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ESPN NBA writer Chris Palmer apparently believes he’s a bomb expert.
On Tuesday afternoon, multiple videos of an explosion in Beirut made their way on the Internet.
early reports out of Beirut say this was an explosion at a fireworks factory. unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/hvRm4DOP44
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 4, 2020
The explosion was initially reported to be at a fireworks factory but that has yet to be confirmed.
Despite the fact that people are still gathering information on the matter, ESPN NBA writer Chris Palmer confidently claimed that the explosion was “atomic” because of the mushroom cloud seen in the video.
Palmer would go on to double down on his claims that the explosion was “atomic.”
Palmer was immediately slammed by nuclear experts as well as other members of the media for spreading misinformation.
https://twitter.com/wellerstein/status/1290691665401909248
https://twitter.com/NarangVipin/status/1290688950714028033
Nuclear Physicist here.
It isn’t atomic. FFS.
Mushroom clouds form when an explosion creates a superhot bubble of gas. Hot hair is buoyant, so it rises quickly and expands while creating an updraft picking up dust which forms the stem. https://t.co/0u2mepgtz2
— Dr. Siiri Takala (@Oppenhiney) August 4, 2020
This isn't that complicated, people. There is a fire and a secondary explosion. There are literally none of the phenomena one sees with a nuclear explosion. pic.twitter.com/OeT2ohd7hg
— Dr. Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) August 4, 2020
Nope
If it was a nuclear explosion, first there'd be a blinding flash.
Phone camera would stop dead because EMP.
There'd be no video because everyone and everything will be on fire. https://t.co/QHMbw8Vm4K
— Dr Philip Lee (@drphiliplee1) August 4, 2020
Whatever detonated in Beirut was very big and very, VERY bad, but it was NOT an atomic bomb. The EMP from a nuke would fry every cellphone that you're getting the video from as well as everyone in over a mile radius.
Actual journalists are on here selling video game plots. Stop.
— Torraine Walker (@TorraineWalker) August 4, 2020