Engineering News

Nice video of the information that really is part of the public domain. My only criticism is that the bomb he discusses as the first nuclear bomb is not the first nuclear bomb. The bomb he's discusses is the first uranium 235 bomb (Little Boy). The first nuclear bomb was a plutonium 239 bomb (Gadget) tested at the Trinity site.

You could really make a distinction of his use of the word "used" (as horrific as that was) vs tested. He stated that the model was of the "first atomic bomb ever used" (vs tested).

Thanks for the tidbit though.

Actually, in a way, the Trinity bomb was "used" as well.

The detonation was made public in an attempt to encourage the Japanese to capitulate. When they did not, the two bombs were dropped on Japan. Had the test resulted in a ceasefire, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would not have been bombed.

Nothing about the Trinity test was public at the time. Your scenario is a "new to me" revision of history.

All the events leading up to the Trinity test were very closely held secrets.

Once the detonation took place, there was no longer that secret and the world was made aware that a tremendous weapon had been developed. After all, there was no keeping secret a flash that was visible for hundreds of miles.

The numbers in existence were certainly kept secret - even after the two were dropped on Japan. At that point, it was a very high-stakes poker game.

A bright light flash somewhere on the planet is not the release of a secret. People are still uncertain what happened above Tunguska. You're confusing the idea of a hint and full disclosure.

In my opinion both the U-235 and Pu-239 devices are "nuclear" bombs since both involve fission of the nucleus.

Yes they are both nuclear bombs that use different fission material. The Trinity test happened before the Little Boy device portrayed in the video was detonated. Therefore the Little Boy device was the second nuclear bomb used and not the first. I do believe that Little Boy was the first device assembled. It was certainly the first device designed.