This text explores the impact of nuclear bomb explosions on the world, specifically focusing on the increase in background radiation levels and its effect on steel production. The Trinity site, where the first nuclear bomb was detonated, is now a safe tourist attraction. The presence of radionuclides from nuclear blasts in the air has contaminated steel, leading to the need for low-background steel in certain applications such as Geiger counters and medical devices. The text highlights the source of low-background steel as sunken ships, particularly those from the German High Seas Fleet in the waters around the Shetland Islands. However, with the decrease in atmospheric radiation since the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the need for low-background steel is diminishing.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-background steel | From steel with radiation to low-background steel | Increased availability of low-background steel | Need for steel with little-to-no background radiation |
| Use of sunken ships for steel | From traditional steel production to salvaging sunken ships | Decreased reliance on traditional steel production | Availability of low-background steel |
| Decrease in radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere | Decrease in radionuclides in steel production | Decreased contamination of steel with radionuclides | Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and decrease in nuclear testing |
| Use of nutmeg as a psychoactive substance | Increased awareness of nutmeg’s psychoactive properties | Greater caution in using nutmeg as a spice | Knowledge of nutmeg’s psychoactive properties |