Fact Check: people were vaporized by the bomb dropped on hiroshima to the point where the only thing left was a ...

Fact Check: "People were vaporized by the bomb dropped on Hiroshima to the point where the only thing left was a shadow"

What We Know

The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, resulted in devastating destruction and loss of life. The explosion subjected the ground area to extremely high temperatures, exceeding 1800 °C (3270 °F) for a brief period of less than four seconds. This intense heat led to the phenomenon known as "flash burns," which created shadows on surfaces where objects or people had blocked the heat and light, leaving the surrounding areas bleached.

The Human Shadow Etched in Stone is a well-known example of such a shadow, believed to be left by a person sitting at the entrance of the Hiroshima Branch of Sumitomo Bank. This shadow is preserved at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The shadows were not remnants of vaporized people but rather the result of the heat bleaching the surrounding surfaces while the areas shielded by objects or people remained unchanged.

The scientific explanation for these shadows involves the absorption of intense light and heat by objects or people, which protected the surfaces behind them. The surrounding areas were bleached by the heat, creating the appearance of a shadow. This process did not involve the vaporization of human bodies, as the temperatures required to vaporize a human body in such a short time were not reached during the bombing.

Analysis

The claim that people were vaporized to the point where only their shadows remained is scientifically inaccurate. According to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, while the heat from the bomb was intense, it was not sufficient to vaporize human bodies instantaneously. The shadows were created by the bleaching effect of the heat on the surfaces, not by the absence of vaporized bodies.

The Live Science article corroborates this explanation, noting that the shadows were formed because the intense light and heat from the explosion bleached the surfaces, while objects or people in the path absorbed the energy, leaving the areas behind them unbleached. This explanation is consistent with the understanding of nuclear explosions and their effects on materials.

The sources used in this analysis are credible, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and scientific explanations from experts in nuclear science. These sources provide a reliable basis for understanding the phenomenon of the Hiroshima shadows.

Conclusion

The claim that people were vaporized by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima to the point where the only thing left was a shadow is False. The shadows observed in Hiroshima were the result of the intense heat and light from the explosion bleaching the surfaces, while objects or people shielded the areas behind them. The temperatures were not sufficient to vaporize human bodies instantaneously, and the shadows are not remnants of vaporized individuals.