2023-12-14 - SOKS

you probably know Arthur C. Clarke's saying that “sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. that was my exact impression when couple of days ago i've read how Soviet's SOKS was used to track USA submarines. SOKS is a device dating back to 1969 (!!) that allows to tack submarines by finding trail that they leave underwater by:

1. traces of radiation from reactor
2. salt concentration changes (mixing water when huge object passes by)
3. temperature changes (reactor cooling can heat up water by up to 10*C)

i do not know what blew my mind more in this story:

• the fact that's even possible?
• the fact that has been accomplished in 1969?
• the fact that this was done using Soviet technology of the time?
• the fact that it has been (partially!) declassified only in 2017?

wonder what they are using and working on now, half a century later.