I'm wondering, and don't say two. :D I'd like to know the total number, including in war (2) in testing on ground, testing in upper atmosphere. Does anyone know where I can find this? I guess the number would be in the low hundreds...

CG

Try thousands.

I dont know the exact number.

Too many.

OK, thanks to Google, I found this:

The U.S. has carried out 1,030 nuclear weapons tests (the last and final test on 23 September 1993). The Soviet Union: 715 tests (the last on 25 October 1990 -- Russia has not exploded any nuclear weapons). France: 210 tests (the last and final test on 27 January 1996). Britain: 45 tests (the last and final on 26 November 1991). China: 43 tests (with some four more tests reportedly planned for 1996-1997).

The average pace of nuclear weapons testing is remarkable: Since 16 July 1945 there have been 2,044 tests worldwide, the equivalent of one test occurring somewhere in the world every nine days for the last fifty years.

The source is Greenpeace (http://archive.greenpeace.org/~comms/nukes/ctbt/read9.html), of which I am always suspect, but this is probably correct.

Pakistan and India have test-exploded atomic weapons as well.

:hmm: I wonder how much that radiation has affected us. Ironic, that these nukes, designed to keep the Cold War going and prevent a nuclear war, all of those tests were equivalent to a nuclear war. I guess the ends justify the means in politics...:(

CG

Originally posted by joespaniel
OK, thanks to Google, I found this:

The U.S. has carried out 1,030 nuclear weapons tests (the last and final test on 23 September 1993). The Soviet Union: 715 tests (the last on 25 October 1990 -- Russia has not exploded any nuclear weapons). France: 210 tests (the last and final test on 27 January 1996). Britain: 45 tests (the last and final on 26 November 1991). China: 43 tests (with some four more tests reportedly planned for 1996-1997).

Ok, there is clearly an element of approximation in these apparently exact figures, because I found:
The United States has conducted 1,054 tests of nuclear devices between July 16, 1945 (at the Trinity site in the New Mexican desert) and September 23, 1992 (at the Nevada Test Site).
here (http://nuclearhistory.tripod.com/testing.html)

Interesting the subtle disagreement on the last testing date - one must be a typo.

One reason for the discrepancy may be how you count a "test" - are two weapons exploded together one test or two?

Either way it's an awful lot of bangs.:nuke::nuke::nuke:

By the way joe, how did you use google? It's been unreachable for me all evening :(

Originally posted by cgannon64
:hmm: I wonder how much that radiation has affected us. Ironic, that these nukes, designed to keep the Cold War going and prevent a nuclear war, all of those tests were equivalent to a nuclear war. I guess the ends justify the means in politics...:(

CG

It always bothered me too, that so many were exploded on and under our American soil, and the French one that blew away a pacific atoll in the late 90s drove me furious.

The effect on us is a higher cancer rate, especially lymphatic cancers. Probably more mutations than we have noticed.

One positive side effect of all that nukulating: we got some very good radioactive superheros and the monsters of Japanese Godzilla style films.

In the "yes I am a bit crazy" dept: I wonder if those tests weren't some attempt to cause earthquakes, volcanism, or freak weather in targetted parts of the SOviet Union, or if maybe they were a signal to contacted aliens/demons from another dimension.:crazyeye:

BTW thanks to Joe and Zcylen for the excellent links.

I think there are at least two countries not included in that list, India and Pakistan have both tested nuclear weapons I think.

There has been a report of Cooperated Testing between Apartheid SA and Israel in the indian ocean I believe.

Originally posted by naervod
I think there are at least two countries not included in that list, India and Pakistan have both tested nuclear weapons I think.
Yes, (its at the bottom of my post) both countries have detonated nukes underground.

I've never heard of Isreal and SA testing one though.

I have heard of Israel testing and it is known that Israel has nukes. It is also known that South Africa has nuclear capabilities.

Originally posted by cgannon64
:hmm: I wonder how much that radiation has affected us. Ironic, that these nukes, designed to keep the Cold War going and prevent a nuclear war, all of those tests were equivalent to a nuclear war.



The effect is actually pretty small, and certainly negligible compared to cosmic radiation and radiation from rocks, radon gas etc. Interestingly, medical uses of radiation such as x-rays actually contribute more than nuclear tests.

Oh and for related information, i saw on CNN or somewhere, can't remember. That since the first US A-bomb the US has manufactured more than 32,000 nuclear weapons... and i think we the US only have like 20,000 or so right now

Oh and about the list, its obviously old cause it says that China is reportedly going to test more in 1996-97, so it was created before then..

Originally posted by naervod
I have heard of Israel testing and it is known that Israel has nukes. It is also known that South Africa has nuclear capabilities.
I believe SA is now non-nuclear.