You Believe In Coincidence...?

Nearly all of us have experienced something called "coincidence" before. It's fairly common.

However, sometimes things are called coincidence that just seem to be something else, ya know? I think that many things we can't find an easy answer to we just chalk up to "coincidence" and let it go. I'm thinking that sometimes it might not hurt to take another look. Here is a case in point...!

Windshield Pitting And Operation Castle

Starting in April of 1954, people in Bellingham and Seattle, Washington started to report unusual holes, pits, and dings in their car windshields. The reports quickly spread to different areas of the state and thousands of people were affected. At first, it was thought to be the work of vandals, but after parking garages and secluded neighborhoods were targeted, the reports began to spread.

By April 15, 1954, close to 3,000 windshields were affected, and police released a statement indicating that 95 percent of the cases were caused by public hysteria. Others put forth the theory that the damage was being caused by the infestation of flea eggs, cosmic rays, or nuclear fallout.

On March 1, 1954, the United States started Operation Castle—a series of high-yield nuclear tests carried out at Bikini Atoll, a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean. They are approximately 7,700 kilometers (4,800 miles) from Seattle. The initial test of Operation Castle was named Castle Bravo, and it was the first dry fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb detonated by the US.

After Castle Bravo was set off, it became clear that the US government had misjudged its power. It was approximately 1,000 times more powerful than each of the atomic bombs used during World War II and the nuclear fallout surrounded the island and spread quickly. The event was the most significant case of accidental radiological contamination in US history. After Castle Bravo was detonated, five more nuclear tests were carried out in the area. The amount of nuclear fallout released into the atmosphere was difficult to measure because the data was skewed by previous explosions. By coincidence, the timeline for Operation Castle falls directly in line with the 1954 Windshield Pitting Epidemic. The city of Seattle is located in a region where it is possible that nuclear fallout from Bikini Atoll could have hit.

See what I mean about wanting to take a closer look? Maybe it's nothing after all. Maybe it really is just a "coincidence", but it does make you wonder!

I'm thinking we should have coffee out on the patio. I'll share some Donut Stix, OK?