I had a big problem with the bomb not from a despoiling the pritine environment PoV, but because I can't imagine any way that the residual radiation, not to mention the heat, would have vanished in thirty seconds or so. I don't think they couldn't detonate it all that high up. The Wraith would've known it was a fake out.

Because, with high-altitude, you've got more particles high up in the atmosphere, where they can do not-nice things like make it snow in July in Boston. (This really happened, after Krakatoa.)

That was the dust from Krakatoa, though, which would be more likely (I think) from a ground blast. A blast over the ocean should produce a lot of irradiated steam (which should pretty much poach anyone standing, say, right under the blast), but not so much dust.

I'm sort of with Nutty on BSG. Pretty people doing lots of illogical, often stupid, things. I do like Tigh, though, and I love the space visuals, so I'll keep watching for that.

I love the space visuals

So much.

Pretty people doing lots of illogical, often stupid, things.

Kind of like my life in a way, only, sadly, the people aren't as pretty. Ah, well.

Off to face the day I go...

If the nuke was designed as a clean bomb and there wasn't much in the atmosphere to irradiate, you'd get a big burst of gamma rays and heat, which I assume were taken care of by the shields, which amazingly seem to only let in visible light and air. The heat wouldn't linger that long, as long as there was nothing to burn. The ocean might well be boiling, though. The problem is, if you actually blew up Atlantis, there should be scads of irradiated pieces, the lack of which you'd think the Wraith would notice.

I like SG:A well enough, but I was already in love with the characters on SG, and by the time SG is over, I've already done enough hand waving that my arms are tired.

I'll try and see if I can find the lj entry when I get home.

BSG is my favorite show on TV right now, hands down. The Stargates seem fun enough, but I don't think I'd be watching them if they weren't packaged in a 3-hour chunk with BSG.

The problem is, if you actually blew up Atlantis, there should be scads of irradiated pieces, the lack of which you'd think the Wraith would notice.

This being my first episode, I just assumed that the Wraith were that dumb. And quick decision-makers, too -- they didn't even have one ship stay behind to see if there was anything in the rubble worth checking out?

This being my first episode, I just assumed that the Wraith were that dumb.

I seem to remember an interview early on with one of the producers (probably in the back stage special that preceded the first SGA) where he said they wanted a more powerful opponent than anything Earth had faced, but they had to balance off the power by having them be kind of clueless.

If the nuke was designed as a clean bomb and there wasn't much in the atmosphere to irradiate, you'd get a big burst of gamma rays and heat, which I assume were taken care of by the shields, which amazingly seem to only let in visible light and air. The heat wouldn't linger that long, as long as there was nothing to burn. The ocean might well be boiling, though. The problem is, if you actually blew up Atlantis, there should be scads of irradiated pieces, the lack of which you'd think the Wraith would notice.

Yeah, a nuclear bomb that impactst the earth before exploding is going to produce much more fallout, because of all the irradiated dirt it sends into the sky.

he said they wanted a more powerful opponent than anything Earth had faced, but they had to balance off the power by having them be kind of clueless.

Sorta like the Bush administration?

Perzactly.