NUKEMAP
Screenshot of NUKEMAP as of December 2023
Type of site
educational
Available inEnglish
OwnerAlex Wellerstein
URLhttps://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap
Launched2012
Current statusActive

Nukemap (stylised in all caps) is an interactive map using Mapbox[1] API and declassified nuclear weapons effects data, created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology who studies the history of nuclear weapons. The initial version was created in February 2012, with major upgrades in July 2013,[2][3][4] which enables users to model the explosion of nuclear weapons (contemporary, historical, or of any given arbitrary yield) on virtually any terrain and at virtually any altitude of their choice.[5] A variation of the script, Nukemap3D, featured rough models of mushroom clouds in 3D, scaled to their appropriate sizes.[6][7] (Nukemap3D is no longer functional as Google had deprecated the Google Earth plugin.)

The computer simulation of the effects of nuclear detonations has been described both as "stomach-churning" (by Wellerstein himself) and as "the most fun I’ve had with Google Maps since… well, possibly ever" despite the admittedly abjectly grim nature of the subject.[8] Originally intended in part as a pedagogical device to illustrate the stark difference in scale between fission and fusion bombs,[9] Nukemap went viral in 2013, necessitating a move to new servers.[6] The website averages five "nukes" per visitor.[3] Wellerstein's creation has garnered some popularity amongst nuclear strategists as an open source tool for calculating the costs of nuclear exchanges.[10] As of December 2023, more than 317 million nukes have been "dropped" on the site.

The Nukemap was a finalist for the National Science Foundation's Visualization Challenge in 2014.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wellerstein, Alex (October 24, 2018). "To give numbers: to handle the 200K map loads per month that NUKEMAP gets, Google wants to charge me >$1000 a month. Even if I ran ads, that's not sustainable. It's crazy. Fortunately MapBox makes for a perfect alternative (esp. w/LeafLet), and has totally reasonable rates. (2/3)".
  2. ↑ "The NUKEMAPs are here | Restricted Data". Blog.nuclearsecrecy.com. 2013-07-25. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  3. 1 2 Wellerstein, Alex (2012-05-04). "So Long, Mom, I'm Off to Drop the Bomb: A Case Study in Public Usage of an Educational Tool". wmdjunction.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  4. ↑ "Restricted Data: The Nuclear Secrecy Blog". Blog.nuclearsecrecy.com. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  5. ↑ Jones, Brian (2013-07-16). "This Scary Interactive Map Shows What Happens If A Nuke Explodes In Your Neighborhood". Business Insider. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  6. 1 2 "NukeMap 3D: Google Earth Sim Lets You Model Nuclear Strikes On Any Location". Huffington Post UK. 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  7. ↑ "Interactive Nukemap Now In 3D - Slashdot". Slashdot. 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  8. ↑ Drew Bowling. "NUKEMAP Uses Google Maps API To Let You Blow Up The Outside World". WebProNews. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  9. ↑ Terdiman, Daniel (2012-02-23). "Nukemap: Shall we play a game? | Geek Gestalt - CNET News". CNET News. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  10. ↑ Kroenig, Matthew (2018). The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy: Why Strategic Superiority Matters. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 9780190849191.
  11. ↑ "Nuclear Weapons Data Visualization Reaches Finals of National Science Foundation's "Vizzies" Award". Stevens Institute of Technology. 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
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