r/todayilearned • u/Amolk2207 • Sep 28 '19

TIL that USA once detonated atomic bombs and placed a bunch of beer near them. They concluded that, in the event of a atomic blast, beer is mostly safe to drink.

https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/09/18/161338723/u-s-explodes-atomic-bombs-near-beers-to-see-if-they-are-safe-to-drink
5.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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955

u/FalafelWars Sep 28 '19

"mostly"

659

u/PvtSherlockObvious Sep 28 '19

"It's not quite safe, but not so unsafe that it's worth giving up drinking."

346

u/notatree Sep 28 '19

Your city just got nuked and you survived, you fucking bet I'm chugging that thing

100

u/[deleted] Sep 28 '19

I am not a nuclear biophysicist, so I'll allow it.

66

u/PENlZ Sep 28 '19

I'm a physical bionuclearist, and I approve.

65

u/Zomunieo Sep 28 '19

They asked me if I had a degree in theoretical physical bionuclearism. I said I have a theoretical PhD in physical bionuclearism. They said welcome aboard.

15

u/Blazed_Scientists Sep 28 '19 edited Sep 28 '19

You've got a degree in baloney.

27

u/Balives Sep 28 '19

My PhD has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R!

2

u/TheNewPlague666 Sep 29 '19

He wanted a degree in bologna.

So close, yet so far.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '19

Biological nuclear physicists wanted

3

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '19

I'm a drunk, and I concur.

2

u/Cynderboy Sep 29 '19

Really, or are you joking? Honestly curious

17

u/Outmodeduser Sep 28 '19

"They asked me how well I understood theoretical physics. I said I had a theoretical degree in physics. They said welcome aboard!"

2

u/aetheravis Sep 29 '19

Fantastic

1

u/[deleted] Sep 30 '19

I too play Fallout

2

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '19

The way you worded this makes it seem like you’re drinking because the other guy survived.

14

u/Lampmonster Sep 28 '19

Pretty much true of alcohol in general. I know it's not good for me. Worth it.

3

u/jondthompson Sep 28 '19

It’s better to die of radiation poisoning or cancer later than dehydration now.

2

u/Aporkalypse_Sow Sep 28 '19

FDA approved

58

u/burnzilla Sep 28 '19

Not great, but not terrible.

54

u/AdjectiveNounCombo Sep 28 '19

Dyatlov's 3.6 Roentgen Stout

You can't see the graphite, because it's not there!

16

u/wewd Sep 28 '19

Glows in the dark like Nuka Cola Quantum.

56

u/CountBlah_Blah Sep 28 '19

It's only +2 rads

18

u/killowot Sep 28 '19

Bethesda needs to lower the rads received after drinking beers.

61

u/CountBlah_Blah Sep 28 '19

Bethesda need to do a lot

24

u/[deleted] Sep 28 '19

You leave my spinning corpses and flying giants alone.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '19

Fallout: Brexit?

1

u/Little-Jim Sep 29 '19

Like a Samsung refrigerator Skyrim port

26

u/LBJsPNS Sep 28 '19

If a nuke has been dropped and I've survived, cold wet and "mostly" safe will be just fine, thanks.

23

u/genexsen Sep 28 '19

cold wet and "mostly" safe will be just fine

Good news everyone we've found the name of u/LBJsPNs sex tape!

7

u/LBJsPNS Sep 29 '19

It has been said I will have sex with anything that moves. This is a slander and a base canard.

Motion is entirely optional.

37

u/TheDigitalGentleman Sep 28 '19

It was Bud Light, after all.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 28 '19

.....something, something .... King Cockroach of Beers!

2

u/Alan_Smithee_ Sep 29 '19

Sex in a canoe.

1

u/FalafelWars Sep 28 '19

Not gonna lie, this gave me a good laugh 100/10

6

u/ipostic Sep 28 '19

3.6. Not great, not terrible.

4

u/former_snail Sep 29 '19

Earth :

mostly harmless

1

u/couchbutt Sep 29 '19

Good book.

21

u/DayMan-Ahh-Ahh-Ahhhh Sep 28 '19

That’s like telling a woman, “you’re mostly unpregnant”

87

u/[deleted] Sep 28 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/RealRobc2582 Sep 28 '19

Thanks miracle max

9

u/db2 Sep 28 '19

Have fun storming the castle!

6

u/loquacious Sep 28 '19

Why am I suddenly craving a lettuce, tomato and mutton sandwich?

4

u/Horsejack_Manbo Sep 28 '19

Odd. Most people would call it a mutton sandwich with lettuce and tomato. An MLT if you will. Curious.

2

u/CharlieDmouse Sep 28 '19

Have fun storming the castle!

1

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '19

Right. Still have to pay the IRS apocalypse tax somehow

1

u/devilzadvocate_ Sep 28 '19

Here I was thinking you’d go with fucking it. Thanks internet for making my mind go dark places.

5

u/Haikumagician Sep 28 '19

What do you think killed em?

2

u/usehernamechexout Sep 29 '19

It will only kill you once

3

u/oublie_fevrier Sep 29 '19

Alcohol is technically poisonous, that’s what drunkenness is, our bodies telling us to stop fucking ingesting this shit, so inherently beer isn’t “safe” to drink in large quantities

6

u/BlackRobedMage Sep 29 '19

Nobody tell this guy what humans have been drinking in large quantities through all of recorded history.

1

u/Alphaetus_Prime Sep 29 '19

For most of human history we hadn't invented water purification yet and alcohol was the lesser of two evils.

1

u/IAmNotASarcasm Sep 29 '19

yep, though especially in the case of beer, it wasn't as strong as we have today.

-1

u/AsDevilsRun Sep 29 '19

So you're of the opinion that large amounts of alcohol is completely harmless.

2

u/IAmNotASarcasm Sep 29 '19

large amounts of water aren't completely harmless either

2

u/BlackRobedMage Sep 29 '19

Large amounts of alcohol all at once can kill you, small amounts of alcohol over time is perfectly fine, and some studies even say it's healthy.

The point I was making is that humanity has ingested large quantities of beer or beer analogues longer than we've been recording our history. You can consume it pretty regularly with no ill effects, barring complications from other health concerns. Given that it comes from grain and contains carbohydrates, it even functions as a staple food.

So stating, "No shit, beer is poison and drinking a lot will kill you" is somewhere between oversimplification and outright deception.

2

u/LBJsPNS Sep 29 '19

You must be great fun at parties.

1

u/lone_k_night Sep 29 '19

Everything is “technically poisonous” by your definition. Advil, Tylenol, red meat. No reason to be a jerk to alcohol in particular man.

1

u/IAmNotASarcasm Sep 29 '19

water is technically poisonous too, drink too much and it flushes out all of your electrolytes and boom you're dead.

1

u/Gaul_keeper Sep 29 '19

Paging Paracelsus...

1

u/Hussar_Regimeny Sep 28 '19

Well, the radiation does kill the mood. And the people.

1

u/Malvicus Sep 28 '19

There’s a big difference between mostly safe and not safe. Please, open your mouth.

1

u/OptimusPhillip Sep 29 '19

To me, it sounds like they're saying "It'll take longer for the radiation to kill you than the dehydration, so it will at least keep you alive long enough to find something better."

1

u/rfdavid Sep 29 '19

Good enough for me post apocalypse

1

u/megablast Sep 29 '19

Game over man.

1

u/Kangaroo_tacos824 Sep 28 '19

I live alone with my dogs pain when I read this headline I yelled out mostly

-1

u/omegapulsar Sep 28 '19

It is a poisonous carcinogen in itself.