Battlestar Galactica: Season 4 Thread

[tzanth]

[quote name='potsherds' post='1317212' date='Apr 16 2008, 14.09']Yeah, I understand that. Ever seen the effects of a nuclear attack on a house? I certainly don't know for sure, but judging by the force of the wave, if there was enough flammable material around, the place should've started burning, and then be hit once again with another shockwave as the pressure re-normalizes in and around the blast radius, which would likely have spread any fire quite a bit more. That's only judging by the force of the wind, how close Baltar was, and the energy of the bomb. I'm just guessing.
Anyway, I've always assumed he survived, I just don't think it's possible in reality. :dunno:[/quote]

IIRC the attack came from across a big lake (fjord?) so there probably should also have been some tsunami action. Of course, some of it depends on the nukes... maybe they were special future nukes. I mean, they did seem oddly small judging but how much of those cities are still around.

[potsherds]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317357' date='Apr 17 2008, 00.55']IIRC the attack came from across a big lake (fjord?) so there probably should also have been some tsunami action. Of course, some of it depends on the nukes... maybe they were special future nukes. I mean, they did seem oddly small judging but how much of those cities are still around.[/quote]
Heh. That would imply that they have special futuristic nukes that make small holes but pump a WHOLE lot of radiation everywhere. Or maybe not, but that's what the Cylons [i]should[/i] have done. Less rebuilding required, and everyone dead from radiation poisoning.

[Lord of Oop North]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317357' date='Apr 16 2008, 20.55']IIRC the attack came from across a big lake (fjord?) so there probably should also have been some tsunami action. Of course, some of it depends on the nukes... maybe they were special future nukes. I mean, they did seem oddly small judging but how much of those cities are still around.[/quote]

Delphi was pretty frakked up.

[Shryke]

[quote name='potsherds' post='1317376' date='Apr 16 2008, 20.06']Heh. That would imply that they have special futuristic nukes that make small holes but pump a WHOLE lot of radiation everywhere. Or maybe not, but that's what the Cylons [i]should[/i] have done. Less rebuilding required, and everyone dead from radiation poisoning.[/quote]

Aren't their bombs like that NOW? It kills pretty much all life, but leaves the city you bomb relatively intact.

[potsherds]

[quote name='Shryke' post='1317400' date='Apr 17 2008, 01.20']Aren't their bombs like that NOW? It kills pretty much all life, but leaves the city you bomb relatively intact.[/quote]
Er, could be? I'm just a health physicist. I refuse to work on nuclear weapons, and I've managed to avoid learning much about them. :dunno:

[Lord of Oop North]

[quote name='Shryke' post='1317400' date='Apr 16 2008, 21.20']Aren't their bombs like that NOW? It kills pretty much all life, but leaves the city you bomb relatively intact.[/quote]

I believe you are talking about a Neutron Bomb.

ETA:

[url="http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/basics/neutron-bomb.htm"]The Neutron Bomb[/url]

[quote]The tactical neutron bomb is a nuclear weapon that maximizes damage to people but minimizes damage to buildings and equipment. It is also called an enhanced radiation warhead. The neutron bomb is a specialized thermonuclear weapon that produces a minimal blast but releases large amounts of lethal radiation which can penetrate armor or several feet of earth.[/quote]

[potsherds]

[quote name='Lord of the North' post='1317407' date='Apr 17 2008, 01.22']I believe you are talking about a Neutron Bomb.[/quote]
Yep, that's it. Seems the radius of effect isn't as large as a thermo-nuclear bomb. Hmmm. Need to make 'em bigger.

[tzanth]

The problem with it being a neutron bomb is that would [i]really [/i]have killed Gaius. Or at least, he and the other survivors should have had some serious problems with radiation sickness.

[Lord of Oop North]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317427' date='Apr 16 2008, 21.30']The problem with it being a neutron bomb is that would [i]really [/i]have killed Gaius. Or at least, he and the other survivors should have had some serious problems with radiation sickness.[/quote]

We haven't see any little Gaius babies yet, have we?

[potsherds]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317427' date='Apr 17 2008, 01.30']The problem with it being a neutron bomb is that would [i]really [/i]have killed Gaius. Or at least, he and the other survivors should have had some serious problems with radiation sickness.[/quote]
I was thinking he would have at the time I watched the ep... Not sure if that's correct though. It again matters on the distance from the blast and the energy released by the bomb. I'm still thinking the area of effect on these things is less than that of a thermo-nuke, when talking of radiation levels in any decent amount. I mean, the point is to deliver enough dose to someone they die within a few days at most. That's a pretty high dose.

They should have at least mentioned Baltar having a splitting headache and some nausea. That would've been a minor, acute dose. :P

[delete this account pls]

They have anti-radiation meds though, don't they? It was how Helo and Anders resistance people were able to survive so long.

[potsherds]

[quote name='Brady' post='1317440' date='Apr 17 2008, 01.36']They have anti-radiation meds though, don't they? It was how Helo and Anders resistance people were able to survive so long.[/quote]
Oooooohhhhhhhh. I think that's right. Damn, I need to re-watch those eps.

[tzanth]

Realistically speaking, the orbital nuking in the first few episodes made no sense at all. It looked pretty devastating in the shots from the sky, but on the ground it seems like most of the major cities are largely intact; its just the people that are gone. Its possible that they used some sort of radiation bombs, but all the animal and plant life seems to have done perfectly fine. Where did all the people from the city in Caprica go? The city clearly avoided any sort of nuke hit; the shots of it look just like downtown Vancouver in the early morning, no damage whatsoever. Either the Cylons killed them all somehow (in which case where are the bullet holes and decomposing corpses?) or there are millions of people locked up somewhere in Cylon concentration camps... Anders little gang was far to small for a city of that size.

[Lord of Oop North]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317456' date='Apr 16 2008, 21.45']Realistically speaking, the orbital nuking in the first few episodes made no sense at all. It looked pretty devastating in the shots from the sky, but on the ground it seems like most of the major cities are largely intact; its just the people that are gone. Its possible that they used some sort of radiation bombs, but all the animal and plant life seems to have done perfectly fine. Where did all the people from the city in Caprica go? The city clearly avoided any sort of nuke hit; the shots of it look just like downtown Vancouver in the early morning, no damage whatsoever. Either the Cylons killed them all somehow (in which case where are the bullet holes and decomposing corpses?) or there are millions of people locked up somewhere in Cylon concentration camps... Anders little gang was far to small for a city of that size.[/quote]

Helo mentions that the roads going out of the city are packed with abandoned vehicles.

They also point out that the Cylons have been clearing the streets of corpses.

Besides, Ander's Gang wasn't in the city. They were in "The Mountains".

[Lord O' Bones]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317456' date='Apr 16 2008, 17.45']Realistically speaking, the orbital nuking in the first few episodes made no sense at all.[/quote]


Maybe they were concentrating mostly on military bases, government hubs, and spaceports?

[delete this account pls]

I think the lack of actual damage was a plot point they forgot about. Back in season 2 when Starbuck is back on Caprica she said something about it, and I think thats when helo said he'd seen them collecting bodies? but he basically agreed, and it was kind of implied there was more to it than that. Or maybe I'm just remembering it wrong.

[Shryke]

[quote name='Brady' post='1317532' date='Apr 16 2008, 22.19']I think the lack of actual damage was a plot point they forgot about. Back in season 2 when Starbuck is back on Caprica she said something about it, and I think thats when helo said he'd seen them collecting bodies? but he basically agreed, and it was kind of implied there was more to it than that. Or maybe I'm just remembering it wrong.[/quote]

Well, in downloaded they basically said they were trying to keep the buildings intact so the Cylons could basically live there in the place of the Colonials.

[mcbigski]

Also, my recollection was that Caprica City, which is the city shown in the opening credits and the seat of the government, was totally obliterated by a nuclear strike. Delphi, the home of the Arrow of Apollo and Starbuck's Humvee and apartment, which looks suspiciously like western Canada, wasn't nuked.

[tzanth]

[quote name='mcbigski' post='1317586' date='Apr 16 2008, 17.52']Also, my recollection was that Caprica City, which is the city shown in the opening credits and the seat of the government, was totally obliterated by a nuclear strike. Delphi, the home of the Arrow of Apollo and Starbuck's Humvee and apartment, which looks suspiciously like western Canada, wasn't nuked.[/quote]
I thought Helo and Athena were wandering around Caprica City... maybe I'm mistaken.

[Lord of Oop North]

[quote name='tzanth' post='1317664' date='Apr 16 2008, 23.58']I thought Helo and Athena were wandering around Caprica City... maybe I'm mistaken.[/quote]

They did go to Delphi, because it had the only Cylon Spaceport in the area.

I can't remember if they went to Caprica City.

I know there was a shot of a 'nuked city', but I'm pretty sure it was Delphi (as it was shown when Starbuck went to the Museum)