Today marks the anniversary of the first* atomic detonation... the creation of the Atomic Golem. The story of the golem is an ancient Judaic legend about the creation of a man-like being who ultimately becomes a monster. In the legend, a kabbalist** forms the image of a man out of clay, in emulation of God forming Adam from the DUST of the Earth. Then, mystical rites are performed, and the word emet*** is carved into the forehead of the clay man, who then becomes animated. He grows every day, and functions as a servant at first, but soon becomes an overgrown giant who destroys everything in his path. The golem can only be stopped by rubbing out the letter alef on his forehead, leaving two remaining letters, mem and tav which spells mot - Hebrew for death. In the legend, the golem becomes too tall for the kabbalist to reach its forehead. Eventually, with the aid of a ladder, he rubs out the alef, and the golem returns to a heap of clay, topples over, falling on his creator, crushing him to death.
The Atomic Golem which was created on July 16, 1945 by technological high priests has grown.**** The nuclear disaster in Chernobyl is evidence that he is an out-of-control monster. Can this golem be stopped? Will stopping it crush us?
* At 5:29, in the morning, a Plutonium implosion device called Trinity***** was detonated atop a 20 meter tall tower at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. It produced a 20 kiloton explosion which turned the twilight into brilliant blinding bright light. One unsuspecting observer from ten miles away was permanently blinded by the sight... the last thing he saw was the first atomic detonation.
**A Jewish mystic - a holy man - a keeper of secret knowledge.
***alefmemtav = emet - Hebrew for truth
alef is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
mem is the exact middle of the alphabet (including the final forms)
tav is the last letter of the alphabet, and symbolizes balanced judgment.
****"As of 1980 the United States DOD possessed in nuclear arms, the equivalent of six tons of TNT for every living (human) inhabitant on the face of the Earth." Robert Heilbroner - The Making of an Economic Society
***** Trinity is an interesting choice for a name, considering that it is an archaic Christian term for God. Atom-god.
"What a legacy we're leaving behind" The Rhino King
The Atomic Golem which was created on July 16, 1945 by technological high priests has grown.**** The nuclear disaster in Chernobyl is evidence that he is an out-of-control monster. Can this golem be stopped? Will stopping it crush us?
* At 5:29, in the morning, a Plutonium implosion device called Trinity***** was detonated atop a 20 meter tall tower at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. It produced a 20 kiloton explosion which turned the twilight into brilliant blinding bright light. One unsuspecting observer from ten miles away was permanently blinded by the sight... the last thing he saw was the first atomic detonation.
**A Jewish mystic - a holy man - a keeper of secret knowledge.
***alefmemtav = emet - Hebrew for truth
alef is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
mem is the exact middle of the alphabet (including the final forms)
tav is the last letter of the alphabet, and symbolizes balanced judgment.
****"As of 1980 the United States DOD possessed in nuclear arms, the equivalent of six tons of TNT for every living (human) inhabitant on the face of the Earth." Robert Heilbroner - The Making of an Economic Society
***** Trinity is an interesting choice for a name, considering that it is an archaic Christian term for God. Atom-god.
"What a legacy we're leaving behind" The Rhino King
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