A physicist explains the science behind the post-apocalyptic world in the new series

the New series of Amazon Prime Video'He fallswhich premiered April 10, presents stories of survival on film A post-apocalyptic world destroyed by nuclear explosions and chemical radiation. It is an American drama television series created by Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and A Adaptation of the famous video game With the same name from the company Bethesda he.

Many may ask themselves: Would it be possible to survive in such a world? Full of human and animal mutations, nuclear radiation, and underground sanctuaries… What are the real odds? To answer this, an American physicist explains the scientific possibilities of the series with those found in real life. You'll find more about it here.

Is it possible to live in such an opposite world?

He falls“It is a science fiction story set in the atomic age, where… The world on October 23, 2077 after a series of nuclear explosions in Los Angeles (USA) goes under. According to Pran Nath, a physics professor at the university Northeastern University In the United States, there is more science behind this story than you might think.

the The nuclear bombs and subsequent explosions that hit the city are completely realistic. “If a nuclear explosion occurs as a result of a chain reaction, in a short period of time Release a lot of energy and radiationNath said. “First there.” Megaflash, a nuclear reaction that produces gamma rays. “If someone was exposed to this radiation, people in Hiroshima, for example, would practically vaporize.” So far, this seems possible.

According to Nath, even people who were partially protected from the blasts would feel their bodies heat up depending on the distance. The body reached about 50 degrees Celsius with severe burns sense. the Burnt skin from beastone of the characters in the series, is not completely new to science.

But there is more science to this science fiction story than you can imagine, says Pran Nath, professor of physics at Northeastern University (USA).

Immediately after the bombs fall comes the shock and heat wave. The wave propagates very quickly, but the physicist says so In real life, this would likely happen much faster and in a less kinetic manner: The wave will travel at the speed of sound more than 1,200 kilometers per hour.

Another factor is that A “fireball” would burn all the buildings in the explosion area with intense heat. “The blast zone is where the shock waves and the fireball are strongest. In Hiroshima, for example, it was between 1.6 and 3.2 kilometers away. Basically, everything in that blast zone was destroyed,” Nath said. So this is also a match between the series and real life.

And then comes the radiation cloudWhich lasts longer and has greater effects. This cloud can reach up to 10 miles into the atmosphere and uses winds to spread radiation to other, farther areas.

“A nuclear explosion creates up to 100 different radioactive elements. The lifespan of these elements ranges from a few seconds to millions of years. “It pollutes and harms the body and those affected over a long period of time and can cause cancer and leukemia,” Nath explains.

What about the much-discussed safes?

the Basement They are underground shelters The size of a small city, they are connected to each other. These shelters are more advanced and technical than real-world shelters. But for Nath, it's this kind of protection It corresponds to the series, where it is necessary to escape from the radiation emitted by nuclear weaponsEspecially gamma rays, which can penetrate several kilometers of concrete.

What Regarding mutants (salamanders and giant cockroaches), they may sound like science fiction, but there is a real basis to them. “There are different types of anomalies [bei Strahlung] Speak fall appear. It can also be hereditary. Radiation can cause mutations similar to spontaneous mutations in animals and humans. in Chernobyl “For example, you discover animals that have mutated,” the physicist said.

Now another note: The series' debut on Amazon Prime has reignited interest in the games. on steamone of the most popular online gaming platforms, as the number of users who have one of the “He falls“The number of games played doubled in less than a week after the series premiered.

Source note:

Northeast World News. “What is “ramifications”? A physicist breaks down the science of Amazon's sci-fi show and the terrifying reality of nuclear radiation“. 2024.