What can the atomic bomb do to a person?

Answer 1

That depends on how close you are to ground zero, the name given in the 1940s to the position of the bomb when it detonates. It can kill by instantly vaporizing a person. It can severely burn someone, causing him to either die instantly, die after a period of suffering, or survive the burns and start recovering from them, only to suffer and die anyway from radiation sickness. Someone who is not close enough to get burnt could be killed by the pressure wave, either directly or by causing something to fall on him, like a building. Someone who is miles away but looking in the direction of the bomb when it detonates could be permanently blinded by the intense flash of light that occurs at detonation. Even miles away from ground zero someone could be bombarded with gamma radiation and not know it right away, but then die a slow painful death from radiation sickness. The cloud of radioactive fallout could be carried far away by the winds, causing people to die of radiation sickness many, many miles from ground zero. If someone's exposure to gamma radiation is minimal, it is possible to receive a survivable dose, although many survivors can end up having children with severe birth defects years later.