What Would Happen to Humanity If A Nuclear War Broke Out?

What would happen to humanity and the Earth if a nuclear war were to break out? Gizmodo, an online media outlet, explained the dangers of nuclear war through a YouTube video.

The YouTube channel Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell explored this topic in a video titled “What Happens AFTER Nuclear War?” The video conveyed that if a large-scale nuclear war were to occur, it would change the course of human history.

According to the video, when a nuclear bomb explodes, the area within several miles of the blast epicenter would be destroyed by shock waves and intense heat. Radioactive materials would then spread, and a massive mushroom cloud would rise, causing fires that could consume cities and forests within hours. The hot air and smoke from these fires would draw in surrounding air, forming firestorm clouds that could reach as high as 7 miles into the atmosphere, potentially reaching the stratosphere where they could remain for years.

This smoke would begin to cover the Earth, absorbing sunlight and preventing it from reaching the surface. Within just a few weeks after the nuclear explosions, the reduction in sunlight would lead to a severe climate change known as “nuclear winter.” Summers might become shorter or disappear entirely. Furthermore, decreased evaporation from the oceans and reduced precipitation could lead to widespread drought.

Most of humanity lives in mid-latitude regions, including highly productive agricultural areas like the Great Plains of the United States and Ukraine. If a nuclear winter were to significantly lower temperatures in these regions, global grain production would greatly suffer. This could lead to famine for nearly 250 million people worldwide.

Consider a scenario where India and Pakistan engage in a nuclear war using 250 nuclear weapons. This could result in over 100 million immediate deaths in densely populated areas, with over 2 billion people possibly dying from starvation due to the ensuing nuclear winter.

In the worst-case scenario of an all-out war involving NATO countries, the video estimates that around 360 million people would perish.