Boing Boing

Boing Boing

Cold War planners wanted to heat atomic mines with chickens

Ellsworth Toohey
Jan 06, 2026
∙ Paid

Image: Google Gemini

In the 1950s, British military planners faced a problem: if the Soviets invaded West Germany, how could they slow the advance? Their solution was Blue Peacock, a project to bury ten-kiloton nuclear landmines across the North German Plain, set to detonate by wire, an eight-day timer, or anti-tampering devices that would trigger the bo…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Boing Boing.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Happy Mutants LLC · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture