The devastating true scale of nuclear weapons began with the discovery of nuclear fission in the late 1930s, leading to the development of the most powerful weapons known to man. Nearly 80 years have passed since the first atomic bomb exploded in the Trinity test, marking the start of a new era. Since then, thousands of nuclear detonations have been conducted, each test contributing to the evolution and scale of nuclear weapons.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, using the uranium-based “Little Boy” and plutonium-based “Fat Man,” were the only instances of nuclear weapons used in war. These bombings, releasing 15 and 21 kilotons of TNT respectively, resulted in devastating destruction and immense loss of life, highlighting the catastrophic potential of nuclear weapons.

The Evolution & Scale of Nuclear Weapons is evident as we move from these initial bombs to the modern era. The B83, the most powerful nuclear weapon in the US arsenal today, has a maximum yield of 1.2 megatons of TNT, illustrating the exponential increase in destructive power. To put this in perspective, Castle Bravo, tested on March 1, 1954, yielded 15 megatons of TNT, making it the most powerful US nuclear test. However, the Soviet Union surpassed this with the Tsar Bomba, detonated on October 30, 1961, with an astonishing yield of 50 megatons, marking the largest human-made explosion ever.

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