The terrifying myth of the cherry-red explosive that could end society
In short: For decades, rumors of 'red mercury' have haunted the black market. Described as a semi-liquid, cherry-red substance, this mysterious compound was whispered to be the key to building miniature, baseball-sized neutron bombs. But is this a revolutionary breakthrough in physics, or just a high-stakes scam?
The legend of red mercury emerged in the late 1980s, appearing in Soviet and Western media with claims of immense power. Some nuclear physicists, including Sam Cohen—an American physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project—warned that the substance was real and potentially catastrophic. Cohen suggested that red mercury could be used to create a neutron bomb small enough to fit in a baseball, capable of killing everyone within 6/600 metres of an explosion.
The alleged mechanism involves a complex chemical process. According to researchers like Frank Barnaby, the substance might be a polymer created by irradiating a mixture of mercury and antimony in a nuclear reactor for up to 20 days. This process could produce enough chemical energy when compressed to fuse tritium atoms, triggering a thermonuclear explosion. Some even speculated that the substance was already integrated into Russian weapons, such as the M-1975 240-millimetre mortar.
However, many experts view red mercury as a classic hoax. Skeptics like Ted Taylor, a prominent designer at Los Alamos, argued that the energy required to dislodge the necessary electrons would make such a stable explosive nearly impossible. Critics point out that the substance's purported properties change to suit the buyer's desires—ranging from stealth coating to missile guidance systems. While leaked documents from South Africa described a 'red mercury 20:20' compound, most analyzed samples have proven to be nothing more than common, well-known substances.
The mystery is compounded by real-world violence. In November 1991, Alan Kidger, a sales director for the chemical company Thor, was mysteriously murdered. South African investigators believed his death might be linked to the clandestine trade in this elusive red substance.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Cherry red and very dangerous | New Scientist
- Also: Red mercury
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