I STOOD AT GROUND ZERO OF THE WORLD'S FIRST ATOMIC BOMB EXPLOSION! And somehow, this seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to spend my weekend.
On July 16, 1945, scientists working on the Manhattan Project detonated the first nuclear weapon at the Trinity Site in New Mexico. It was the beginning of the atomic age, and the world would never be the same.
More than 80 years later, I decided to drive into the New Mexico desert, spend an unreasonable amount of time waiting in line, and stand beside a stone obelisk marking the spot where humanity first unleashed the power of the atomic bomb.
You know. Normal vacation stuff.
Join me as I visit Trinity Site during its rare annual public opening at White Sands Missile Range. We'll explore the history of J. Robert Oppenheimer's Trinity test, the strange radioactive glass known as trinitite, the lingering questions about radiation, and what it's actually like to visit Ground Zero today.
We'll also touch on the serious human consequences of the test, including the New Mexico Downwinders, whose communities were exposed to radioactive fallout.
Is Trinity Site worth the trip? Is there anything interesting to see? And just how ridiculous is it to spend your weekend visiting the location of a nuclear explosion?
Come along and find out!
If you enjoy strange history, unusual roadside attractions, bizarre travel destinations, and visiting places that make your friends question your judgment, please LIKE this video, SHARE it with someone who loves weird history, and SUBSCRIBE for more adventures!
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SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
White Sands Missile Range – Trinity Site Open House:
https://home.army.mil/wsmr/contact/public-affairs-office/trinity-site-open-house
National Park Service – Trinity Site History:
https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/historyculture/trinity.htm
National Park Service – Trinity Test Downwinders:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/trinity-test-downwinders.htm
National Park Service – The Gadget:
https://home.nps.gov/articles/000/the-gadget.htm
#TrinitySite #ManhattanProject #Oppenheimer #AtomicBomb #NuclearHistory #NewMexicoTravel #TravelVlog #ProbablyNotGlowing #WorstVacationEver
0:00 Visiting the Trinity site
1:27 The Manhattan Project test
3:21 Trinitite and Jumbo
5:08 Covering up the explosion
6:20 The Trinity Downwinders
8:27 The fight for recognition
10:48 Radiation and reflection
12:12 Conclusion and legacy
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