What would you do?

[Randox]

Having some idea of what surviving a nuclear blast would be like, and not living close to a fallout shelter, I'm not sure I would be super inclined to do anything to survive. In fact, I take medication to manage a condition that would obviously stop being available, so I'd almost certainly die anyway to what would basically be "dysentery - now with internal bleeding". I'd just as soon not go out that way. Nor do I particularly relish the idea of being alone in the world if all my loved ones were to parish and not myself.

Assuming the cellular system didn't immediately implode or get set to some priority access only mode, I guess I would call whoever was most dear to me to say my goodbyes, probably my parents. I mean, if your going to die in a few minutes, you might as well make peace with that. That's really one of the last things you would have any control over in that situation, and I think I would grasp on to that. Failing that, perhaps go for a drive? I like driving, it calms me down, gives me time to think. Would be a good way to go.

[Pixel of Life]

Wonder why the hell they're targeting a quiet residential neighborhood that has no tactical importance whatsoever. Die.

A more realistic scenario would be one in which the missiles hit downtown Helsinki and/or Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport. According to http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/, I might survive an 800-kiloton surface burst at either of those locations, as long as I somehow managed to shield myself from the heat. The wind is usually to the east, southeast or northeast, and since my house is located farther west, I wouldn't really have to worry about the mushroom cloud dropping radioactive dust on top of me.

Even at 250 kilotons, I'd survive with first degree burns (I'm assuming this is if you don't take cover). At anything less than 150kt, I could pretty much just go about my business unless I was ordered to leave due to safety reasons.

Edited June 7, 2015 by CaptainKorhonen

[Loligoat]

Assuming the nukes are heading toward downtown, I'd be fine from where I live. I'd probably just put on some sunglasses, look out my window, and wait for the show. Not much else I could do.

[jmiki8]

I'd just sit in my room and hope my small country with its tiny army and almost 0 economic output isn't worth a nuke.

[pxi]

It will not work in modern situation.

If you were close enough to the blast to even have to wonder what you should do, it's pretty unlikely that duck and cover would have helped even in the 60's. It had more to do with projecting the idea that there was something that you could do about the situation, and therefore not worry so much about the idea of imminent Armageddon.

In the 60's 80's the BBC's Q.E.D. Documentary series had an episode detailing how useless the 'official' preparedness plans were. It was later used as the basis for 'Threads', which really solidified in my mind that really, you probably don't want to survive a nuclear war.

Edited June 8, 2015 by pxi

[heng]

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein, 1949

So.... the correct answer to OP's question would be to start gathering sticks and stones and prepare for the rematch?

I hope that I would have the calm and cool to get to the highest point available and watch the show... unsure about that, though.

[Dman979]

No. WE MUST NOT LET THE RUSSIANS HAVE A STICKS AND STONES GAP!

Ah, I love Dr. Strangelove.

[Norpo]

Why the heck is the U.S government calling a canadian? Spam. *deletes*

[justidutch]

I'd go to a restaurant, cuz the desktop picture on my phone makes me hungry.

[worir4]

Imagine a worse situation (for your self), you are on board the ISS while the world below you destroys it self. You would never get resupplied. Stuck there waiting for oxygen to run out while the world burns...

[Robotengineer]

Imagine a worse situation (for your self), you are on board the ISS while the world below you destroys it self. You would never get resupplied. Stuck there waiting for oxygen to run out while the world burns...

You could just de-orbit to an unaffected spot.

[LordFerret]

... Assuming the cellular system didn't immediately implode or get set to some priority access only mode, I guess I would call whoever was most dear to me to say my goodbyes, probably my parents. I mean, if your going to die in a few minutes, you might as well make peace with that. ...

More than likely, except for hardened military installations (who would have forewarning), all civilian communications systems would go from the EMP burst generated by the nuke.

I would hope and urge you to 'make peace' with your parents now; Don't wait for 'the end', you'll never know when that end comes or in what form ... and then it's too late.

[LABHOUSE]

Wonder why my small town would be targeted.

[dryer_lint]

Wonder why my small town would be targeted.

Because the only proper way to nuke is to nuke everything!

Source: American

[LordFerret]

"Source: American"? And Russia, who hold just as many or more nukes than America does?

[lajoswinkler]

NOTE: THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION. THIS HAS YET TO HAPPEN. THIS IMAGE IS A FAKE.

You wake up to the EAS tones. You grab your phone and it shows this:

http://i.imgur.com/Zm3Embu.png

What would you do?

That's a disgusting wallpaper.

[Dman979]

Why the heck is the U.S government calling a canadian? Spam. *deletes*

NORAD?

I celebrate my upgrade to an iPhone.