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wellerstein's profile
Alex Wellerstein
Alex Wellerstein
Alex Wellerstein
Verified account
@wellerstein

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Alex WellersteinVerified account

@wellerstein

Historian of science, secrecy, and nuclear weapons. Professor of STS at @FollowStevens. UC Berkeley alum with a Harvard PhD. NUKEMAP creator. Coder and web dev.

Hoboken, NJ / NYC
blog.nuclearsecrecy.com
Joined September 2011

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    1. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      7. The bombardier would later claim there was a miraculous hole in the clouds... but observers even at the time would note that they missed their target by a substantial margin, the same margin you'd get if it was radar-bombed.pic.twitter.com/4382f2Avy9

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    2. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      8. The bomb actually ended up detonating over one of the most civilian areas of Nagasaki, and (ironically) one of the most Christian areas of Japan. The USAAF's own maps indicate that almost everything near GZ was civilian: houses, schools, hospitals.pic.twitter.com/sIpsBOyMqZ

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    3. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      9. It is essentially coincidental that two factories that produced munitions happened to be at the northern and southern fringes of the blast zone. The geography of the city also meant that, unlike Hiroshima, it was still functional (in the large "lower" half) after the bombing.

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    4. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      10. There were more mishaps and near-misses than I could even fit into my New Yorker article. Here's one of my favorites: that time in which the Fat Man bomb appeared to indicate, mid-flight, that it was armed and ready to detonate. From John Coster-Mullen's book.pic.twitter.com/EqEmZR7CGf

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    5. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      11. The bomb itself was christened with the acronym JANCFU: Joint Army-Navy-Civilian F*** Up. I think this was about as prophetic as one might imagine. The Nagasaki bombing run was as clear an indication that the nuclear age would be full of unpredictable mishaps and risks.pic.twitter.com/ikvtyAXKJ8

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    6. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      12. I'll just finish with my conclusion paragraph in my New Yorker piece on Nagasaki — which, as an aside, is still perhaps my favorite piece of writing I've ever done. FIN. https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/nagasaki-the-last-bomb …pic.twitter.com/c2pMyyXz11

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    7. Sparhopper‏ @Sparhopper 9 Aug 2018
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      Replying to @wellerstein

      These bombs finally convinced a suicidal Japan (that committed heinous war crimes, and was never, ever going to stop) to halt it's attempt at world domination like nothing else could and saved many 1000's of allied lives. Completely justified. No apologies. #Nagasaki #NagasakiDaypic.twitter.com/5cfN9TxEfv

      1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
    8. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      Replying to @Sparhopper

      There is no evidence that the Nagasaki bombing played any actual role in the decision to surrender, as an aside. Hiroshima — maybe. But most historians agree Nagasaki didn't affect things in any significant way, and was probably unnecessary.

      3 replies 0 retweets 1 like
    9. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      Replying to @wellerstein @Sparhopper

      And the "was never going to stop" bit is patently false. The Japanese high command was searching for ways to end the war. I don't want to underrepresent the complexity of that. But you've got totally wrong ideas floating around your head. If you want a reading list, just ask.

      3 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
    10. Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      Replying to @wellerstein @Sparhopper

      Lastly: I'm not sure who you're addressing with the "no apologies," but that's not my aim here. My aim is for people to understand what it was, beyond the myths. The Nagasaki run was a mishap-filled slaughter of non-combatants, and not part of any coordinate strategy.

      2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      Alex Wellerstein‏Verified account @wellerstein 9 Aug 2018
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      Replying to @wellerstein @Sparhopper

      This is true whether you think it was ultimately justified or not, which is a separate question entirely, and informed people can come to different conclusions on that. But you've got to get the facts straight first, or else you're just repeating someone's propaganda.

      7:03 AM - 9 Aug 2018
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