Trinity and
Beyond
In the salad days of nuclear-weapons testing, the United States
detonated 331 atomic, hydrogen, and thermonuclear bombs. Many of
those explosions appear in Trinity and Beyond, which utilizes
a lot of declassified footage, most of it in color. Standouts
include the United States' South Pacific detonation of an atom bomb
90 feet below the water to study the effects on a fleet of ships.
Surprise, surprise, they sink! If that wasn't enough, the navy also
loaded the decks with sheep to study the effects of the blast on
life forms. Surprise, surprise, they die! Glowing leg of lamb
anyone? This film will alternately amuse and horrify you at the
rampant irresponsibility of the Soviets and Americans in their quest
for nuclear domination. The Russians have the honor of having
detonated the largest nuclear bomb ever at a whopping 58 megatons.
The Hiroshima bomb was barely a kiloton. Of course, after the U.S.
and Russia ceased their activities, the Chinese decided to get in on
the act. But that's a different story for a different documentary.
--Kristian St. Clair
Nukes in Space: Rainbow Bombs
Boasting material that was recently declassified, this documentary
presents some startling information about how the United States
detonated a number of atomic bombs in space during a top-secret cold
war weapons program. The history of military rockets is detailed,
beginning with the Nazi V2 rockets that attacked England late in
World War II. The problems encountered in America's cold war
rocketry program are dramatically illustrated with a film montage of
U.S. missiles spectacularly blowing up on their launch pads. After
the Soviets launched Sputnik, America's resolve to be able to wage
war in space stiffened, and test detonations of atomic weapons in
space began. The effects of these little-known tests were bizarre
and included electromagnetic disturbances that blew fuses in Hawaii
while creating beautiful, if dangerous, artificial auroras that gave
the tests the nickname of the "Rainbow Bombs." Of particular
interest in this documentary are tapes of White House meetings at
which President John F. Kennedy and his top science and military
advisers discussed the atomic tests in space. The bomb detonations
caused radiation problems in space, damaging fledgling
communications satellites, and the government eventually called an
end to the program. This is an entertaining and very informative
look at a piece of cold war history that seems like vintage science
fiction, yet it's all real. --Robert J. McNamara
Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero
Our atomic heritage resides in sites all over the country--from the
Trinity test area to natural-gas wells in Colorado--and many of them
are open to the public. Plan your vacation with Atomic Journeys:
Welcome to Ground Zero, a blast through memory lane narrated by
the perfectly suited William Shatner. Never- before-seen footage of
test explosions and top-secret work labs explores the history of
America's nuclear programs, and interviews with current and former
atomic scientists and engineers give depth to sights such as "the
most bombed place on Earth" in Nevada. Learn about nonmilitary uses
of nuclear weapons, the rationales behind the different programs,
and where you can find these strange places. The musical score is a
special bonus, performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in a
goodwill gesture of post-cold-war cooperation. --Rob Lightner
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