tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post2379234386850013816..comments2024-03-19T07:10:27.303-07:00Comments on Quark Soup by David Appell: Pet Peeve: Atomic vs. NuclearDavid Appellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28837843.post-21405121964757557002008-06-20T15:10:00.000-07:002008-06-20T15:10:00.000-07:00Well, in bomb speak "atomic" originally is about n...Well, in bomb speak "atomic" originally is about nuclei being cleaved by neutrons, so it's not really about larger-than-nuclear process. So this usage was benighted from the start. What peeves me in using "nuclear" and "atomic" indiscriminately is that it encourages people to think that in Hiroshima and Nagasaki we have an idea or memory of what a "Super" / "H-bomb" / "thermonuclear device" would mean for a country, and that with "nuclear power" we're talking about similar technological concerns. This kind of misinformation is a whole lot more perilous than confusing people just about the size and scale of different submicroscopic events.MThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341704109256270557noreply@blogger.com