Vietnam War: Stopping nuclear disaster
Witness History25 Syys 2023

Vietnam War: Stopping nuclear disaster

In 1975, during the final days of the Vietnam War, most of the world was unaware that the North Vietnamese were advancing a new breed of nuclear reactor, gifted to the South by the United States government.

Not only was it technology the North's Russian allies did not yet have, it was also a source of weapons-grade nuclear fuel.

As a last resort, the US discussed bombing the facility, risking nuclear fallout, rather than risk the technology falling into Soviet hands.

To avoid humanitarian and environmental disaster, a physicist from Idaho in the US, called Wally Hendrickson, volunteered to be dropped into the front line to remove the fuel rods from the reactor.

He speaks to Ramita Navai. A Two Degrees West production for BBC World Service.

(Photo: Dalat nuclear institute. Credit: Diane Selwyn)

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(2000)

Defeating the screwworm

Defeating the screwworm

In the 1950s, scientist Edward Knipling began what would become one of the most successful eradication campaigns in history: the fight against the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that cau...

21 Elo 10min

'I created the duck cake from Bluey'

'I created the duck cake from Bluey'

First published in 1980, the Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book brought novelty cakes to the masses. From the swimming pool filled with jelly, to the ghost and the 'choo choo trai...

20 Elo 10min

Canada's controversial resettlement programme

Canada's controversial resettlement programme

In 1954, a massive government-run resettlement programme began in Canada.This saw the relocation of nearly 30,000 people from isolated ‘outport’ fishing communities in Newfoundland and Labrador to des...

19 Elo 9min

The battle of Mandalay in WW2

The battle of Mandalay in WW2

In March 1945, the British Fourteenth Army were advancing on the city of Mandalay in central Burma, now known as Myanmar, which was held by the Japanese Army. The army was made up of soldiers from acr...

18 Elo 10min

Asha Bhosle: The world's most recorded artist

Asha Bhosle: The world's most recorded artist

In 2011 Asha Bhosle, India’s queen of melody, was officially named the most recorded artist in music history. The Guinness World Record recognised the astonishing scale of her career, having performed...

17 Elo 10min

The tortoise and the hippo

The tortoise and the hippo

When the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck the coast of Kenya, a baby hippo named Owen was swept out to sea and separated from his family.After being rescued, he was taken to Haller Park in Mombasa, wh...

14 Elo 10min

Kenya's power-sharing deal

Kenya's power-sharing deal

In 2008, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and his rival Raila Odinga signed an unprecedented power-sharing deal to end a wave of violence that had left more than 1,200 people dead.Kibaki would remain pres...

13 Elo 10min

The last of the Mau Mau fighters

The last of the Mau Mau fighters

In 1963, as Kenya celebrated independence from British rule, one of the last Mau Mau fighters came out of hiding and laid down her arms. Muthoni Kirima was the first and only woman to be appointed fie...

12 Elo 10min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
download
hupiklubi
i-dont-like-mondays
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
seitseman
uutiscast
sita
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
mamma-mia
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
kolme-kaannekohtaa
kaksi-aitia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
rss-murhan-anatomia
aikalisa
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
ihme-ja-kumma
loukussa