History
Before the first nuclear bomb test, physicists checked it wouldn't ignite the atmosphere
Ahead of the Trinity test in July 1945, Edward Teller raised the theoretical possibility that the explosion's heat could trigger a runaway fusion reaction in the nitrogen of Earth's atmosphere. Hans Bethe calculated the odds were effectively zero, and the physicists proceeded — Trinity detonated safely, becoming the first nuclear explosion in history.
— Kai Bird & Martin J. Sherwin, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer — 2005
Go deeper: get the book →