Would anyone survive a world nuclear war?

Question

Does a nuclear war mean for certain that our species will end or do we have a half way decent chance of making? What do think our chances of survival would be?

Answer 1

At leat half of the people on earth (3 billion) would survive the immediate blast effects of a nuclear war involving most of the world's nuclear arsenal. The survivors would face a complete collapse of all food production, poisoning of all surface water, uncontrollable fires, and radiation poisoning. Coupled with destruction of most of the medical infrastructure, these factors would lead to global epidemics that, based on historical precedents, would kill at least 30% of the survivors. Even the best stocked parts of the world have only 6 weeks worth of food in reserve, and much of the infrastructure to transport this would be destroyed. As a consequence, virtually all of the urban populations would be gone within 6 months and most of the rural populations within 18 months. The survivors would then face many years of severe climatic disruptions (nuclear winter) and increased mutation rates due to radiation. Humans are already close to mutational meltdown and the increased mutation rate combined with a decreased population base and decreased birth rate (due to extremely adverse conditions) would drive humans (and most mammals) to extinction. Everyone loses in a nuclear war.

Answer 2

Death! Doom! Destruction! Anyhow, I remember reading a assessment of global nuclear war done by a expert a few years ago. It was eye opening! If you exploded all the bombs in our stocks right now, probably 10% of the population of Northern Hemisphere would die within 40 days. Another 10% in the next five years. That is assuming the Cold War targets of such devices. If you made a all out effort to target all human life with the same devices, you would probably be able to eliminate half the population. The discrepancy is simple, China and India have 2/5 of the world population, but are not strategic targets. The predictions of Nuclear Winter and contamination of all arable land are simply wild speculation. But, certainly there would be tens of thousands of locations that would remain uninhabitable for thousands of years. And everything would have to be tested. Remember Chernobyl? How the contamination extended to Scotland even? No mutton or milk from some fields for years. Yet, other areas much closer had little contamination and were fine. Long range cancer rates would go up as well in most areas. But civilization would survive pretty well. We will survive even better with a functioning missile defense system...

Answer 3

yeah, i guess we would, i mean some people have survived in the most impossible situations before, i would think that there is no chance of us as a species if a nuclear war breaks out, but that isn't to say that everything and everyone will be destroyed. Happy days, happy days, these are, to be living in the 21st century.

Answer 4

Sure, lots of them will live. Hirhoshima and
Nagasaki bombs killed many thousands of people
but many people survived with varying degrees of
medical problems, depending how near they were to the center of the blast.

The earth is a very large object and at this time there are
not enough Nuclear bombs to saturate the earth with
explosions. Probably never will be.

Fallout would cause problems, but many people will be
out of the path.

I hope this makes you feel better.

I may be wrong, but not far from it.

Answer 5

Not to be stupid or anything because i think im clueless on the topic, but the majority of people say that if there was a nuclear war that only the coackroaches would survive... because of how fast they can reproduce, but i actually do believe a couple of people would make it, but it might be hard for life to go on...

Answer 6

You received a lot of good answers. I just want to add one more. If a comet a quarter mile in diameter hits earth. (I am probably wrong on the size.) It would destroy the earth as we know it. I think the scientist still believe that was what happen to the dinosaurs. Nuclear bombs have been compared many times with comets as for as destructive force.

Answer 7

Done my NBC training in the Army and i can tell you this if in the event of nuclear war your somehow still around, you will soon wish you had died in the blast. all plants would be gone all animals will be gone and we all know without the bee'z there would be no chance of making anything grow. the whole surface of the earth would be radioactive and even those people in underground shelters would soon become sick there would be no water you could drink, infact the only thing worth having would be a gun to finish yourself off.

Answer 8

Would anyone want to survive a world nuclear war! I know I wouldn't, everything would be destroyed and the rubble would be radioactive no thank's.

Answer 9

Definitely because the countries at war won't be able to bomb all Pacific islands. And also, why would anyone bomb Australia. They're so peaceful. So yeah someone would definitely survive.

Answer 10

possibile. it might bepend were the person was or what they were in. like a panic room at the bottom of the ocean (if they pressure was equal to the pressure in the room) then it might be a possibility, but we may never know.