The only good nuclear accident

Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this video! Get 2 extra months free with annual plans for a limited-time only: https://storyblocks.com/Howtown Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iTSqC5sNxM92PVcPZFlGA0ZHoMFpukzG_CIlrTMAm5I/edit?usp=sharing To support independent science journalism and get bonus content ... JOIN OUR PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/Howtown We're grateful for the generous support of the Patreon Town Council: Bev Fong Chris Wubbels Sean Barrett Mike Purvis Jon Hewett Albychen Aatish Bhatia Sean Talon Evan Hass Mark Tinker Julian Mayorga L.A. O’Connor Marcos Huerta Joaquim Salles Sam Gaty Jason Dunlap Parag Mallick Edgar Sutawika Tim Davey Navneet Tra Him Taylor Pedro ZM Ale Martin Weeks Dimi Bryce Golden-Chen Estelle Caswell Gregory Laborde Yash Murthy martin david Matthew Stvartak Garret Wates Slightly Suspicious Mind Kellyn Lorentzen-Goler omg.science Duncan Stannett Keith England Matthew Ferguson Jocelyn Tabancay Duffy Gabbatv Guan Sin Ong Casey Schatz Mark McCreary Ana Gruita Senulum TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howtown_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtown_videos/ In the 1950s and early 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union (with contributions from the UK and France) conducted a series of above-ground nuclear tests that led to an increase in the radioactive carbon-14 concentration in the atmosphere. This global surge, known as the "bomb pulse" or the "bomb spike", is one of the most distinctive chemical signatures of the Cold War. The radiocarbon spread worldwide, embedding into plants, animals, and humans. Scientists later discovered that this bomb-pulse radiocarbon spike could be used as a precise dating tool. Bomb-pulse dating allows researchers to determine whether biological material formed before or after nuclear testing. This method has been applied to forensic science, medical research, and environmental monitoring. It has been used to identify forgeries in artwork, measure human cell turnover, and estimate the lifespan of Greenland sharks. One of the most important applications has been in tracking the illegal ivory trade. Elephant tusks absorb atmospheric carbon while the animal is alive. By analyzing the carbon-14 content of ivory artifacts or raw ivory, investigators can determine whether the material comes from a legally antique source or from a recently killed elephant. This intersection of nuclear history, atmospheric science, and conservation biology demonstrates how Cold War nuclear fallout became a forensic tool for fighting elephant poaching and wildlife trafficking. More broadly, it demonstrates the creativity and resourcefulness of scientific researchers, who find ingenious uses for datasets of unlikely origin.