The Cold War might be over, but the threat of a nuclear attack on a populated area has never truly disappeared. Traditional advice in the event of a nuclear explosion is to shelter in the nearest protective building, but atmospheric scientist Michael Dillon has determined that there could be a more effective option.
Having realized that not everyone has access to a basement or other appropriate place to use as a fallout shelter, Dillon looked to mathematics to calculate the most effective course of action. What he found was that it is often better to run and try to find better shelter than to stay where you are.
According to his findings, if your current shelter is poor and there is a better option within five minutes travel time then you should go there as soon as possible. If the higher quality shelter is more distant, you should only attempt to reach it if you can do so within 30 minutes of the bomb's detonation.
Dillon believes that if everyone in a major metropolitan area followed this advice in the event of a nuclear bomb detonation it could potentially save up to 100,000 lives.
Source: Sciencemag.org
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