Episode 517: Atom Bomb Baby

Episode 517: Atom Bomb Baby

From What the HELL Were You Thinking? by Dave Bledsoe

January 26, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 517

About this episode

Dave Bledsoe explores the Atomic Age and its impact on Boomers while mixing cocktails in his bar lab.

Show Notes Episode 517: Atom Bomb Baby This week Host Dave Bledsoe goes into his laboratory to work on his experiments. (His lab is a bar and he is mixing toxic cocktails to drink alone. Again.) On the show this week we examine the second leg of the Boomer Tripod, which explains why Boomers are the way they are. (Standing in line at the Walmart return counters muttering racisms at an audible level.): The Atomic Age. Along the way we learn WAY TOO MUCH about Dave and his youthful “nocturnal emissions”. (Eew. Just Eew!) Then we dive right into those heady years following World War Two when America was in love with the Atom. We explore all the ways people tried to make the bomb work in civilian applications and all the things people imagined we would power with a nuclear reactor. (We could have had atomic cars!) Then we take a look at the atom in pop culture. From atomic beauty queens to atomic labs under the Christmas tree, the atom was cool until it wasn’t. (Funny how nuclear war can ruin a good time!!) Our Sponsor this week is The Junior Manhattan Project Home Set, the future bright because it glows from atomic radiation! We open the show with a little cartoon explaining the atom…

People in this episode

Host: Dave Bledsoe

Topics covered

  • Atomic Age
  • Boomers
  • nuclear power
  • pop culture
  • toxic cocktails

Keywords

  • Atomic Age
  • Boomers
  • nuclear reactors
  • pop culture
  • toxic cocktails

Sponsors

The Junior Manhattan Project Home Set

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Junior Manhattan Project Home Set

Books & works: Hypnostate Prelude to Common Sense

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