Why Can Cockroaches Survive a Nuclear Blast?
WouterWhile roaches are not immune to radiation, they do fare better than humans in such a scenario. Humans can only survive for ten minutes in a contaminated area, and the radiation that a nuclear explosion emits is deadly for them. However, a cockroach’s radiation resistance is far greater than ours, and its survival in a nuclear blast depends on the size of the blast and the distance from ground zero.
Although the roach is not a “creature of God,” its innate resilience has inspired scientists to develop robotic rescue robots that could find survivors trapped in confined areas. These robots could help in both manmade and natural disasters. However, cockroaches will not inherit the Earth. They do not possess the innate ability to survive Nuclear Armageddon.
Cockroaches do have a higher radiation tolerance than humans and other animals. It is possible for a cockroach to survive a nuclear blast, but it is not likely. Their resistance to radiation depends on the temperature. A nuclear blast produces intense heat, while a nuclear winter is extremely cold.
It is believed that German cockroaches can survive radiation up to 10,000 rads, but humans are not known to survive a nuclear blast. In fact, humans can survive radiation up to 1,000 rads for about ten minutes. In contrast, cockroaches can survive a nuclear blast for only a few minutes. They cannot survive the nuclear heat or radiation in a nuclear explosion.
