective as it could have been. The amount of shielding greatly decreases the intensity of radiation depending on thickness. His pencil idea might have worked if they contained more lead, however wood and lead have both been proven helpful to effectively decrease gamma rays. His design was not that far off, since charcoal briquettes can serve as filters which reduce the amount of radiation. Gas masks are also effective which is what O’Brien tried to create with the fallout mask. Other materials such as concrete, steel, packed soil, water, lumber, depleted uranium, and air were also used in shielding designs. For example, a 3.6 halving thickness (in inches) of packed soil is needed to cut radiation by 50%. There were a lot of bomb shelters that were created out of concrete and many were basements as well which would double the protection. O'Brien should have also brought down more food and water as well as other necessities to store down there since even if he had escaped the radiation, he would still need to survive in his fort for quite a long period of time until it is safe to resurface.
Jaclyn Cunitz and Corinne Peters:
ReplyDeleteWilliam Cowling had a right to be afraid of Nuclear weapons and the radiation that accompanies them. However, his protection wasn’t exactly standard and would have been little use to him if a nuclear weapon did, in fact, hit nearby his home. Even the government recommended fallout shelters that were part of the Civil Defense were little help. He still would have experienced the effects of nuclear fallout. These effects are anything but pleasant. Much of the damage is the cause of the shock wave. It is a solid wall of pressure that rushes outward from the explosion. It is strong enough to blow the walls away from a building, but since William’s structure is underground it would have a fighting chance as long as it was far enough away from ground zero. Another obstacle that his shelter would have to overcome would be the initial heat of the explosion. A person standing six miles away from the explosion will get six degree burns and, closer to the explosion, large areas will burst into flames simultaneously. But, the most log-term devastation is the nuclear fallout, or the residual radioactive hazards. William’s pencil-shield would be no help against this. After the explosion much of the material falls back down to earth within minutes, but some of the debris travels much higher and goes into the atmosphere. All of this material will then be spread out over the earth for the next few hours, days, and maybe even months. In fact, some of it could remain in the stratosphere for tens of years. Overall, William’s Ping-Pong table/ makeshift fallout shelter would do next to nothing for him if there was a nuclear attack.
When people heard about all of these horrible effects, they became very panicky. In response to this fear, the government posted plans for fallout shelters. These were designed to allow survival and protection from radiation in a nuclear attack. Most commonly, these were built in basements. People often did this because of government recommendation. They thought that a few extra feet of earth would offer more protection. Also, the government posted the recommended widths of radiation repelling materials for walls. For example, materials included .4 inches of lead and 2.4 inches of concrete. Frequently, extra materials or multiple layers were added for more protection. The entrances to these shelters were angled, so gamma rays could not enter. A hand-cranked blower was attached by a pipe to a filter mechanism on the surface in order to provide ventilation. These shelters were also stocked with food and other necessities. In reality though, they were just safety blankets. They just made people feel good. If you really were within a certain distance of the attack, death would be inevitable. If, however, the shelters were a bit farther away, then they might have proven to be effective.
John Heenan and Emma-
ReplyDeleteWilliam's shelter would not be of much use if he is at all near Ground Zero. If we assume a bomb of 1 megatons, Chicago would be completely destroyed. Within 30 miles of Ground Zero, he is getting way more than a lethal dose of radiation, and even if the immediate blast doesn't kill him, he'll die for certain. If he is close enough, parts of his shelter, such as the cardboard will spontaneously combust. If he is close enough, the building he lives in will be knocked over by shock waves, crushing him under his pingpong table. If he is very close to ground zero, he may be instantly vaporized.
Within a 90 mile radius, he will get a lethal dose and die within 2-14 days. Within about 160 miles, he will suffer severe effects including serious radiation sickness and birth defects and need emergency medical treatment to survive. If he is 250 miles away, he will escape with minor radiation sickness.
The city of Chicago is 228.443 square miles which is definitely within the impact zone of the bomb. About 2.8 million people live in the city limits with many more outside in the suburbs.
The only thing his bomb shelter changes is the way he thinks about his safety. If a bomb fell on his city, he would die, with or without the shelter. With it, he feels more confident with his government and his country and rather than pushing to end the war, he remains quiet and not threatened.
By: Maggy Ryan 1st Period
ReplyDeleteThe effects of Nuclear bombs vary on a multitude of factors including (but not limited to) altitude and weather conditions in the area that is being bombed, as well as weapon design and explosive force. Energy released from Nuclear bombs is much greater than that produced by a chemical reaction. The environment is affected by nuclear bombing as well as humans. If an individual is within 90 miles of the initial site that was bombed, said person will have received a lethal dose of radioactivity. Between 90 and 250 miles away you will receive burns. Anywhere more than 250 will result in a little radiation sickness at most but will survive.
William’s shelter was constructed from a ping-pong table, mattresses, and pencil lead. The ping-pong table and mattresses would do absolutely nothing to protect him being horrible shelters from such strong radiation. However, William was on the right track with the pencil lead. Lead does protect against the destructive waves caused by the atom bomb, but in order for it to be effective, at least a couple feet would be needed. Even if his shelter was able to protect him, it is doubtful that he would have enough room to stock up on enough food and water rations and if a bomb were to be dropped, he would not be able to leave his shelter for at least a couple weeks due to potentially deadly radiation. Because of this, while he may have had building it, William’s shelter would not be the least bit helpful in the event of a nuclear bomb being dropped.
While commendable in concept, William’s shelter would most likely not protect him in the event of a nuclear war. If he were anywhere within ground zero of the blast, then he will almost certainly perish. In the event he did not die right off the bat, then he has to deal with the nuclear fallout from the blast. While lead, wood, and coal due provide protection against gamma rays, the quantity and denseness of the material would undoubtedly lead to him suffering from severe radiation poisoning. While being located in the basement is definitely the safest place to be in the house, he would still be subject to radiation assuming a distance of 190-270 miles away from ground zero with 270 being very slight radiation poisoning. Assuming he escapes with at most, minimal radiation poisoning, he would still have to survive in his shelter for a few months so that the fallout may dissipate into the ground. Ideally William would locate his shelter in some place “not likely to be blown up” and hopefully many hundreds of miles away from any major town that might be targeted. Of course in a total nuclear war involving many multitudes of warheads, fallout would eventually drift to him in which case a more fortified shelter would be beneficial to his health. One constructed underground with cement and lead fortified walls, advanced filtration systems, and an acceptable ration supply would give William the best chance at survival possible.
ReplyDeleteA nuclear attack gives off such a massive amount of radiation that it would be incredibly difficult to make a Ping-Pong table into an efficient fallout shelter. Factors that may not have been considered when developing his shelter may have been the proximity to his location and size of the bomb. If you are within 250 miles of a nuclear bomb when it is set off there is almost a one hundred percent guarantee that you will be killed from the mere impact of the explosion and die instantly. Anywhere beyond 250 miles away from the site that the nuclear bomb had been dropped there would be a high chance that the individual would suffer from severe radiation poisoning. This could cause anything from short-term effects like nausea to long term effects like cancer. The radiation caused problems for the next generation due to the birth defects that occurred because of the radiation. In theory, it would be nice to think that William’s Ping-Pong table would do the job and protect you, but there is also an insufficient amount of lead used to protect oneself from radiation. Lead would help because due to its composition it is able to absorb radiation, but it order to do this it would need to be several feet thick. It was a good try on William’s part and it would give him the safety of mind; however, it would more than likely not be able to stand a chance against the real thing.
ReplyDeleteThough William believed that his nuclear fallout shelter would protect him in the event of a nuclear holocaust, the shelter would be largely ineffective. His placing of the shelter below ground with four walls and a roof was a good choice. The ground forms a barrier from the massive amounts of radiation and the walls also are beneficial. However, a shelter further below ground would be ideal. In addition, William would also need to expand the size of her shelter so he could store appropriate amounts of food and water for himself and his family. Seeing as they would need to remain in the shelter for at least two weeks, he would need to include a bathroom and larger living facilities. The placement of lead pencils around his fort was a good idea in theory, but not reality. The lead was surrounded by wood, so there was not a full sheet of lead protecting the walls. Also, there would need to be much more lead to provide sufficient protection from the fallout. Steel and concrete covered in a thick layer of dirt are the best materials to use when building a shelter. While the ping-pong table structure soothes his mind, his body would not be protected from a nuclear explosion.
ReplyDeleteWIlliam sought refuge beneath the eaves of his ping-pong table. O'Brian's genius is not in the naivety of william, but in what he represents. William found himself confused, lost, afraid. These feelings were not novel for the era, for the Cold War struck the very same sense fear into the hearts of millions of Americans and Russians. William represents the people living in fear. His make-shift fallout shelter is a comment on the false sense of security that the millions afore mentioned, surrounded themselves with during the cold war. The precautions he took demonstrate the lack of integrity in their sense of security. O'Brian takes his metaphor even a step further when he sprinkles it with a glimpse into reality: William's father enters the story and illustrates the childishness of adults during "the nuclear age."
ReplyDeleteOn a more relevant note: William's shelter was lacking adequate supplies of food and water for his family. His lead scheme was a flash of genius but not a sustained lightbulb of ingenuity. If he had placed lead blocks around the fort he would have been much better off. Choosing a location underground was a great choice but the basement was not sealed off and therefore would have let radiation seep into the room. The size of his school which we gather from context is rather large(large enough to have a supply closet filled with pencils.) indicates he lives in town or city. This is not the ideal location for one interested in avoiding Nuclear Fallout. William did the best he could.
William’s shelter was composed of several non-effective objects, such as mattresses and pencils. Although the lead in the pencils absorbs radiation from the bomb, the coverage is not nearly enough to assure safety. A real shelter requires lead walls thick enough to keep out dust particles with radiation molecules. Also, a nuclear bomb releases so much energy and heat at once, that the shelter would need to withstand temperatures close to those of the sun. Materials such as thick brick and concrete were commonly used during that time. William was smart to place his shelter below ground, so that when most of the energy is absorbed above him, he stays untouched. However he has the danger of objects falling on him and crushing his shelter. It is difficult to say whether he will be safe from those objects, simply because anything from a light to an entire building could fall on him. In either case, the initial strength of his shelter will somewhat protect him. Also, in the case of a nuclear attack, one might be forced to stay inside his or her shelter for weeks. William’s shelter must therefore hold enough food and water supply, a huge percentage of his living space. However, the most important function of the bomb shelters was to keep the mental stableness of the people that owned them. Even if the shelters didn’t work at all, people used them as a security blanket, a way to keep living their lives knowing that if there were an attack, they would be completely safe.
ReplyDeleteSavannah Afsahi and Celeste Calderon
ReplyDeleteWilliam grew up during the height of the Cold War and fearing a nuclear attack on the United States. One night William constructs a fallout shelter made from a Ping-Pong table, scraps of lumber and bricks, charcoal, cardboard, etc in his basement. The placement and basic structure of the shelter was good, but the material it was constructed from would not protect William from the damage the attack could cause. The walls of William’s shelter would not protect him from the aftermath of the attack because they were made out of cardboard boxes filled with newspaper. In a properly built shelter the structure would have concrete walls at least 12 inches thick. The roof would also be made out of concrete. William’s roof would do nothing to protect his body because it was simply made from a Ping-Pong table, old rugs, lumber, and bricks. When the thickness the walls and roofs are multiplied, the shielding multiplies.
If a nuclear attack were to occur William would need to build a larger shelter so his entire family could fit. Seeing that they might have to stay in the fallout for several days there would need to be a bathroom and plenty of space to keep a first aid, food, and water supplies. William has provided food, water, and a first aid kit but was it enough to last him for various days? Also he comes up with the Pencil Theory and stacks No. 2 soft-lead pencils on the roof. It is a good idea in theory but will not protect him. If he wanted to be shielded from the gamma rays he would need a thick cover of lead surrounding the walls and the roof. William believes that his fallout shelter will protect him, but he would need to construct one inefficiently with the correct materials to work.
Sadly, poor William’s bomb shelter would not provide him much protection in the event of a nuclear war! While it is true that widespread hysteria caused over 100,000 American families to create their own fallout shelters in their backyards or basements, William’s flimsy shelter would not hold out. True bomb shelters, ranging from the simplest – a corner of a basement – to more advanced – massive underground rooms, had several specifications that William’s lacked. A simple bomb shelter, for instance in the corner of a basement, would have walls and a ceiling of concrete blocks at least 2 feet thick, as opposed to Williams utter lack of walls and his thin ceiling. Even the simplest bomb shelter would also have a filtered pipe for an oxygen supply. William’s, of course, had a constant flow of air (he could thank the lack of walls for that), but this would not help him during a nuclear war, seeing as the air wasn’t filtered.
ReplyDeleteMore advanced shelters, such as one buried at least under 4 feet of ground, had still more differences from William’s shelter. A typical 1950-era, underground shelter found in the average American’s backyard would be constructed of plywood, with a right-angled entrance to “divert” radiation. This would also have a filtered breathing pipe. More advanced shelters might even have a furnace for heating. William’s collection of blankets would most likely not cut it. Variations on the typical shelter included ones made of septic tanks and metal sheets.
William did attempt to get one thing right, however. Since he did not have the recommended 2 feet of concrete or 4 feet of dirt to block radiation rays, he tried to use rows and rows of pencils to block possible radiation. There were two slight flaws in his plan, however: the fact that the lead was extremely thin, and the fact that it wasn’t a solid sheet of lead. These flaws, however small, would render William’s shelter completely ineffective. The one thing it was helpful for, though, was allowing a young boy to get a good night’s sleep.
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ReplyDeleteThough Wiliam’s bomb shelter did include some of the necessary materials, it is simply unrealistic to believe that it could have in anyway protected him if there was a real nuclear bomb dropped. The Tsar Bomba, for example, was so powerful that it could have caused third degree burns from over 60 miles away. That means that if the Tsar Bomba was dropped in Aneheim, we would still experience immense heat damage. It was so powerful, that its fireball was 26X larger than that of Nagasaki’s. It is simply unrealistic to assume that a ping-pong table and some mattresses could withstand such a powerful explosion. Though the actual components of William’s bomb “shelter” were small-scale components of a real bomb-shelter, they weren’t strong enough to withstand serious. Mattresses, which were supposed to absorb some of the heat, could not withstand a bomb that had an initial fireball of two miles. Although lead is very important to protect from radiation, there was not nearly enough of it to make any sort of difference. In general, the ideas were good but the overall implementation was not at all effective. If an actual bomb is dropped, William, you can kiss your ping pong table goodbye. Actual bomb shelters have much thicker and sturdier materials. Also, he probably would not have had enough food to last him long enough until people found him and helped him out of the city, now a radioactive wasteland that he would not have been able to or wanted to leave by himself (without some protection from the radiation). If William did survive the bomb blast (and the odds of that happening are 9234500000:1), then he would have been crushed by the rubble, starved to death, or quickly would have succumbed to radiation damage. My advice to William would be to do one of three things: get a legitimate bomb shelter, move to Canada, or accept the fact that you will never be able to build a bomb shelter with the materials you are using and try to live a normal childhood (a normal childhood involves not living every waking moment of your life in fear of a being bombed).
ReplyDeleteAlexa and Colin:
ReplyDeleteWilliam experienced some sparks of genius for a boy his age while building his fallout shelter. However, even with William’s many precautions, he would not be guaranteed to survive a nuclear explosion within a 2/3 mile radius of his location. Some major methods of radiation protection are reducing the time of exposure (being as far away from the bomb as possible), building an effective fallout shelter (3 feet of densely packed dirt, lead with a density 11.3 per cm3 with a thickness of 1cm, 6 Centimeter thickness of concrete, 1 inch thickness of steel, 18 cm of water 11 inches of wood, .2 cm of depleted uranium (all of which reduce gamma ray intensity by 50 %)) and also being under ground. William’s shelter was underground in a basement, in contrast to a typical shelter, which is not proceeded by a house and foundation on the surface above. This situation in itself puts William more at risk if the destruction of constructions above were enough to penetrate and affect the shelter below. The number of stories in William’s house would also affect William and his fallout shelter. Above ground constructions with more levels absorb more radiation and shock that would therefore transfer less of these forces to the fallout shelter. William’s Ping pong table, mattresses and pencils may protect him from heat and pressure of falling objects but would most likely not protect him fully from radiation poisoning. It would also have been important for William to store a significant amount of nourishment supplies with which to sustain himself for the period of time it took for the radiation levels to settle.
Basil Fawaz and Kevin Ogg
ReplyDeleteThe makeshift bomb shelter that William had assembled was a valiant effort, but, nonetheless, a vain one. Despite the fact that he had a layer of lead, which is effective in radiation shielding, the odds of his shelter protecting him in the event of a nuclear catastrophe seems unlikely. If an attack did occur he would want something stronger than mattresses as his foundation, such as bricks and concrete. The main purpose of a fallout shelter is to get as much mass between the resident of the shelter and the explosion and its after-effects. So, to increase William’s chance of survival, he should probably build his shelter in a less important city, that way the explosion is more likely to be farther away from him. If he is anywhere between 90 and 250 miles of the explosion he is likely to suffer from severe radiation sickness. If he is further than 250 miles away, he may suffer acute radiation sickness, but will most likely survive. Also, even if the bomb shelter manages to protect you from the immediate effects of the blast, you will still need to remain in the shelter for an extended period of time to avoid being effected by the fallout. William’s shelter was not equipped with the supplies needed to survive in such conditions. However, even though this shelter could never keep William safe in a real situation it did manage to put his mind at ease and grant him some peace.
William’s attempt at a fallout shelter was thought out and brave and fitting for the time. This shelter would not have protected the boy physically though it might have mentally. This shelter was built above ground having four not very stable walls and only a table as support. Ping Pong tables are not the most supportive or protective shelter one could choose. If the building were to collapse on his table it would most definitely crumble especially with the extra unnecessary weight placed on top. He would be crushed under the weight of the falling debris. The mattress could have absorbed some of the heat energy and the lead in the pencils could have protected him from a little radiation but in reality they would not have done much. For real protection in a fallout shelter one would need 1 cm of lead, 6cm of concrete, and 9cm of packed dirt as a layer to protect from the radiation. The bombs this poor child was against would do all the more damage. His food supply was not large enough to sustain him for as long as necessary either. One needs weeks worth of food in case of an explosion on the city. Most bomb shelters are built beneath the ground in order to avoid being blasted to pieces, which would be a great improvement on the ping-pong table above the ground. His water supply would have run out quickly along with everything else, which would make his life very hard. Shelter supplies were supposed to last about two weeks and his stores would never had lasted that long. So poor William’s shelter would not have lasted a nuclear bomb to protect him. He would have been crushed, been harmed by radiation and would have run out of food and water very quickly. It was a valiant effort of the little boy though. He had all the right pieces he just was not thinking big enough.
ReplyDeleteWilliam’s fallout shelter, although surprisingly well-thought out for one built by a boy under a Ping Pong table, would not provide much real physical protection in a bombing. Fallout shelters were generally built with lead and concrete, rather than a Ping Pong table, pencils, and mattresses. While the layer of lead might offer some protection, scientists recommended that any fallout shelter be surrounded with at least one (preferably more than one) layer of 10 times the amount required of a material to reduce gamma ray radiation by 50%. The materials known at the time to limit gamma ray effects were, as William realized, lead, concrete, packed dirt, and large expanses of open air. However, at least 4 inches of lead, 2 feet of concrete, 3 feet of packed dirt, or 5000 feet of air would be needed to have any effect on decreasing atomic radiation. William’s thin layer of pencils would have done very little, and the mattresses and table even less. William did place his shelter in the basement as recommended and think to fill his shelter with some basic supplies, but he should have more thoroughly stocked the “shelter” as people were expected to remain within their fallout shelters for up to two weeks after an attack. Fortunately, William’s shelter granted him peace of mind, allowing him to sleep well and function normally despite the constant threat of instant death. His Ping Pong shelter was just as handy to him as a government-approved one would have been, as attacks remained entirely psychological.
ReplyDelete