Featured Image Credit: Anton Petrus/Getty Images/YouTube/@futureoflifeinstitute
A ‘spine-chilling’ simulation demonstrates the reality of what would happen in the event of a nuclear war.
It sounds like the stuff of sci-fi action movies but fears around the possibility of a nuclear attack are growing.
As tensions from Russia continue to worsen, people are worried that World War Three could be round the corner.
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But what would that actually look like?
Well, a simulation has illustrated just what would happen if a nuclear war broke out across the world.
The video was uploaded to YouTube by the Future of Life Institute and in the description, it read: “What would happen if a nuclear war were to be sparked between Russia and the United States today? Who would survive?
“In our most scientifically realistic simulation to date, we show what a nuclear war between Russia and the United States might look like today.
“It is based on detailed modeling of nuclear targets, missile trajectories, and the effects of blasts, EMPs, and smoke on the climate and food resources.”
According to the simulation, when one side launches their nuclear missiles, the other side will detect them and fire back before impact.
It explains: “US submarine-launched ballistic missiles from west of Norway start striking Russia after about 10 minutes, and Russian ones from north of Canada start hitting the US a few minutes later.”
Each impact of the missiles will create a ‘fireball about as hot as the core of the sun’, which will be followed by a ‘radioactive mushroom cloud’.
The video continues: “These intense explosions vaporize people nearby and cause fires and blindness further away.
“The fireball expansion then causes a blast wave that damages buildings, crushing nearby ones.”
Afterwards, a nuclear winter will hit, which is a period of darkness and cold and darkness caused by a thick layer of smoke and dust in the atmosphere which will block the sun's rays.
According to the video: “A recent scientific paper estimates that over five billion people could starve to death, including around 99%of those in the United States, Europe, Russia, and China.”
The terrifying simulation left viewers stunned, with many taking to social media to share their reactions.
In the YouTube comment section, one user wrote: “This is one of those things that seem to be from a horror movie, but are made spine-chilling by the fact that it is all 100% true.”
Another said: “It's not war, it's absolute annihilation.”
And a third joked: “It seems that nobody showed this vid to the US government. Bummer.”
Over on Reddit, one person commented: “Best place to be: Australia.”
And another shared a quote from Albert Einstein, adding: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
