I actually know a guy, Roy Henderson, who was in the US Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  He was stationed at a nuclear missile silo and went through a similar scenario to Petrov's.  At the time, they were installing a secondary communication system to  add redundancy in case of a failure due to a nuclear strike.  During this installation, the old comm line to the silo was accidentally cut... before the new one was properly connected.  Now, in US military protocol, every silo is designed to be able to operate independently, in case of a nuclear strike on Washington D.C. and a subsequent complete and utter destruction of the central command.  When the old comm line was cut, it triggered the alarm that is tied to this protocol, and completely locked down the silo; no one could get in or out.  Also, the missile was automatically armed and primed for launch.  Roy was the only guy in the control room at the time, and for a few minutes, he had complete control of that nuclear missile.  Luckily, he was very much like Petrov.  But unlike Petrov, he knew for certain that the alert was a false one.  He figured that the construction crew accidentally cut the old line and he didn't fire the missile.  Meanwhile outside, literally everyone, and I mean EVERYONE on the base got word of what happened and were screaming toward the silo in whatever they had -- jeeps, trucks, helicopters, you name it -- all in an effort to tell Roy that it was a false alarm.  It was hands-down, one of the top 5 "Oh shit!  Oh Fuck!" moments of all time for them.  When he told my dad the story, dad told me that he turned pale.  To have that kind of power, no matter what you know or don't know, is absolutely terrifying.

EDIT: Typo correction.

@Cdog Thehedgehog We live in interesting times indeed.

@ATruePanda Lmao this is the rare case that the op is legit and has knowledge of classified government gossip. Glad to be here.

I couldn't find anything covering the incident, but I did find an obituary of a "Roy 'Tom' Henderson" who served in the Air Force from 1950 - sometime after 1973. That checks out with this story being during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

just drop someones government who worked on a potential secret project…smh

@Void of Space and Time I heard missiles...DAT SH*T IS MINE!

that guy deserves his own special fucking medal lol

That's not the first time we had an oh shit moment...... Once a bomber plane accidentally loaded up and carried three nuclear warheads across the country when they weren't suppose to..... And another time a live nuclear warheads was dropped out of a plane and nearly detonated on impact......

So...he could've just said "eff it" and intentionally doomed the world forever?

Holy shit.

He has the same last name as me. That's crazy.

@GDNacho at least not until the next time this happens. Again. Damn, we keep getting lucky don't we?

<b>There will never ever be a man as powerful as Roy Henderson</b>

*There will never ever be a man as powerful as Roy Henderson*

Holy shit

so Roy literally held the lives of everyone on Earth in his hands. That's insane.

@Stellvia Heonheim You must be fun at parties. :/

Don’t forget about the time that NORAD in Utah almost started global nuclear war because of the moon.

@RichyRich M There was an article on it?  Nice!  Is there any chance you could find that article again?

I heard about that in an article from university. Not a lot of people know about it

@Oscar Leaving an ICBM completely unattended?  That's very unlikely.  But on the off-chance it did happen?  The people on the outside would probably just have to slowly drill through the door.

@Kar amacı gütmeyen kanal If you digged around enough in the DoD's records <del>-and you had the proper authorization-</del> you might find a report about the incident.  All I am going off of is word-of-mouth from the guy himself, to my dad, then me.

@Kar amacı gütmeyen kanal If you digged around enough in the DoD's records --and you had the proper authorization-- you might find a report about the incident.  All I am going off of is word-of-mouth from the guy himself, to my dad, then me.

is there any source that i can find about him?

what would have happened if no one was in the silo? Would it just be locked until forced open?

This deserves more likes, that's amazing


For a single day, that man became the protagonist, the antagonist, and everything in between

that is just called a main character lmao

Sonder is the realization that everyone is their own protagonist.<br>On that day there were not many, but one protagonist

Sonder is the realization that everyone is their own protagonist.
On that day there were not many, but one protagonist

@Really Useful Trackmaster Fan The last 3 presidents of the USA: Round 3?
sorta

@Really Useful Trackmaster Fan The last 3 presidents of the USA: *_Round 3?_*
sorta


Imagine being in Rome in the first century being like "yeah I just got this new vase, its yellow hue reminds me of the sun and it's even warm to the touch too" and dying in your mid-twenties.

@Randomly Entertaining True, but they still emit deadly radon gas.

Raw uranium isn't all that radioactive.  You can hold a chunk of it in your hands and you'll be fine.  It's when it's refined that it gets radioactive.

Modern uranium glass glows but does not irradiate at all due to the ceramic layering above the glass. It's only if this layer were to be damaged is it dangerous. Not sure about ancient uranium glass though.


EmpLemon is seriously the most underrated Youtuber out there. His storytelling is on a whole different level and his editing is top tier. How does he not even have one million subs when he's producing content like this?!

@Owen Murphy nice, wonder if he'll come out of hiatus now

By years end, he will reach the prophesied 1,000,000 Sub Goal,
It’s his fate

By years end, he will reach the prophesied 1,000,000 Sub Goal,
*It’s his fate*

to be fair, he did tell us to unsubscribe in the past


im rewatching the never ever series and HOW does this one have so few views, it's the best one imo

TV nerds don't like history 🤷 I love all forms of emps videos he has a genuine heartfelt take that we can all relate too

The one before this literally made me cry so I disagree

It really his magnum opus it's about something that affects everyone

@mam man _88 If the remix isn't in the music list in the description he probs made it himself for that segment

this is the beast episode lol

[10:07 remix] PS I've been looking for this remix and I'm wondering is emp uploaded it some where plz help

@Ganer sadly, the type of tv that makes money these days are kids shows. The first episode is about one

@Ian Ingold・15 years ago make sùre to  click œn the bell 🔔 and BUY SOME MERTC-C_C-CH

@Adam this entire channel is a shrine to pop culture and its lasting historical influence. sooo

i normally tear down checkmarks like reagan did to the wall. but you seem sincere. carry on.

I think it's the best video of his. It's so impactful at so many different moments. "I did what I was trained to do" is such a powerful moment, it really shows how lucky we are that Stanislav never thought that way.

@Aoshi it’s either this one or Homer’s enemy

@The mango man Nah I agree it's the most real and I love this video but that's prob why

Because the people who dont already know the name Stanislav Petrov dont care enough to click...

@Orion yeah but its also the most real this and the  dale Earnhardt video are my favorite videos on YouTube

@Jackson Allen true then there's me who loves both

"The world is never fair, so sometimes acting like Homer is the only option left"<br>- Emplemon in the last video

"The world is never fair, so sometimes acting like Homer is the only option left"
- Emplemon in the last video

I still think that the Hungrybox video is a better narrative and it also had better production but the Cold War is a very close second.

This one is pretty creepy and dark, I can see why people don't wanna watch how the "world almost ended"

Because it’s historical. People care more about pop culture than history.

In my opinion the best one is hungrybox's

@Ganer He should stay on YouTube. This is his home. The only place his remix culture can be successful.

Ok. Found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvFGumd_esg
It's part 2 and the timestamp where he explaines it is: 13:13

@Ganer I've think it got copyright claimed. He explained it in one of the copyright law videos. <br>Wait...I'am looking for the timestamp...

@Ganer I've think it got copyright claimed. He explained it in one of the copyright law videos.
Wait...I'am looking for the timestamp...

like this belongs on TV, he should shoot a few emails to various media companies and see if they can work something out [and get the copyright deals and stuff in order]


Stan Petrov
An unremarkable man
With an unremarkable story
Who would save the world
By doing nothing

"A strange game, the only move is not to play" -Wargames

the choice to not choose is a choice in it of itself

I guess you could say that he's a real nowhere man setting in his nowhere land Making all his nowhere plans for nobody

@Fandom guy To quote WarGames, “The only winning move is not to play.”

"A strange game......... The only winning move is........ Not to play"

@Sachiko Broomfield Stanislav Petrov is LUIGI?!

The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.

Oh Magic Conch Shell, what do we need to do about the incoming nuclear missiles?

And yet, by doing nothing, he did what is right.

AKArainkit “The fact that I’m doing nothing right now proves my resolve.”

That's wrong. Even when you do nothing, you do something.

Stan Petrov saves the world by doing absolutely nothing.  Reminds me of the Mario party videos.  Luigi wins by doing absolutely nothing.


Damn. Hopefully we have another guy like Petrov in these upcoming years. Scared to think what’s gonna happen going forward.

@Jack P. Richardson It sure would be quick..... Maybe it would be for the better.

Idk I hope the button is pressed. The world makes me lose hope in humanity sometimes lol

Im worried about my home country(Slovakia) because our government yes-men agreed to become US military base, which would resolve in war dragging to Slovakia as well


I certainly hope this recent conflict does not escalate to a point where we will need another man as powerful as Stanislav Petrov. Because I'm not sure anyone today would spare the world with the tensions rising now. Being in that hot-seat would be a hard place to be.

Governments are much more pragmatic than you think. Especially when it comes to nuclear weapons.

That’s why I’m back here too. Perhaps I’m reflecting our good boy Stan here across the whole Russian people, but even if it comes to destruction for all, I don’t believe the Russians will do it. Whatever I feel about the geopolitical climate, this video reminds me that we aren’t so different, what scares me is Hawaii man. If the end of the world comes, it will be on the shoulders of the aggressor, and I’m terrified it will be us, because we still as a nation don’t believe in peace.


“Many believe that a nuclear war is a scary reminder of the past. But I believe this opinion will change drastically.” -Stanislav Petrov


the fact stanislov is so underground and unknown makes me sad<br>he literally could’ve become the person with the highest kill count in history if he just picked up a phone

the fact stanislov is so underground and unknown makes me sad
he literally could’ve become the person with the highest kill count in history if he just picked up a phone

@R - G - C Huh? Mao is there, there's also Stalin, and there's also Hitler

SJWs ruins all, CRT discriminates asians & whites

Vladimir Putin has entered the competition!

The person with the highest kill count now is one of the 2 general that fired the 2 nuclear bombs at Japan.


This man used a Dunkey clip as a metaphor for nuclear weapons

Bravo

I thought YouTube was having a seizure playing a Dunkey audio clip over this video

@scaly copperhead Difficulty in Videogames

Russia: nope, you are nitpicking and biased, I win, byebyeee.

copperhead scaly It was difficulty in video games 1 I think

@Infomaniac dangit, you beat me to the joke!

I was just watching one of his videos on Mario Maker and I restarted the app bc I thought I ran into a bug

copperhead scaly if he has a video on platforming I bet it’s that

not just nuclear weapons, but war as we know it.

this might be one of the most impressive things i ever saw on the internet

If I didn’t know the context, I probably would have found it fitting.  This must be the mind of a YouTube Pooper, always thinking of ways to splice unrelated media together.

Toxic Pyro12 I thought it had skipped to my next video in the recommendations.


Stanislav is absolutely a hero! This video is so underrated and I feel like this story is one that many more people should learn from, but they simply haven't been exposed to it.


He could also have interpreted the "only 5 missile" as the only missiles the system were able to detect. This is the doomsday alternative universe he could have created


Stan singlehandedly saved humanity from complete destruction, only to be forgotten by it. Man, what a tragedy. I’ll always remember you Stan, even if it’s just me.

@Kingbanzzz he’s just an edge lord ignore people like him

@Henry Crabs Ight but at least have some respect… I mean he is the reason we all still here lmao

@Kingbanzzz you act as If I have empathy

@Henry Crabs bruhh wym "lmao he’s dead"  imagine someone hearing about you being dead and they start laughing their ass off at you being dead

@Henry Crabs ????? Is that how you normally react when someone dies


the fact that i am alive today is due to a man who didn't get a medal, a big parade, a promotion, or bothered. thats the kinda hero i want to be.


I don't think people tell you often enough just how phenomenal your use of sound is.  You're damn good at editing your audio so that it really makes an impact

Oh what the fuck? Hey MDB glad to see you enjoy quality content.

The dunkey break down FUCKING killed me XD

nice to see you here as well <del>w</del>

These videos are awesome and so are yours

22:33 is my favorite example of the genius editing/sampling in this

Could not agree with this more. The best on this platform imo

That is super true! The scene from this video that showcased the perspective of the Tsar Bomba explosion was definitely the most impactful part of the video.

the comments on these videos are like a goddamn whos-who of youtubers

Ending it with the coke song was a stroke of brilliance.

Greatest use of sound was Dunkey on 11:19, the greatest man on Earth.

@Nicholas Natale no I know, it is funny that you made me look at it just now. Also, he is still underated

@Nicholas Natale he has exactly 690k lol

YTPs may sound and look like complete nonsense but they require mad editing skills. Emp's been perfecting the craft for years.

That is precisely why I love EmpLemon so much, the use of sounds and audio editing! They’re phenomenal!

Also the range and choice of audio "samples" is great and fitting

A lot of EmpLemons style comes from Jon Bois and he emulates it so well. If you want other examples of great sound design check jon bois out.

I'm sure he appreciates this dude, comments are good for the YouTube algorithm


"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."<br>~God, Futurama

"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
~God, Futurama

That's what I thought of and said at the end of the video.


I honestly love that little clip of Dunkey's voice over the bits of human history. Despite his words being meant for something completely different, it still captures the human experience at it's most raw: to conquer reality. The only difference between a game and real life is that when a game breaks, you can restart and apply your previous knowledge; but real life? When we break reality, there's no going back.


I've watched this video 5+ times and I can safely say it is my personal pick for the Apex of YouTube content. It may sound like I am exaggerating but this part of humanity's History (and, of course, of the one that most definitely saved us all) always brings a tear to my eye. I don't think it would have nearly as much of an impact if it wasn't presented in such a marvelous manner. Thank you, truly.

Completely agreed. Hell, I would pay for an entire boxset of documentaries just like this.


Feelings of dread are rapidly closing in especially with recent events, but nonetheless I deeply hope we get to spend more time on this planet.


there will never ever be an EmpLemon video on trending...
Because youtube hates quality content

there will never ever be an EmpLemon video on trending...
*Because youtube hates quality content*

@Friday Night Nicktoons Why are we still talking about political content like it's 2016? YouTube is a corporation. It's breeds lifestyle content to design lifestyle content to encourage more lifestyle content. The more people consume the more money YouTube makes. Money money money. That's what YouTube's about, that's what corporations are about. Seriously when was the last time man spreading or some shit has even been on the front page of YouTube?

I never even look at the trending tab its useless xD

Str8 Krillin it i- I’m pretty sure I was introduced to emplemon because of trending…

YouTube likes AWFUL CLICKBAIT YOUTUBERS
(ಥ﹏ಥ)

YouTube likes *AWFUL CLICKBAIT YOUTUBERS*
(ಥ﹏ಥ)

BOB IGOR RUINED STAR WARS NOT JUST KATHLEEN

Yeah. Why is a video of some pop star eating a donut trending when this video about a man who made a decision that saved 80-90% of the world isn't?

They only do true quality stuff like buzzfeed news about mansplaining,Justin beiber and his friends singing, great hosts like jimmy Kimmel talking about how Republicans are bad,and whatever people are offended by this week will always be what's on there. Totally important. I love seeing Ariana grande....talk about donuts?...uh...yeah...love YouTube trending -_-


The fact that some people in the comments say the video is biased in favor of the USSR and others say the video is biased for the US just proves how right he is


god, emp is just the king of these kinds of video essays.
the writing is top notch, the editing, use of sound, the choices in footage, the wonderful transitions... you can not only tell the passion he has for telling these stories, but his mastery of how to tell these stories.
keep it up, big guy.


I've known about Petrov for about a decade. During all this, the USSR was on high alert because the allies were doing a training exercise that involved their radiomen giving mock orders and reports. This included nuclear launch reports. The soviets believed that if an attack were to ever occur, it would be during one of these exercises, as they would be unable to tell what was really happening. It was like a real life 'War Games,' which had coincidentally just came out two months prior.

The fact that we are even here now given what happened during that early fall morning, is so implausible that it has lead me to believe that we were not allowed to be destroyed.


20:28 this whole part is inspired. How you slowly build up towards the Tsar and then the ultimate reveal is downright genius in it's effectiveness.


"I did what I was trained to do."

Chilling. I believed there was nothing else left to say at that point in the video, so the sudden realization of what that meant really hit hard. Amazing job on this.

@douglas wahid I made that comment 7 months ago. I've let this topic go and so should you.

Eh? There's nothing chilling about it. It's not like the guy was even close to being in the same position as Petrov. Hell, look up the NORAD computer glitch from 1979 if you want to see the reaction to a similar situation. All that guy did was send out a warning. You can be mad at him for fucking up and being wrong, but to act like it some kind of mindless drone because he did what he was trained to do in order to potentially save lives is absurd.

It was a complete opposite of Stanislav. If their actions were reversed, the other guy would even be able to do anything because we'd all be dead.

Logan Orlikoski
Yeah I got that.

A machine would just follow directive with nothing on the lines or thinking it over.

@*HellRay* I was making fun of the idea that soldiers dont function as individuals.

No human is without a soul, that’s just what a human is capable of.

Verdict: soldiers are souless human beings who cant think for themselves, and always trust your gut over the numbers.

Ironically enough, In charlie Chaplin's words. <br>"You are not machines! You are men!"

Ironically enough, In charlie Chaplin's words.
"You are not machines! You are men!"

Same feeling, that part was  chilling...

Same feeling, that part was  chilling...


imagine being a time traveller in any given timeline, and standing outside of petrov's room: you know he has made a decision, and you don't know what the decision was, only time will tell. at that point, you're in the largest scale schrodinger situation humanity has ever faced, the world is both shattered to bits and perfectly fine at the same time


This is my favorite episode of Never Ever and would love to see more like this one.

There will Never Ever be another Never Ever episode like "There may Never Ever be a man as powerful as Stanislav Petrov"

This is outright my favorite video on YouTube perhaps, and it's really a bummer it didn't perform as well as the others because holy shit is Emp good at this type of thing.

@Crazypug 2881 its unlikely, but not impossible

Well with the way the world is right now let’s pray there is another man like Petrov, because the alternative is something I don’t even want to think about.


guy goes home and his wife is like "how was work honey?" "oh you know, just another day at the office"

Then a decade later. She finds out he had the power to end all of humanity but didn’t.. well i guess it’s just another day of good working


I legit cried at 40:47 . I am so grateful; Thank you Stanislav Petrov for saving us all. Thank you EmpLemon for the video.


2011 emperor lemon: ADMIRAL ACKBAR'S TRAPTASTIC SEXTRAVAGANZA

2019 emperor lemon: documentary about nuclear energy and the cold war

and how one man prevented the end of the human race.


As a person living in New Jersey, the idea of a single nuke dropped on Manhattan wiping out half the state in seconds is very chilling.


Emp, gotta say, you may be the best creator on this site. Entertaining, highly informative, insightful, eloquent. Your videos are bona-fide professional works and you should be very proud of them


This is definitely the best episode of Never Ever. It seems a lot of work was put into it. The music perfectly fit the parts of the video. Thank you


Over the past couple years I have come back and rewatched this video a few times. Truth is... This may be one of the best videos I myself have ever seen. The history of this obscure story, the implications of if it had gone differently, and the philosophical take on a lot of it (the idea of it being our great filter "judgement day" specifically...) All while having it remain grounded by focusing on the common person... It's phenomenal. It's frankly a work of art. The editing is superb, the sound design is excellent, and the overall composition is just brilliant. Fantastic job with this one Emp. You deserve every praise you get.


That moment when a YouTube shitposter makes a more emotionally moving, well researched, and engaging mini-documentary than most multi-billion dollar media organizations.

@Gplgs Thank you for your feedback!  It's very important to us here!  I'm always honest about corporations because without them innovation would be impossible and we'd all be better off dead if the world were different! It's important not to think about it too much and just consume and engage with your favorite social medias for a happy, healthy future!

@Johnny Bensonitis <br>The sad thing is that I can’t tell if you’re joking or being serious

@Johnny Bensonitis
The sad thing is that I can’t tell if you’re joking or being serious

I changed it to 4.8k. I know no one but me cares but it feels good to change something

In a positive way

I changed it to 4.8k. I know no one but me cares but it feels good to change something

_In a positive way_

@Quinn Nosbod which part was inaccurate exactly?

His analysis of the soviet union and Reagan was kinda off and inaccurate, but otherwise an amazing doc

@Place Placington it’s not msm, it’s the capitalists, state, and pressure orgs that create the media narrative

He's no longer just a shitposter though !

@William Jordan <br>And people that question the questionable aspects. That's what separates them from the others. They're allowed to debate and isn't considered stepping out of a line

@William Jordan
And people that question the questionable aspects. That's what separates them from the others. They're allowed to debate and isn't considered stepping out of a line

@*HellRay* Oh, there's a lot of groupthink here.

What I love is the YTP influence in the relevant pop culture shotposts spread throughout the video. Something about them really drives home the point

His video about the dislike button is one of my favorites of his.

Folks like EmpLemon are the reason why the media you mostly see on TV is scared of YouTube. On YouTube you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want instead of being forced to watch one specific thing at a specific point in time on TV, depending on what channel you watch.

In fact, most of these multi-billion dollar organizations rely on boomers who still think TV is as relevant as it was decades ago. Meanwhile, slowly but surely TV's are becoming more and more like computers. There are TV's out there that can let you watch Netflix and other things through just a few button pushes. There is even an internet browser on some cases.
These are the two main reasons why i think things like YouTube is going to replace Television.

you've obviously never seen history channel after midnight

Wait. This is by the same person who uploaded the Hotel Mario YouTube Poop video(s)?!! Cool!

The MSM organizations are the ones spearheading division and paranoia in the human race. In a manner of speaking, the vast majority of them would have no guilt in 'pushing the button' if it meant an end to their ideological enemies.

I like to think this is the future of media, and the MSM rages and screams, facing its coming end.

Go check out “Potential History” he combines shitposting with history. It’s hilarious.

Titus Kent
Is he really a shitposter anymore?
I'm pretty sure at this point (based on his past NEVER EVER uploads) he's a firmly-established historian essayist.

Multi-million dollar media organizations are great!  They work tirelessly to ensure the working man stands a chance in this world!  Not to mention their determination to keep things fair and avoid operating in a manner than could be construed as manipulative.  We're actually quite lucky because it could be much worse if they valued their profit margin higher than maintaining a strong moral foundation, and luckily they like to exercise being honest over on pushing any sort of narrative or agenda!  Can you imagine?!

Ruby Acosta <br>Yeah his own narrative, not what a hyper biased group tells him to think.

Ruby Acosta
Yeah his own narrative, not what a hyper biased group tells him to think.

@*HellRay* so is emplemon ya know.......

Those organizations are only in it for their narrative


Watching this video for the first time today. It's absolutely unreal to imagine that all these horrific options might be relevant yet again.

Yknow whats honestly weirdly comforting myguy? Its ALWAYS been an option, we've always been minutes to midnight. And nothing has happened

It won't happen, but I don't blame people for being afraid, it's a scary thought, but humanity can and will prevail through it


Breaks my heart to think that he does't get the recognition he deserves, if it weren't for him most of us wouldn't even be born, and the rest would most likely be dead.


The pairing of the Dunkee clip alongside imagery of the evolution of warfare eventually leading to nukes (so as to save the "player" from the frustration of the meta) was a God-Tier satirical analogy.


This makes me feel like we should wake up every morning and say "Thank you Stanislav Petrov" before we get on with our day.


this channel has gone from youtube poops to Serious informative documentaries and I LOVE IT

@𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐯𝐞 with such a title like YouTube poop, they are some of the most mature people to ever live on this planet

This is what the maturing of a YTP'er looks like!

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐯𝐞

@Toronto Transit Channel I really like this format. Very few people do it because it is hard to do. I know a good portion of it but stil lwatch the video because it is so entertaining to watch.

Long time ago.I like both ytps and documental stuff

Demetra Economou more like serious documentary YouTube Poops, even better!


After rewatching this whole video, I gotta say...

Boy am I lucky to be taking strides to what I want to be. Probably because sooner or later...

My life could become one with the flowing air and ashes. Even if I don't get a nuclear warhead nowadays.


A few fun facts about Tsar bomba to give people nightmares;
-It was detonated around a mile off the ground, and STILL caused a medium-sized Earthquake
-The plane that dropped it was physically incapable of getting away fast enough to escape the shockwave, which caused all the engines to malfunction, forcing a mid-flight repair
-It was so bright that people over 65 miles away thought a second sun was rising seeing the blast
-It was over a thousand times more powerful than Trinity, Little boy, and Fat man combined
-It was only half as strong as it was supposed to be

Its shockwave circled around the planet several times too


Every once in a while I come back to this video. There's something about it all that makes it perfect. I say that this is EmpLemon's best video and is a masterpiece.


It's a shame this one of Emp's Never Ever series has the least amount of views, because in practice I think this is the best of them. There's something to be said on how he used YTP editing skills to instead highlight just how tense the situation was. Rarely do I feel such an emotional payoff in media, much less a documentary.

It's weirdly fitting considering how Petrov is not well known.


“If Stanislav Petrov had mercy for the world, then maybe we all can too.”

Something about that line is so wholesome that it almost makes me cry. This is why you’re my favorite YouTube channel.

I always found that the craziest part of this story was that Stansislav was a substitute for that day because the usual commander was on vacation.

@Zaid Nava Bit by bit. Learning. Emotional intellect needs to be trained. Say hello to someone you see but never say anything. Maybe stick around for a few seconds to hold a door open for someone.
Ask if someone's got something on they're mind if you're gonna be strangers in close proximity for a while. Non-PAC volunteer services. Talk to the guy/lady you've seen quite a few times now, but never got time to perhaps get a coffee;, like Nardwuar says ad nauseam: _the strongest method of persuasion--JUST ASK. •́  ‿ ,•̀
It's legit advice, and can't emphasize how far its help.
I am glad I knew about this fella when my father died. Helped alot of perspective..

@Zaid Nava That is the tough part of this situation, which is why I mentioned that things are looking bleak. In fact, it might not happen in the next few years, which is the worrying part, as time is most critical.

This whole situation has been centuries in the making, with multiple factors leading us to this point. Of course, with those factors came decisions, some of which had no ideal solution; there would be conflict regardless of the decision.

One such decision (or in this case, conflict) was the civil war. No matter the victor, we would find ourselves in a conflict such as the one we're facing now. Since the union won in our timeline, the former confederates felt oppressed, so that added a bit of fuel for the equal rights conflicts of the next century, and the following few decades leading up to the present. If the confederacy had won (factoring out the socioeconomic/political differences brought on by a confederate victory), there would have, inevitably, been some form of conflict between the confederate government/population and the enslaved African Americans. Of course, there's no way to know that, as it's alternate history theory, but I can make a guess, as baseless as it could be.

As Emp discussed in the video, one contributing factor (debatably) may be the lack of a major threat to our nation (in regards to the ability to completely destroy our nation from the outside), which (debatably) may have caused our internal conflicts in our own nation in order to keep that momentum of fear or anger going that was built up during the course of the cold war.

Finally, things are especially tense this year as it's an election year, with both major parties having (in my opinion) a rather poor choice of candidate (also in my opinion, the larger of the smaller parties (the green party and the libertarian party) also have lame candidates). Because we're at a periodic point in our nation's calendar (deciding how the country is going to be run), both sides of the polarized groups are rallying behind their party's candidate. Because both parties are the textbook definition of polar opposites and make up a majority of the United States population, no matter who wins or who loses, a major group of people will be uncontrollably upset.

So what can be done to get back onto the right track? I don't think many people will take the time out of their day to read this far, they probably quit out when I brought up the civil war. But to those who read on, I have some major pieces of advice. First, vote for who you believe fits your values best, regardless of party alignment, but don't be upset if your choice doesn't win. At the end of the day, we need to make the best of the hand we're dealt, regardless of if it's a bad hand or a royal flush. Second, don't separate your fellow countrymen into categories like party alignment, race, sex, etc., rather think of them as Americans. We're all under the same flag, so we need to do our best to work together to make it work. Third, listen to other people's opinions and weigh them against your own. You don't have to agree with them, but hear them out regardless. Fourth, if someone is gloating or attempting to incite anger out of you, don't take the bait. Keep a calm, collected, and most importantly, positive attitude towards the person doing the gloating/goading. This will cause them to feel like their boastful nature is having little effect on the people around them, causing them to question the effectiveness of such actions and/or thinking. Finally, and this is the most important part, hatred is a terrible thing to feel, and you shouldn't feel any form of hatred towards anyone, regardless of anything they stand for, anything they do, and most importantly, anything they are.

Make of this what you will, as I'm just a faceless person leaving a comment on a platform that's known for untrustworthy comments on a video that isn't seen by even a majority of the people on earth.

@Skies of Icarus what can we do about it? How can deal with polarized people and bring people together?

@Zaid Nava I certainly hope we can, as things are looking rather bleak at the moment. I'm still holding out hope that we'll realize the error of our ways before it's too late..

let's actually apply this thought in real life.


I feel like I've always learned something and grown as a person after watching one of your videos. Like I've been enlightened one lesson at a time. Thank you.


Using a Dunkey reference to explain how it's human nature to take what at the time seems as a simplistic finding to the natural endgame of trying to harness it's power in order to essentially change the way the "game" is played to better favor the player is actually incredible in its comparison and articulation.


This video and it's creator are the absolute pinnacle of YouTube. Nothing surpasses emplemon's prowess. If I could choose any editor in the world to work for me, it'd be my boy emp.


this video is a testament to how your editing and style of storytelling can give me chills even on rewatches


Fantastic video but there is one thing I disagree with.
Petrov followed his training. He said so himself in an interview.
It was in his training where he learned that in case of a nuclear launch the US would launch hundreds of missiles. So he deduced correctly. Yes, a degree of his individual self also played a part.
Nevertheless, the man should have a statue both on Washington and Moscow.


The Tsar Bomba edit dropped my soul. I knew all the stories before this video, but the video made me feel like I never did. I think people would care more about history if people told it like this video. With Passion.


I'd like to say that videos like these done by anyone else would often leave you with a sense of dread and fear that a crisis like this would come up again. But Emp really turned it around, especially towards the end, by pointing out how much thinking for ourselves is powerful.


7:03 This gave me goosebumps, sent chills down my spine and gave me anxiety all at once. 1) This is a masterpiece EmpLemon very great! 2) The very threat of nuclear annihilation looms over our very being and we need to take action.


"If Stan Petrov had mercy for the world, perhaps we can too."

Great quote Mr.Emp


Petrov's wife: "He's hiding something, is it another woman?"

Petrov: "For 15 seconds I was responsible for the fate of humanity."


Don’t know if anyone else has mentioned this, but I’ve seen some of the most creative youtubers on this platforms blossom, and you my good sir are one of them. Phenomenal audio choices and timings, from music to voice and clips from all the way back then. The visuals itselfs are amazing and on-track, waving through each image/video like the quietest but most smoothest rube goldberg machine.

This is further elevated by half of the audio clips you use, being from some of the YouTubers I watch on the daily. Adding that layer of connection takes your videos to a whole other level, and I have no doubt this series will become a staple soon enough. Keep up the good work!


Wow. I was 2 years too late for this video.

I am fighting back tears as i am writing this. May there never be another Stan Petrov, if we can help it.


Whether it’s intentional or not, I noticed that out of all the “Never Ever” episodes, this is the only one where the title says “There MAY never…” instead of “There WILL never...” Perhaps to highlight how there just might be someone with enough power to end the world, once again. But I don’t know, it could just be a simple error.


I can't believe he went from funny ytp's to THIS

thank you, this almost certainly the best video you have ever made.

ΩøøΩ

This is almost certainly one of the most important videos in history.


Thank you for this video. I've lived my life drunkenly telling everyone I can about Stanislav Petrov and have constantly experienced frustration at the lack of credit this man has received. I appreciate this video more than you know.


just noticed the change from "will" to "may" in the title


bringing it full circle with the hawaii false alarm and the man responsible saying he was doing what he was trained to do is genius directing. that part gave me chills.


With things as they stand today, I hope that there is another with the mercy to spare mankind a second time.


Can we just take a moment to recognize this man's talent as a storyteller?

@Migolas He might be the guy who makes all the intros of Fallout

He should dubbing some netflix history series, or something


On this day, 82 years ago, Petrov passed away. RIP to the man who saved the world.

...I think you need to check your math on that one. He died in 2017 (4 years ago), not in 1939 (82 years ago).

That said yes, RIP.


This is one of the best YouTube videos out there. Thank you emp for such amazing content


This is one of the only videos that constantly bring me close to tears with just how real it can sometimes feel. One of the best videos that I feel can not be shared enough. Thank you EmpLemon.


Watching this made me realize: There will never ever be another comic book like Watchmen. For a couple reasons:
1. Watchmen was a product of its time, and without the threat of nuclear annihilation, no series can carry that sense of existential weight.
2. Attempts at adaptations, sequels, spin-offs and crossovers could not re-capture what made the series so good in the first place.
3. Alan Moore has not topped himself since writing the series.

There are probably other reasons, but I think Watchmen would very much deserve an entry in the Never Ever series. I have faith in you, Emp!


We all need to take a second to admire the integration of dunkey talking about difficulty in video games to describe the increasingly sinister nature of warfare.   Goddamn genius


This is without a doubt the best YouTube video I have watched in the past year at least. Great job man. If only history was taught like this.


2022 has added an entire new layer to this...


I was living in Honolulu when the false alarm happened. I slept through it. I was supposed to work that morning and I was late to work. My dad was also living there at the time and he said people were running trying to find shelters and bunkers to go to and people were screaming like their lives were going to end. Imagine the fear those people had in those moments, being on an island almost 3000 miles away from the nearest continent, almost certain that your life is going to end and that you can’t do anything about it…


I have watched this video 8 times and I still get chills. You are an amazing creator and I always look forward to your next project.


This was one of the most memorable and well crafted videos that I’ve ever watched on YT. Impeccable job.

(also highly enjoyed that subtle nod to Local58)

@Generic Gaming Channel dude I hated real sleep, shit made me see shadow people in the corner of my eye for like 3 days

Is local58 something about aliens? I cant quite put my finger on it...

Never Ever Local58 episode would be awesome.

Yeah the local58 thing was pretty cool,thank god it wasn't the face thing though

Real Heel Ryan favorite horror channel and a favorite dank meme youtuber

Always nice to see quality content creators interacting with each other

Nexpo glad to see you here. Glad to see a YouTuber with quality content watching another with quality content.

@Kacy Crockard The NordVPN ad in the video at 16:03 and again at 17:09

I saw your comment when you had like a couple likes, lol.

Wow interesting seeing you here....and I completely agree

Just finished watching you video on local 58, earned a new sub!

I happened to hear your theme song in this video haha

@Debate Bro Neolib God lol me too omg nexpo


Sir, your videos are phenomenal. Especially this one. You're really giving all the documentary channels a run for their money lol


You’re views on Kamikazi are very simplistic. Most kamikazi pilots were forced into it.  Many were college students that had no military experience. They were not jumping at the chance to kill themselves. The Japanese were extremely fearful of being captured because they had been led to believe through propaganda that US soldiers would rape, torture, and kill soldiers and civilians they captured. Many women and children were killed hiding in caves at Iwo Jima because they were so terrified of being captured.

I can believe Kamikaze pilots being forced to become suicidal because of the society they are raised in. Of course most people wouldn't want to kill themselves for the sake of their country, but in those times, I think they would rather die than face the enormous shame and punishment that Japanese society will impose on them.


You do such a good job of building importance before getting to the point of the story.  Engaging the viewer with knowledge and context to up the effect of the video.


This is one of the most stunning pieces of art I’ve ever had the joy to watch


there will Never Ever be another youtuber as good as EmpLemon

I dunno, Lemmino is a pretty good YouTuner.

I like Rags more, but Emp is a <b>very</b> close second.

I like Rags more, but Emp is a *very* close second.

@SIREX__ You mean the guy who has a foot for a face?

Cinemassacre is the only one i would think comes close

I hope you aren't right because that might make the platform better

@Preston Heit <b>and we should see it 6 times more</b>

@Preston Heit *and we should see it 6 times more*


Damn, you really made me tear up a little at 39:32..
Amazing video, thank you for this documentary, and keeping the name of the man who most of us have to thank for our life... alive.


If I could, I would give this man a handshake and say "Thank you."


That edit of the bone from 2001 into the nuclear weapon (I think) instead of the spacecraft gave me chills. I'm <del>blown away</del> by how excellent your videos are.

That edit of the bone from 2001 into the nuclear weapon (I think) instead of the spacecraft gave me chills. I'm -blown away- by how excellent your videos are.


These videos are the height of documentary youtube work. So much so that I think it should be submitted to actual film festivals. You are amazing at story telling and insightful review. Keep on trucking my dude.


Wife: "Hey Honey, how was work?"
Stan: "It was pretty regular."

Skip forward ten years

Wife: YOU WHAT!!!

Wife: "Hey Honey, how was work?"
Stan: "It was pretty regular."

Skip forward ten years

Wife: *YOU WHAT!!!*

@OptimisticScales he STANned green homer Simpson

"And I saved your life, and the world for that matter anyway, why would you be upset?"

"It was ten years ago! Why are you so upset!?"


I would like to see EmpLemon do a video on Joachim Ronnenberg, the Norwegian resistance fighter and his group who helped stop the nazi heavy water experiment. Watching the atomic bomb backstory part reminded me of him, and it would be neat for him to do a video on him.


Imagine being the one guy who actually saved the world.


It's only someone like EmpLemon who could use an audio bit from Dunkey to enhance the video as a whole.<br>Excellent work. This is why you're the best.

It's only someone like EmpLemon who could use an audio bit from Dunkey to enhance the video as a whole.
Excellent work. This is why you're the best.


Just rewatching this today, I noticed something subtly striking about this video... it's currently the only Never Ever episode that says "there may Never Ever"... not, "there will Never Ever"... of all the historically amazing people and events the series has tackled, this is the one that "may" never ever happen again... just shows how horrifying the nature of it all is.

Still, I remain cautiously optimistic that Stanislav Petrov will forever remain an example to follow, and not a lucky fluke.


“I did what I was trained to do” God that is that is terrifying, the way the world is now I genuinely don’t think we’d have another Stanislav.

He made the Hungrybox one, which I think has better production and storytelling, but still this one is trippy as hell

It can be argued that the US had plenty of Petrovs/Arkhipov in the 1960s when they had the great idea to fly armed bombers with nuclear warheads 24/7 just to be ready for a nuclear retaliation.<br>I'm not even joking, this was a real thing (look up Operation Chrome Dome). I'm surprised we even made it through that decade tbh

It can be argued that the US had plenty of Petrovs/Arkhipov in the 1960s when they had the great idea to fly armed bombers with nuclear warheads 24/7 just to be ready for a nuclear retaliation.
I'm not even joking, this was a real thing (look up Operation Chrome Dome). I'm surprised we even made it through that decade tbh

This comment has been approved by the Breadstick Comment Committee

to be fair, most of us would do what they are trained to... i sympathize with the poor guy who sent the alert, if he actually believed it was real

There was only 5 missiles that were showing on the screen, there would be no way America strikes first with only 5 missiles and not 33,000.

Would you rather he just ignore the alarm next time? It's not like he was in charge of firing off nuclear missles like Stanislav Petrov. He was thinking about others too.

We are an absurd species. The traits that are most harmful to the community are the traits that are flaunted in public as the most desirable. That takes a special kind of stupid.

Nobody has to be alive for nukes to fire. On either side. Final say is in the hands  of a machine. If no human response is detected and all sensors point towards nuclear annihilation. Do you think this system once in a while burps up like a copy of windows Me? You bet it fucking does! Despite mountains of poopy panted officers who had their Stanislov moment along the way....those systems are still in place. Fucking pray they dont go BSOD suddenly.

The most powerful people in the world got there by not being petrov. But there are Petrovs in the world they are just always in a low scale environment.

@Alpha Lax it's terrifying because it we know that's what most ppl would have done. If that was the man instead of stanislav you most likely wouldn't exist

I think we all have a little bit of Petrov in our hearts

@I Am Not Armed so a Twelve Angry Men sort of ordeal?

Don't sell today's humans short.  We have always been this dumb despite all the reasons we shouldn't.

@Sara Skyline kinda, two of the three commanding officers already approved the launch of missiles (keep in mind they were underwater and had no communications with the outside world) but Arkhipov still refused to approve to nuclear launch

Dasnetta But was it as powerful as Stanislav Petrov?

We actually kind of did in Vasili Arkhipov who shared a similar story to Stanislav but on a Nuclear Submarine in the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

My alt account that I will barely ever use


I just realized something...
At 19:15, Emp shows a scene from TF2's Meet the Spy.
For context, the characters shown are Blue Spy(The guy that gets shot), Blue Scout(Left), Blue Soldier(Middle), and Blue Heavy(Right). They are informed that a Red Spy is impersonating one of them. I think each of the characters symbolizes someone.
Soldier(McCarthy) shoots the Blue Spy(Innocent person) because he suspects Red Spy is disguised as Blue Spy, when in reality, Red Spy is Scout. Best part is that the colors match up, Blue for US, Red for USSR


<b>As far as his power was concerned, he had binary agency. To launch, or not to launch, the missiles.</b>

*As far as his power was concerned, he had binary agency. To launch, or not to launch, the missiles.*


38:38 holy shit that sent a shiver down my spine imagine if this guy had petrovs job

At The same Time - he really just did his Job. Petrov Was right with his decision but he disobeyed orders. I dont think Person who pushed Information about missle in hawaii is to blame, they paid him to do this and fired him when he did.


Ah yes, quoting dunkey in a cold war documentary<br>10/10 never change

Ah yes, quoting dunkey in a cold war documentary
10/10 never change

I WATCH VORSEN IN THE MORNING 😂😂😂 ANY VI VONERS??

You took the words out of my mouth, a true man of culture, this Emplemon

Ah, I see you're a man of bajs as well. forsen1

This game makes you <b>FEEL</b> like you have the power to destroy the human race

This game makes you *FEEL* like you have the power to destroy the human race

I honestly thought it was some sort of glitch on my youtube

@Aidan Cullinan The quote is from his "Difficulty in Videogames" video

Stanislav Petrov actually calls up the USSR

" Hello, do you have the BEGG YOSHI? "

_Stanislav Petrov actually calls up the USSR_

_" _*_Hello, do you have the BEGG YOSHI?_*_ "_

The madman actually did it.

Absolutely disturbing ending parallelism


man.. we haven’t learned since then have we

Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. -Winston Churchill


I heard of the event but it pisses me off that most people didn't know his name. This man is a legend


Calling this event our “judgement day” in the context of the Fermi paradox is so damn terrifying. We came so close to failing the test


Jon Bois: Doesn't release lost episode on the same subject
Emplemon: "I gotchu"

Jon Bois: *Doesn't release lost episode on the same subject*
Emplemon: "I gotchu"


Don’t forget the Tsar Bomba was halved in explosive size because the pilot wouldn’t survive and testing it anywhere at that size would cause too much damage for a show of force.

@Jam _ You you see USSR as whole thing. There were times 1917-1953 it was time when government didn't care about people.After Stalins death there was revision policy. People were freed from labor camps.They let Soljenicin to publish his book about Stalins terror times. Basically government was fee  So i guess there were period 1917-1955 and 1960-1991 when there were kind of very socialist times Medical care , social care , free housing , free education was on very high level.  My mom was born in far city. She received free education bacame a doctor. Went to work in hospital in Moscow and same year government gave her apartment 55 sqare meters not far from her work. If families had more children government was providing them with bigger apartments. I think 70s up to 85 was kind of golden years of soviet union. When gorbachev came to power started deficit of products 86 chernobyl it  was heavily declining. Don't really understand why.  When USSR broke thing got so bad that average life expectancy dropped from 78 in 80s to 65 in 1993.

this shit reeks of monty python skit energy

@I need no channel youtube! ah yes, they publicized the test in a propaganda film.

@Jam _ They literally publicized the test in a propaganda film.

And even then they still put his chances of living at 50% and he almost lost control after getting hit by the shockwave.<br>It's just inconceivable how powerful nukes are, and that was only ONE...

And even then they still put his chances of living at 50% and he almost lost control after getting hit by the shockwave.
It's just inconceivable how powerful nukes are, and that was only ONE...

@Psybandit - it was, specifically a modified Tu-95V, and it was accompanied by a Tu-16A, which was there to witness and film the test.

@Brandon Ah yes, indeed it is beautiful. Im genuinely enjoying it.

im pretty sure it was just using it's energy inefficiently, because the taar bomba was never dropped from a plane

@Jam _ ah yes,another comment insulting you

I love how all of the replies on here are just people making fun of Jam_ for saying stupid shit. It's beautiful

@Jam _ That is the most stupid thing I have heard in a long time. The USSR detonates the largest Atomic bomb ever created and the other countries should wonder what happened? And why should the USSR ever hide it if it is a demonstration of its strengh? Use your brain for one second.

@Jam _ ah yes, a common case of intelligence juice leakeage.

@Ben Siener it was actually only cut by 1/3, the most explosive and radioactive material, And it was actually a last minute call by the designer too, as he had his Oppenheimer moment.

it was more a matter of its creator fearing the effects of a 100 MT bomb exploding on the north of Russia more than anything so he halved the capacity with lead.

@Sakboi2012 he might be wrong on the fact that no one could tell what happened but that piolet is eating dirt the moment he come ack to the hanger

@Jam _ Behold, the derp attitude of the cold war alive and well in 2020.

@Jam _ ah yes, the first rule of the scientific method: Never observe the results of a test

@Jam _ Nuke: annihilates an entire country and the pilot
Everybody in the rest of the world: i wonder what happened

@Jam _ Nuke: *annihilates an entire country and the pilot*
Everybody in the rest of the world: _i wonder what happened_

@Jam _ ah yes, of course a test of a bomb never meant to be used where many people were present was top secret

@Jam _ ah yes, the pilot was the only one who knew a nuclear bomb of that magnitude was detonated. Thank god he didn't die and if he did the secret of the tsar bomba  would never be unearthed!!!1!!1!1!

@Jam _ ah yes, thank god that the pilot survived to tell the tale of the time they discreetly tested a bomb that was so large it caused tremors to echo through the world multiple times. That pilots testimony was really the only way we would have ever found out about such a top secret test that definitely wasn't done intentionally to intimidate the USA.

Remember though, the soviets really couldn’t have cared less if a pilot died. It would of done better because killing off the pilot would have done the soviets a plus by killing off the only true witnesses of the test.


Just a little note about tsar bomba, the cloud broke into space. And it was also only at half power. It was originally supposed to be a 100 megaton bomb, but some soviet officer at the plant where it was produced decided to change it.


Do you ever think we’ve had several judgment days with one persons morals being judged to decide the worlds fate?

@Problems And as much as we seem to hate our fellow man, the mercy any of us average people contain is enough to keep this experiment going. I studied astronomy so I’m well aware how unlikely it is that we’re the first species to break past the great filter, but the optimist in me feeds off of comments like these. I think in the end, common people will be the true heroes when we make it to the next stage of our human journey, not the leaders, not the brightest among us, but truly unremarkable people like Stan, and that’s how it should be.

I like to think it’s always a person of completely average morals for the time that is “chosen” to make the decision


Had it been me we'd probably be in the stone age right now
I've been pretty interested in the atom bomb and the cold war for most of my life but something about this video really made me come to terms with it all
10/10 made me cry twice


This is probably my favourite Never Ever episode, it’s just so interesting.


Emplemon: Youtube will never have as good production quality as traditional TV.

also Emplemon:

Use dat munie you use to buy a glock to donate to his patreon instead at that point.


I might be sounding paranoid, but I just hope Putin keeps Petrov and his actions in mind, I really do...


The greatest birthday present I've ever gotten is knowing that on my birthday of September 26th, Stanislav Petrov didn't cause a nuclear war. I wasn't alive back then but it's a great birthday present every year knowing this information.

Hey me too, glad that I can celebrate my birthday, and thank Mr. Petrov for not blowing up the planet.


That beginning scene describing the missiles of Japan
Was terrifying
That was scarier than any horror movie will or can ever be
Because of the simple fact, that it's real


rewatching because of, uh, "current events".


This is honestly the best documentary I’ve ever seen on the web. It honestly feels wrong watching this for free. I am still rather young and I don’t even know if this comment will ever get any attention, but that doesn’t matter, what matters is: EmpLemon, you have outdone yourself, and you are an inspiration, and frankly I’ve been taking you for granted, many of us probably have, so thank you Emp for keeping YouTube tolerable, and thank you for being an amazing teacher.

First thing I’m doing when I’m finally old enough is get on your Patreon, because thanking you with simple words is simply not enough for me.

Another great creator of similar docu-videos is Jon Bois. He makes mostly sports videos but you don’t just have to be a sports fan to enjoy his videos. Emp has actually said that Jon is an inspiration to him in his Dale Earnhardt video I believe. He currently works and makes videos for SBNation and I recommend checking out his current Mariners series and his old series “Pretty Good“

Another great documentary is summoning salts quest to beat matt turk.

Damnnnnnnn you need to watch a lil more documentaries my friend.

If you like this then you should check out lemmino

You should see Lemmino's channel. He's really good for documentaries as well

There are other perspectives you should consider before worshipping this video.

Sai DESGRAÇA This is the most adorable comment I’ve seen in my entire life. Good on you, buddy. You’re a pretty cool dude in our eyes.

@typhoonfire8 nostalgia can make the worst of shit look tolerable

Then you haven't watched many. Hate these vids with sniveling kids talking like they know whit. Looks at cold war doc it's 10h

For one who is of a young age, you are a rare, special breed of wisdom

@Marfit +1.  Ahoys documentary on the cold war affecting video games is genius. Hes another man that does all his own writing, narration, editing and even makes the music himself.

And I thought Idubbbz "Full Force" was the best. It's certainly still the most wholesome.

This video is absolutely incredible though.

Marfit  That guys is one of my absolute favorites! His series on iconic firearms is actually what introduced me to documentaries on YouTube.

Watch the channel "Ahoy". He makes documentaries mainly on video games and famous stuff pertaining to video games (famous guns like MP40, AK47, Minigun, etc.)

bro this was how good watching bill nye in 3rd grade was. honestly probably better


This is one of the greatest what-ifs of history, along with what if Gavril Princep never shot Franz Ferdinand or what if Charles "the Hammer" Martel failed to repel the Umayyad Caliphate's invasion of Europe


This without exaggeration one of the best videos on YouTube. Puts the world in perspective that a few seconds of thought decided what the world would exist.


This is downright the best YouTube video I’ve ever watched. Excellent work.


God I love stories of Cold War
One thing is for sure,someone like me that loves History,that loves the History of Cold war
Will always remember as much stories of people like Stanislav Petrov and to be amazed how destructive a human can be.
To learn from such History to be important and to prevent it,even in todays situation.


“When you’ve done things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.”

That's probably one of the best lines futurama ever said. It's basically eternal


This video makes me emotional in a way no other media ever has. When I want to just feel, I watch this video.


"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."


There’s something to be said about how the most powerful person in the world was just some ordinary man.


The nuclear air strike drill is so terrifying, it really makes you feel like you’re about to see the end of the world


Episode 1: Spongebob Squarepants
Episode 2: Pro Wrestling
Episode 3: Stock Car Racing
Episode 4: THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION
Episode 5: Super Smash Bros

Episode 1: Spongebob Squarepants
Episode 2: Pro Wrestling
Episode 3: Stock Car Racing
Episode 4: *THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION*
Episode 5: Super Smash Bros

@Nhan Nguyen Trong there will never ever be another plague like COVID-19

Episode 6: The Simpsons' Last Hurrah, Homer's Enemy.

6 was not about Simpsons

It was about green Simpsons.

@Random Internet Toaster It's Actually Episode 6.

『D』『e』『e』『z』

@daniel roa You might be right. A lot of the Never Ever topics had cameos in his videos prior. Spongebob memes, Pro Wrestling fights, lots of Melee music.

"Perfectly balanced as all things should be"

These are very different topics but I like it

What if Episode 6: The end of the Internet

Episode 8: the existential crisis of inevitable mortality

Nhan Nguyen Trong episode 7: the heat death of the universe.

Ep.3 DALE EARNHARDT "THE INTIMIDATOR" Was the best video for me. It was enough to make a grown man cry. There will be no one, never ever a man who can live up to his name.

I see we continue to reach more important topics

4 is unlucky in parts of east asia, after all.

I mean only Smash can top Nuclear Annihilation.

Mario Mixels fan 2011 I’d totally be down for that.

I think episode 6 is going to be about TF2. He has hinted it before, saying that it's his favorite videogame, and it has been featured in multiple videos. The title might be "There will never ever be another videogame like TF2." or something like that. If so, I'm looking forward to watching it.<br>But that's just a theory...

I think episode 6 is going to be about TF2. He has hinted it before, saying that it's his favorite videogame, and it has been featured in multiple videos. The title might be "There will never ever be another videogame like TF2." or something like that. If so, I'm looking forward to watching it.
But that's just a theory...

Pang ikr... I’m watching this series like WOW

seriously, this guy has a very wide range of interests

Funny, 4 can also mean death in Japanese from what I've heard.

Average thoughts for today's youth. I approve.

Episode 6: Godzilla

Edit: Oh shit. This is comment is outdated now.


I knew of Stan before this video. But I also watch and read a great deal of material related to nuclear bombs and their history.


You know Emp, I'll admit I never expected to watch this video from the fellow who uploaded some hilarious YTP's. <br>But, much like what you've discussed in this video, I am grateful.

You know Emp, I'll admit I never expected to watch this video from the fellow who uploaded some hilarious YTP's.
But, much like what you've discussed in this video, I am grateful.


I wanna get in a discord with emplemon just to learn how he got so good at content creation. There will never be a better conversation than that.


"Are we doomed to fight like the savage creatures from which we came?"<br>No. We are doomed to fight like the savage creatures that we are.

"Are we doomed to fight like the savage creatures from which we came?"
No. We are doomed to fight like the savage creatures that we are.


The title being called “There May Never Be...” instead of “There <b>WILL</b> Never Be...” is chilling. But, as usual, This was fantastic.

The title being called “There May Never Be...” instead of “There *WILL* Never Be...” is chilling. But, as usual, This was fantastic.

@Freya Wion I would like to say that many of my world views have changed in the last two years. I was in the American political pipeline, and I'm out of that now.

I appreciate your response. I truly do wish the world could get along, but it's never so simple. It always boils down to beliefs, history, and resource management.

@MonkeSle I'd say the opposite.

We have: a war in Syria, a war in Afghanistan (which, it seems, is coming to a Vietnam-like conclusion), separatists in Ukraine, the Crimea crisis is far from over. And on top of that - Belarus (closest ally of Russia), China and the US have big internal problems.

What world peace if a single Russian cruiser that was requested to arrive on a parade in St. Petersburg heightened tensions in Europe as it was on the way from the Black Sea? And the fact that all 3 major superpowers (US, Russia with its allies, China) have internal problems?

It would've been extra clever if he added in brackets (and why that's a good thing)

There will never ever be a game as great as subway simulator

jesus dont like that im gay but satans cool w it

@MonkeSle If only everyone chooses to love their own people and respect others.

@ak24 I find that the only wars people like us will be facing within the next 50 years will be either small wars from small countries, or internal wars. I believe that world peace is achievable if we just work on ourselves and others, but that means accepting and befriending our enemies as well. We would have to make amends with the middle east, which is slowly but surely happening, making friends with north korea instead of provoking it, which is slowly but surely happening, and making sure the other world powers can realize that globalist views do not work, but good diplomacy and nationalism will, funny enough, bring the world closer together. Most don't even realize that we live in a time of almost absolute peace with little tension around the world except for our own selves, and if we can bring down the tension, the world is on track to overcome itself and the great filter, I believe, will pass through us, and humanity can take to the stars.

just know with how this world is going that a situation like this is going to happen again, on a greater scale because of the technology we have. I just hope to everything that the next person with this power is another Stanislav.

Well he forgot the fire bombs dropped on Japanese city’s that where more lethal. One fire bombing was more lethal than Nagasaki and Hiroshima combined.


You are absolutely my favorite YouTuber on the platform. Keep up the amazing work!


"We created a weapon to deter enemies, but instead the enemies is ourselves."


Man, you're just above and beyond on this type of work


That ending is probably the best ending I have seen on YouTube. I rewatch this video on a monthly


Emp, your demonstration of the scale of Tsar Bomba made me break down in tears. Please continue to make these educational works. They are so important.


Consider a career in documentary editing. Take it from an editor with nearly a decade of experience, you would make a fantastic doc editor.


This video gave me a new appreciation for my life. Thank you so much Emp


i dunno if it's the enormity of the situation described in the video or the perfectly placed half life music but i finished this one with tears in my eyes. thanks emplemon


im just watching this now, is it weird that this is making me want to cry? somehow the thought of how extremely and deeply the actions of few people have impacted human history forever is so crazy. its unfathomable. the kids were being taught with cartoons how to survive a nuclear blast (if it would have even been possible) the way humans were and are still seen as just.. things. "we have this many people and would lose this many if we did this and that" and so many wars and disasters have these huge death tolls that are so unfathomable. you cant ever mourn enough, its just not possible, so we just see the number and say "that was bad"<br>thinking about what japan did to the other countries around it, and then the absolute insanity that was unleashed afterwards.. so bad that no one wants to remember japanese war crimes, because it totally blows it out of the water in a way. if a few incestuos royals hadnt been war hungry a hundred years ago, a man like hitler would not have risen to power, the united states may not have put much importance into nuclear weapons (just yet, maybe something else could have happened) nowadays china and north korea wouldnt constantly be able to hold these nukes over our heads, so so so much about the fabric of the world would be different. i think we are the fortunate ones who live in a timeline where we avoided the cold war turning into a very very hot one. its unfathomable for one human to conceptualize any of this, i feel overwhelmed with empathy for all those people, but also with terror.

im just watching this now, is it weird that this is making me want to cry? somehow the thought of how extremely and deeply the actions of few people have impacted human history forever is so crazy. its unfathomable. the kids were being taught with cartoons how to survive a nuclear blast (if it would have even been possible) the way humans were and are still seen as just.. things. "we have this many people and would lose this many if we did this and that" and so many wars and disasters have these huge death tolls that are so unfathomable. you cant ever mourn enough, its just not possible, so we just see the number and say "that was bad"
thinking about what japan did to the other countries around it, and then the absolute insanity that was unleashed afterwards.. so bad that no one wants to remember japanese war crimes, because it totally blows it out of the water in a way. if a few incestuos royals hadnt been war hungry a hundred years ago, a man like hitler would not have risen to power, the united states may not have put much importance into nuclear weapons (just yet, maybe something else could have happened) nowadays china and north korea wouldnt constantly be able to hold these nukes over our heads, so so so much about the fabric of the world would be different. i think we are the fortunate ones who live in a timeline where we avoided the cold war turning into a very very hot one. its unfathomable for one human to conceptualize any of this, i feel overwhelmed with empathy for all those people, but also with terror.


The  most ominous thing about this episode is that the titles of all the other ones say "there will Never Ever be..." This one says "there may Never Ever be..."

The  most ominous thing about this episode is that the titles of all the other ones say "there *_will_* Never Ever be..." This one says "there *_may_* Never Ever be..."

I've had my fill of life in general, personally.  I'm ready whenever it's time to get off this crazy ride.

Very astute   observation, I never noticed that.

This comment has been approved by the Breadstick Comment Committee

Anyone see the news? China is building up it's nukes.  And Sino-American tensions have never been higher.

There will be another cold war at some point in the future

Although you could interpret it as optimism. That humanity will maneuver itself into a corner at some point in the future is certain, but... there may be outstanding people with hearts pure enough to be merciful to the world and save it

Let's just hope, that may will mean will here

Let's just hope, that *may* will mean *will* here


I come back every once in a while to this video, just to feel the power.


Everytime I listen to a documentary about WW2 and/or Cold War, I can't help but feel like it's fiction. Like if it were just a sci-fi novel. Mainly because that's where most sci fi stuff got their inspiration.


The scary thing is that the tsar bomba that got tested was smaller than the actual one they planned for, they made it smaller because they worried that even with the parachute and the high altitude and speed, the bomb would still blow up the plane, and even at this size the Shockwave nearly took the plane out of the sky


I like the point he made with the Hawaiian false alarm. Essentially if that man was the person who was in Petrov’s position, we would all not exist


Emplemon continues to grow and prove himself to become one of the greatest content creators on this website.  <br>I'm just proud.

Emplemon continues to grow and prove himself to become one of the greatest content creators on this website.
I'm just proud.

@Olaedo_007 I left a comment already. Don't be afraid to disagree with them and try not to get upset when you do. I disagree with them alot but when they are right, the hit bullseyes.

@Jared K mainstream media is completely authoritarian. All their authoritative source are just people who agree with them that happen to have experience in an area. You don't need school to be educated anymore and it scares them that they can't brainwash us anymore. We decide who we want to listen to now.

I listen to
(Political)
Tim pool
Sargon of Akkad

(Entertainment)
EFAP
Vee
Rekieta Law

@DragonFruitXVI what are your recommendations?

@Jared K if you want some people that actually adress why youtube is getting worse I can give you recommendations but these people get political, because the problem is youtubes employees are getting political.

Definitely not the smartest. Just good editing.


I'm tearing up and I don't even know why, this is just such an intensely human story.


Man I get goosebumps everytime I hear that speech by Robert Oppenheimer


A question requiring a Yes or No/Do or Don't answer can be world-changing.

Now imagine the timeline where the Soviet Computer itself automatically informed the authorities of a nuclear strike. Then you could say that Judgement Day had come and that SkyNet had come out on top over Humanity. Terminator technically becomes reality.

A question requiring a Yes or No/Do or Don't answer can be world-changing.

Now imagine the timeline where the Soviet Computer itself _automatically_ informed the authorities of a nuclear strike. Then you *could* say that Judgement Day had come and that SkyNet had come out on top over Humanity. Terminator technically becomes reality.


(15:18) That transition is beautiful, as is the entirety of the video, amazing work.


Ep. 1: This cartoon is amazing
Ep. 2: This wrestling show is amazing
Ep. 3: This famous racer is amazing
Ep. 4: THE WORLD ALMOST GOT FRICKIN' DESTROYED

Ep. 1: This cartoon is amazing
Ep. 2: This wrestling show is amazing
Ep. 3: This famous racer is amazing
Ep. 4: *THE WORLD ALMOST GOT FRICKIN' DESTROYED*

@Iahan *literally makes video about dramatic jumps

Emp continues to blow me away episode after episode tho. Its not the subject's presented that's necessarily interesting ,it's how its presented as corny as it sounds. The writing & presentation is everything !!

There will never be a more dramatic jump


Seriously... I'm just wholesomely impressed by your creations.


Despite being one of your least viewed episodes I still think this one was not only the most beautiful but also most thought provoking yet. Here's your coke, King


I've often wondered why it is there has never been an accidental detonation of an atomic weapon? Admittedly, the people who designed the atomic triggers were very, very smart. But - given that nuclear warheads have been accidentally dropped, set on fire, sunk to the bottom of the ocean, blown out of the top of an Atlas missile silo and so forth in something like eighty or more serious incidents (these are the ones we know about) and you can guarantee the Soviets/Russians/Chinese/British/French/Israelis etc. have all experienced similar screw ups you can only conclude we've either been extraordinarily and improbably lucky or there are properties these weapons possess we really haven't been told about. Yes, the safety protocols and failsafes are extremely comprehensive - but, these are human systems operated by humans and are thus equally likely to fall foul of Murphy's Law. The safety protocols at nuclear powerplants, nuclear processing facilities etc. might not be equally stringent - but they are getting there and yet there have been three major containment breaches at Mayak (in the fifties), Chernobyl and Fukushima (six if you count individual reactors), countless small-to-mid level incidents (Windscale, Three Mile Island, SL-1 etc.). And who knows how many we haven't been told about? If we can screw up this many times handling nuclear material it seems odd that we are pitching a hundred-innings no-hitter with actual warheads. Just a thought, tho ...


Another “Judgement day” was during the Cuban missile crisis.  A Soviet sub was forced to surface by US ships that were part of the blockade of Cuba.  As part of the US protocol, they used practice depth charges that didn’t do a lot of damage but would be very noticeable by a target sub.  When the soviet sub was hit by one of these charges, the captain and political officer both ordered for a nuclear tipped torpedo to be fired.  However the sub also had a fleet officer onboard who had a say and voted against launching and instead surfacing to receive orders from HQ.


The scariest thing about this video isn’t how it shows how close we were to nuclear annihilation, or how high tensions were between the US and USSR, but rather the surprising amount of people who would press the red button if they were in Petrov’s position.

@Notinghere 2 It's more noticeable than ever before, that is not the same thing. People are actually starting to realize that these divisions only hurt us, we're moving towards a better future.

@Liar With A Gun I thought most launches required 2 or 3 people to turn the key

I don't remember the specifics, but I remember there was actually another situation besides this one where one person was a single button press away from turning the Cold War go nuclear. Its just that this one is famous and the other isn't.

@I do not know you No it's not, It's more present then ever.

Well thats what an culture shock does to rival societies,

At point everyone start classifying "us" as good, and "them" as evil,
Or us the right, and them as wrong, that have happened before in history, the problem is that our technology is just so powerful that, if this ever happen again, we might be gone, or at least huge amounts of people might be gone


I make it a habit to come back to this video once in a while. Strangely, it makes me feel better about my place in this world. I wouldn't have been born if this had happened and it's humbling to realize that we are getting better, it is a very slow process progress. It's so slow that it's hard to see, but from this video, I am happy that we are making some kind of progress, even if it is sideways sometimes. I'm sure the world won't be fixed in my lifetime, I'm not sure what a fixed world would even looks like to be honest, but it's videos like this that reminds me to live the best life you can, and to quote my dad, "Do the best you can, and live."


this is one of the most important videos that will ever be made. I wish everyone watched this video. It allows you to fully comprehend how harmful humans are to themselves.


This is painfully underrated and underviewed. What an amazing video my friend.


Don't forget about Vasily Arkhipov, who, during the Cuban missile crisis, was the only of three officers to deny authorization for launching a counter-attack towards the US. Basically, his submarine was in unauthorized territory (within the US's Cuban blockade) and the American ships surrounding the submarine authorized the ship to surface and surrender. Because the submarine had lost contact with Moscow, the people on board had no idea as to whether or not war had begun because of the similar hostile environment that occurred in the 80s. Three officers were required to launch a strike against the Americans who told them to surface. Two of them did, but the third officer, Arkhipov, denied the launch of such a weapon against the American ships. Had he not done so, the American ships would've retaliated and war could've started between the US and USSR.

TL;DR : Vasily Arkhipov helped to prevent a war between the US and USSR by not authorizing a torpedo strike against American ships

Anish Bagri Wow, missing all of these Marx

i think i heard jordan peterson mention him

@FreshPrinceOfSolaire. no. To save time they voted by turning the keys. He decided not to turn his key and saved the world

Anish Bagri He even had to probably say to their faces that he wouldn’t do it. Not only going against what he was trained, but his own partners.


This was singlehandedly the best video I’ve ever watched on YouTube. Thank you.


This man really did make a video on the Soviet officer who prevented nuclear catastrophe, he's doing a service to keep the sacrifices of the real heroes alive


I never really thought about what kind of awesome and terrible power was in the hands of only a few people, that the thought of the world we know could die from one misunderstanding. I was honestly surprised and disgusted with what did happen with nuclear weapons and how they would pale in comparison to bombs that would come later. Thank you, Mr. Petrov, for making the right choice and for being the better man.


Genuinely one of the best videos on the platform


I know you say you've been going on a "downward spiral" to the point it's a meme, but I honestly think you've improved dramatically since your yesteryears.

You went from YouTube Poops, to reviewing memes, and now to making informative documentaries.

Do you know you're one of the few content creators I look forward to whenever you post a video? I will literally drop EVERYTHING to watch your vids.

You probably will never see this or ever care, but if you do, I want you to know that your content is basically a saving grace for this shit show called YouTube.

And I hope you don't ever quit or get demonitized.

Thanks, Emp.


Once and a while when I want to feel hope and faith in humanity again, I watch this video 🥰🥰🥰


I would like to point out, like I always do when I hear about kamikaze pilots, something I learned from Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Kamikaze pilots were often chosen from the pool of radical thinking students that didn't buy into bushido. They were basically told if you do this we'll take care of your family.


I would pay alot of money for editing classes from lemon man , the YouTube poops must be some kind of editing boot camp. Amazing stuff as always , I have researched every video at least 5 times , this one is a masterpiece imo.


Damn the way you obscured Petrov was emotionally spot on.

Art.


I had never heard of Stanislov Petrov before this video.
And when you said he had died in 2017, only 2 years before today, I wish I would've known about him sooner.

Absolutely love this series you've made, Emp!


Emplemon is an example of who to properly invest in with Patreon


One of the best videos on youtube, the ending always gives me chills


I feel like many people have had similar choices and that the fact that we exist now proves that people will always choose for someone to live, even if not them.


Yes he is a very influential person, however the man who saved us from nuclear war was actually the only one of the senior officers on the submarine caught by the US near Cuba, it was ordered to fire due to a system failure, and this was like around US ships. 3 people had to sign off on it and only one man didn’t


Damn. Emp has come such a far way from making YTPs to THIS. An amazing, thoughtful, well-researched documentary that gives me a little dose of hope for the future.


the dunkey quote was actually incredibly powerful on my first watch


I shall never forget this video because it's one of few videos on YouTube that made my spine shiver in fear.


There's something deep in an Russian, an Soviet, the american greatest fear, being the one that in the end chooses to possibly save the world


There will never ever be a better youtuber than EmpLemon

hey can you make a joke about my dead friend please i would be really happy

there will never ever be a man cooler than Doctor Penez, comedy gamer.

@NinbendoYT I think you can't compare the two because of how different their content is. Frank was the King of edgy and ridiculous anti-culture humor. But with informative videos about history, EmpLemon is the best.<br>It's like comparing Ali to Micheal Jordon. They are both the best at what they did, but what they did was too different to compare.

@NinbendoYT I think you can't compare the two because of how different their content is. Frank was the King of edgy and ridiculous anti-culture humor. But with informative videos about history, EmpLemon is the best.
It's like comparing Ali to Micheal Jordon. They are both the best at what they did, but what they did was too different to compare.

Memetastic if you like him you should check out Jon bois, both are amazing

@NinbendoYT  I never really got into him. I'm more of a Vinesauce kind of guy these days.

There will Never Ever (insert something bad about memetastic)

Memetastic and there will never be a more unfunny one than memetastic

There will never ever be a more true comment

There will never ever be a shadier YouTuber than Memetastic


This is the story of a man named Stanislav. Stanislav worked for a company in a big building where he was employee # 427. Employee # 427’s job was simple: he sat at his desk in room 427 and he pushed buttons on a keyboard. Orders came to him through a monitor on his desk, telling him what buttons to push, how long to push them, and in what order. This is what employee 427 did every day of every month of every year, and although others might have considered it soul rending, Stanislav relished every moment that the orders came in, as though he had been made exactly for this job. And Stanislav was happy. And then one day, something very peculiar happened, something that would forever change Stanislav, something he would never quite forget.


wow, the Local 58 references really tie this together.  Probably my favorite ARG.


I am not a religious man.

My God, we are doomed.


I can't stop watching this video. Beautiful editing and script.


it’s so nice seeing documentaries/video essays with THIS high of quality


Your videos are outstanding, and your ability to move my heart and drive such a message with your videos are mind blowing


How… how the hell did this man get a videogamedunkey clip to send chills down my spine?

Fucking marvelous


The Hiroshima-to-Tsar Bomba comparison actually made me reel back. That coupled with the Pulp Fiction quote made it a really powerful scene.


Nothing makes me feel more existential dread than the thought of nuclear war


Even though it is evident that we live in a very special place and have incredible amounts of information within ourselves, many still choose to live in ignorance,  as is their right to do so.


I did know about him before this but you put it in a way that I've always felt but never could put the words amazing video this is only the second video I've watched of yours and I'm blown away


I think Emplemon is the only Youtuber who I always think his most recent video is his best one, and somehow comes out with another one that's even better.

Don't know. That Dale video still gets me. So sad.

If you like it that way, I think Core-A Gaming might be something for you, my dude.

One ought to wonder if the equivalent of Moore's Law will ever kick in


"There May Never Ever Be a Man as Powerful as Stanislav Petrov"
or
"May There Never Ever Be a Man as Powerful as Stanislav Petrov"


I've watched a lot of emotionally frightening youtubes, but this one takes the cake I think. there's creepy shit, and then there's true existential horror. The editing is great. Jesus christ, what have we done


1 year ago, on August 19 2020. I saw a video  of you in my recommendations about that blue Twitter checkmark. I remember being really bored and was like 'hmm, sounds like an interesting topic... let's see...'. I subscribed the same day. Soon enough you became one of my favorite, if not the most favourite, not just YouTube channel, but person. I've watched every single of your videos in a span of about a week. After an entire year I became a completely different person, but this video is still remains my favourite on this platform. Believe me, I've watched thousands of them. Thank you Emp, I think you really impacted me as a person. And I am really grateful that I found your channel on that not so usual date year ago... :)


Rip Stanislav Petrov, unironically the most important man in the history of life on earth.

@GuyFromSouth of course it could. or maybe his superior officers would've deduced given that no other alerts were sounding that it was a dud. who knows. I'd rather not know, and thanks to Mr. Petrov we will never know. cheers.

@jon le blanc he was the one to call command and tell them it was a glitch.  Had he have not said this it could have ended badly.

Just to clear up, he didn't have the power to launch anything though. it would've been revised by the Soviet high command and the Secretary General would've had to make the call (even the Dead Hand system is actually semi-automatic, meaning that it involves a skeleton crew of officers hidden under a mountain who have to make the decision if Moscow ceases to exist). but who knows what they would've done... I think the point of the video still stands. for all we know you just might be right.

Yea man I wish there are more pepol like him

2nd only to that fish that decided to crawl onto a beach

There are more people like this sadly this wasn’t the only time the will of a single person changed history


I've seen a lot of videos about nuclear testing and such and I've never seen such a startling representation of the size of Tsar Bomba. My jaw is on the FLOOR


also, nuclear fears havent gone away, they’ve just been relegated to international relations people that the public doesnt really care about. russia straight up invaded ukraine 6 years ago and we’ve been incredibly tense with them ever since.


This video is so well edited, holy shit. Good job dude!


I'm watching this while tripping balls. I understand how the hippies felt. I'm sad, but in a good way. Thanks for the video Emp.


desc. says "Do you think God remains in heaven because he too lives in fear for what he created?"

This comment has been approved by the Breadstick Comment Committee

Nice to see you on here Cody maybe their could be a colab.

Honestly AHH’s what if the Cold War got hot is the only reason I knew of Stanislav Petrov

『D』『e』『e』『z』

I guess EmpLemon’s spiral doesn’t only go down.

I came because of your video on stalinslav and the cold war turned hot and found you bruh

My wishlist is for you and EmpTigerstar to collab with EmpLemon.

Holy crap! Cody from alternate historyhub!

Wouldn’t a upward spiral mean everything else is going down?

AlternateHistoryHub I know! I haven’t seen this level of video-making talent since Brain4Breakfest passed, may he Rest In Peace

just more of this empy, please more of this series.

This would be the single greatest collab of all time.

Come on! My parents use that as a counter to the downward spiral.

Wow its cody from the alternatehistoryhub what a nice suprise to see cody from alternatehistoryhub a great channel i might add. i do love watching cody from alternatehistoryhub  talk on his channel which is alternatehistoryhub.

Oh hi Cody. i didn't expect to see you here.

Nice seeing you here cody from the alternatehistoryhub.


an absolute horror of a video seeing that we’re on track for a second cold war at this very moment


A moment of silence for people who will never see this masterpiece of a video...


this is one of the best videos I've ever watched on YouTube, insightful as fuck, got me thinking about the whole "other intelligent beings in the galaxy don't exist long enough to develop interstellar travel"... when are we going to go?


Came here thinking it was going to be a story about oil (because I misread Petrov as Petrol), but left with existential dread. Please make more like this.


I was in Hawai’i for the nuclear weapons scare. Asleep in my dorm room I awoke to an alert from my phone—that it was all an accident... I realized that I would have died, been turned to ashes, without ever knowing. I would have never told my family and friends how much I loved them and appreciated them. I lived a 10 minute bus ride from Pearl Harbor; I would have died instantly in the nuclear fire. No body to bury, no closure for my loved ones. I’ve been in car crashes and had other near death experiences, but nothing shook me to my core like seeing the false alarm notification for a nuclear war that never happened.

@Strong Bad Idk, it'd really suck to be shaken awake by the start of the apocalypse

I was there to scariest thing I even been though

Did you tell your friends and family afterwards?

I was in Hawaii at the time too. That moment really put a lot of things into perspective.

Honestly as far as it goes. Being asleep throughout the whole thing is one of the better ways to go out. Better dying in your sleep than in full terror as the world collapses around you.


I broke into tears at the end of this video. Beyond words how well crafted this video is made. I salute you emplemon.


I didn't expect an EmpLemon video to move me to tears... damn.


That ending made me cry for a minute, the perfect video


The whole video I was thinking, "Yeah I heard this before. It's pretty interesting, and the video's very well made."

But then you pulled out that clip of the American guy saying, "I did what I was trained to do" and that really, really stood out. I seriously can't identify what kind of emotional response it gave me, but it did something.

The whole video I was thinking, "Yeah I heard this before. It's pretty interesting, and the video's very well made."

But then you pulled out that clip of the American guy saying, "I did what I was trained to do" and that really, really stood out. I seriously can't identify what kind of emotional response it gave me, but it did _something._

Yeah i would be scared/dead if Petrov did what he trained to do

I had a very similar experience. Learned about this before, but that quote hit me so hard.

@PerniciousSeizure hellio
38:24
I hope we're doing our jobs right

I believe what you felt was a hard dose of sobering empathy.  The two sides of the decision are so vastly different and so impactful on global scale, it's extremely hard to not put yourself in his shoes and think of yourself making the same choice.

Both he and Petrov were in the exact same situation, and we got to see both sides of the decision. Thankfully the choices were made in the right order


I see you tried to mimick the matchcut in the original 2001: A Space Odyssey at 15:19. Brilliant video as always :)


You are actually good at writing and how you present stuff man. good job


"Humanity is innocent, humanity is guilty, both states are undeniably true" - Scythe Curie, Scythe


Drums and Riffs was a really haunting song choice here. Great work as always emp.


When clicking on this I expected the generic boring history video. I left realizing how important a single man was, and how he changed the course of history, and not just that. The editing style is very refined while still having his own spice on top. The biggest support here being audio, the songs and sounds you choose to represent what’s going on in the pictures and videos you see is top tier. as soon as the credits started rolling I instantly thought of that fact. Amazing work Emp. Definitely your best video. Can’t wait to see more.

if this topic was made by anyone else, id be bored for my life. emp keeps me on my toes the whole video

Check out 17776 and Jon Bois if you like the editing.


I came for the memes but your historical documentary videos (the donald trump one was amazing), are another level.

You should definitely do more of those! I am now subscribed, you legend


The Half-Life music fits perfectly with this topic. Amazing

@Ryu rc especially half life music simply because of what half life is

Not just halflife, but gran turismo 2 menu music..and I'm fairly sure at least 2 other games too


You even make the sponsored pieces entertaining and usually hilarious