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Project Sundial was a top-secret U.S. project from the 1950s aimed at creating a nuclear bomb with the potential to destroy all of human civilization. It was designed to have an energy equivalent of 10 billion tons of TNT, making it extraordinarily powerful—thirteen times more than the Great Pyramid in explosives.
Historical context
editPost-World War II era
editThe world was rapidly changing after World War II, with significant advancements in technology and warfare. By 1945, the death toll from the two world wars reached 74 million, and the introduction of nuclear weapons created a new level of fear and uncertainty.
Nuclear arms race
editFollowing the U.S. atomic bombings, the Soviet Union detonated its first bomb in 1949, leading to a nuclear arms race where the number of nuclear weapons escalated from 9 in 1946 to 20,000 by 1960.
Technical details
editThe design of Sundial involved a hydrogen bomb that required a regular atomic bomb to initiate the fusion process. This bomb was theorized to be capable of erasing entire islands and was tested in 1952.
Destructive potential
editIf detonated, Sundial would create a fireball up to 50 kilometers in diameter, instantly igniting everything within 400 km and causing a magnitude 9 earthquake. The explosion would lead to an apocalyptic nuclear winter, drastically lowering global temperatures and contaminating water sources, resulting in mass fatalities. The U.S. military and scientists expressed horror at the implications of such a weapon, considering its use a potential crime against humanity.