[wangweij]

> I would say that we are very lucky there hasn't been a WW3. It likely would have casualties in the hundreds of millions.

Why so many casualties, if atomic bombs were not invented?

[kbenson]

Increased population and increased industrialization of more countries. Another World War, were it to happen, might pull in more countries that could capably contribute than in the prior wars. Additionally, industrialization is often accompanied by urbanization, which puts people at greater risk as those urban centers are attacked. Tokyo has almost 38 million people in it. That's one city. As I showed above, firebombing killed more people than atomic bombs in WW2, so I don't see any reason there wouldn't be enormous casualties in another World War.