Stuff I learned about nukes
 

I highly recommend that everybody do some research on nukes. Not on who has them, or the political ramifications, but just on the scientific data. I did some research and learned quite a bit.

Highlights:

I, like most people, knew there were fission bombs and fusion bombs. I now know that saying this is like saying you have SUVs and sports cars. There are a lot of variations. The bombs within each category can vary widely in the size of the explosion. But they also vary in the way the radiation works. Depending on the 'ingredients' used, the radioactivity can last days, weeks, months, or years. This is so that the right bomb can be used in the right situation. The fallout and explosion size are actually quite independent. Some bombs are of a specific design to disrupt radio transmissions, fry electronics, and kill without much damage to surrounding structures. These "Neutron Bombs" are also effective at incapacitating enemy troops instantly through radiation poisoning, as opposed to blast forces which may be avoidable through certain armors. This is done with short-lived radiation which allows re-habitation of the area in mere days. These neutron bombs are also useful as anti-missle defenses, as they can damage guidance systems on incoming warhead missiles.

I also read about the biggest device ever detonated, known as the "Tsar Bomba". This was a Soviet device. It also was only half the size of what they were supposedly going to put into their arsenal. The fireball was visible 1000km away. The heat was sufficient to cause 3rd degree burns 100km away. The reason for the test of this monster was two-fold. First, it was for a show of strength. But secondly, the reason the Soviets were developing such large bombs was to compensate for the lack of accuracy of their delivery systems at the time. The United States had far better delivery systems back then (early 60s). If the Soviets needed to hit a sepecific target, but their method of delivery only got within a few miles, they had to make a bigger explosion to get the job done.

The North Korea 'test bomb' was not like a true deliverable bomb, but more of a facility that was detonated. Even with this, it wasn't as powerful as Hiroshima. Hiroshima was a mere bottle rocket as compared to modern weapons.