The 1950s were an amazing time – full of hope, fear, and bizarre scientific experiments. Here’s a true story, from a recently released government document. Sometimes you can’t make this stuff up.
Operation Teapot
In 1955, eight communist countries signed the Warsaw Pact
war was beginning between south and north in Vietnam
and trouble was simmering on the Montgomery buses.
Meanwhile, in the Nevada Desert, government scientists
were conducting an experiment on the possible effects
of a nuclear explosion on beer and soft drinks.
Their results, duly published with full extract and pages of data,
proved that in the event of a nuclear catastrophe, packaged beverages
would be a suitable emergency source of liquid refreshment,
though the beer might lose a bit of its flavor.
Penguin Poems 
Andrew, you are the best!! I am laughing, and then when I read this again, laughing some more–thank you for that and for your well-worded poem–such a perspective! Love it 🙂
But there’s a lot of sense in this. My daughter when travelling in countries renowned for dysentery and worse, survived on Coca Cola and Mars Bars.
Never underestimate scientists and the silver linings they can find to justify atrosity. “I am become death,” indeed. I could not bring myself to laugh at this one, because it’s too true: Fukushima has had three meltdowns (two more than Chernobyl, but did you hear that from the pro-nuke corporate media? No) and one more seismic event? We’re all screwed. So let’s post ’em while we got ’em and DANCE WRITE SING like there is no tomorrow. (Of course, I felt that way years before Chernobyl, even, or Three Mile Island!) Thanks, Andrew, Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/10/02/slp-is-back-creative-juices/
haha…radioactive beer might lose its flavor…depending on the beer that might be an improvement…just saying…it blows my mind some of the studies we do…and still do…
Haha. I see where their priorities lie. Too funny.
Ha! Yes. Flavor and savor too, I imagine. Very funny despite macabre aspect! k.
Excellent – at least our mangled bodies will be able to enjoy a beer…
Anna :o]
HOnestly, you can’t make this stuff up?!!