How does the metal ball used in nuclear weapons work, and how can it be handled without constant fear of exploding?

Question

How does the metal ball used in nuclear weapons work, and how can it be handled without constant fear of exploding?

In: Technology

Answer 1

To add on with what other people are saying, a big problem with nuclear weapons is a fizzle, where the material contacts enough to produce a nuclear explosion, but that very explosion blows the material apart, stopping the explosion.

This means that even if nuclear material accidently reached critical mass, without a lot of human interference, it would just blow apart and stop immediately. This effectively stops natural nuclear explosions for occurring, and means that without serious effort, its hard to hurt yourself with material that could be used to create a nuclear explosion (though radiation will still kill you dead).