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From: marr@yale.ARPA (Leon Marr)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.sci
Subject: Re: Plutonium
Message-ID: <2590@yale.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 11-May-86 17:16:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: yale.2590
Posted: Sun May 11 17:16:44 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 13-May-86 19:08:44 EDT
References: <358@drutx.UUCP> <1063@whuxl.UUCP> <2384@jhunix.UUCP> <708@whuts.UUCP> <796@ccird2.UUCP>
Reply-To: marr@yale-cheops.UUCP (Leon Marr)
Organization: Yale University CS Dept., New Haven CT
Lines: 17
Xref: watmath net.politics:15812 net.sci:833

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In article <796@ccird2.UUCP> rb@ccird2.UUCP (Rex Ballard) writes:
>In article <708@whuts.UUCP> orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER) writes:
>>A few pounds of plutonium *IF* properly distributed in tiny specks to
>>everyone's lungs could indeed kill everyone on Earth.
>>However it would be practically impossible
>>to distribute a mere few pounds of plutonium in such a way that it
>>*would* kill everyone on Earth.
>
>Aren't neutron bombs intended to do something like this?
>
No.  Neutron bombs (enhanced radiation weapons) are designed to kill
by releasing larger numbers of neutrons.  Essentially one builds a
device which is of lower yield, thus reducing blast and shock (and so
reducing collateral damage), while keeping the number of neutrons and
amount of radiation high.  I am not entirely sure how this is done.

Leon Marr