• Johandea@feddit.nu
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    3 months ago

    I’m guessing it’s trying to make fun of fissile atoms. But I see two problems with this.

    1. It’s not specified what type of atom it is. Most atoms in our surroundings do not release energy when split, but instead requires a, comparatively, large amount at energy to undergo fission.
    2. Even if they found a uranium-235 atom, one the most fissile elements found in the earths crust, the energy released by a single atom is miniscule. You need a huge amount of atoms to make anything akin to a bomb.

    And yes, I’ve been hugely popular at both parties I’ve attended.

      • k0e3@lemmy.ca
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        3 months ago

        Probably so cool he got invited to, and attended, both on the same day. Fuck this guy.

    • Björn@swg-empire.de
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      3 months ago

      Plus, it wouldn’t actually come to the splitting because the real owner of the atom would object.

    • Zink@programming.dev
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      3 months ago

      And yes, I’ve been hugely popular at both parties I’ve attended.

      Well obviously! Everybody here can see you have at LEAST two shit-hot science facts just ready to go when the house ain’t bumping.

      Not all heroes wear capes. Some stick with lab coats.

      • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org
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        3 months ago

        Critical mass means that a chain reaction can be sustained by emissions from prior nucleus splits. When splitting an atom with external force, it is not a concern because all (1) fissile atoms around will split at once.

  • ladicius@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Would splitting one single atom in a non dense environment start a nuclear chain reaction? And why do I ask such questions when it’s simply a cartoon to snicker about?

    • alpine_jim@piefed.social
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      3 months ago

      no, there are lots of atoms splitting inside your body every second.

      a single U-235 atom’s fission, releasing ~200MeV, (~30 picojoules), in ideal circumstances could maybe nudge a very small fine grain of sand (~ micrograms) enough to see movement (small fraction of a millimetre) under a microscope .

      It takes months of refining to make nuclear fuel that’s suitable for sustaining a chain reaction.

      it’s an interesting question, I’m glad I did the research checking that the orders of magnitude match!

    • AeronMelon@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Was that not Albert Einstein’s fear regarding the bomb? That Earth’s atmosphere would simply ignite when exposed to the initial reaction?

      I think our sitting here, snickering at a comic about a biblical nuclear explosion, is proof that it wouldn’t happen.

  • ripcord@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Seriously what good would half a baby be

    It’d be way way grosser than a regular baby for one thing

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 months ago

      Yeah, it’s biblical.

      The abbreviated story is that two women were both claiming a baby as theirs, and King Solomon had to make a judgement. He suggested the only fair way was to split the baby in two, knowing the real mom would give up her claim to prevent that from happening. One woman said split it, the real mom retracted her claim, and Solomon gave the baby to the real mom.

      The joke here is that they split an atom instead of a baby.