Technology Changes Since the Hydrogen Bomb
On July 16, 1945, at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, man unleashed a nuclear explosion. Three weeks later, on August 6, the hydrogen bomb was unleashed on the citizens of Hiroshima a coastal city of 300,000. The bomb exploded unleashing an explosion equivalent to the explosion of 20,000 tons of TNT, killing approximately 71,000 men, women and children. On August 9, the same bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, on the opposite shore of Hiroshima. A few days later Japan surrendered. Four years after the explosion in Japan the Russians tested it’s first nuclear weapon, followed by Britain in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964. Nuclear technology was now a global. By the 1960’s what the American scientists believed and feared had come true. We could not keep the bomb technology a secret like Harry Truman said we could. So now that this technology was global what was to become of it, and how can we control it’s uses? Can nuclear energy be used for good purposes?
What is Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear energy deals with the fusion of two nuclei of atoms. Two light atoms are fused tighter to form a heavier atom. A fission reaction, one where a heavier atom is split into lighter ones, generates the energy to trigger the fusion reaction. Nuclear energy affects all of us in many ways everyday. Radioactive elements are used in medicine as diagnostic tools and as a means for treatment especially for cancer. They are also used to determine the mechanisims for chemical reactions, to trace the movement of atoms in biological systems, and to date important historical artifacts. Nuclear reactions are also used to generate electricity and to create weapons of mass destruction. So as you can see nuclear energy is a double-edged sword with uses that are both good and bad.
Benefits of Nuclear Energy
The growth of nuclear power has slowed in the United States, it still accounts for almost twenty per-cent of the total electricity generated. As of June 1969, there were thirteen nuclear power plants up and running in the United States generating 2500 megawatts of energy. In the works between the years of 1969-1974 another forty-five plants with a capacity of 35,000 megawatts. The great part about nuclear energy is that it is a good alternative to fossil fuels. It is fairly safe and it is easy to operate. In this time of shortages perhaps we should explore the possibilities of expanding our nuclear resources. Nuclear power is also used in a number of medical procedures such as the different types of scans. The MRI machine makes use of the proton. This type of machine works on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance. A spinning hydrogen atom works like a magnet. In the absence of external effects the two spin states have the same energy. However when the nuclei are placed in an external magnetic field they can align either with the field or against it depending on the spin.
Because hydrogen is a major constituent in the human body primarily in aqueous solutions and body fat, the hydrogen nucleus is the most convenient one to study by the use of MRI. In MRI a person is placed in a strong magnetic field. By irradiating the body with pulses of radio frequency radiation tissue can be imaged at specific depths within the body, giving pictures with outstanding detail. By being able to use this type of imaging technique it allows the medical personnel to put together a three dimensional picture of the inside of the human body. So to summarize nuclear energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels and is beneficial in the area of medicine where we have made great strides in using nuclear energy in a safe and effective manner.
Drawbacks to Using Nuclear Energy
Many people have argued against the use of nuclear energy since it’s inception. The biggest drawback of course is the waste. What do we do with this type of material that has a half-life of hundreds if not thousands of years? Do we bury the stuff? Can we manufacture a barrel that will hold the stuff? Many people were frightened during the Three Mile Island incident. Fortunately nothing happened but it was enough to scare people into thinking that maybe nuclear energy is not the way to go. Of course we can site the meltdown in Chernobyl Russia. Many people were killed and exposed to harmful radiation that we have not even begun to see the repercussions of. There was also the melt down in the Union Carbide plant that killed and injured thousands. So there have been some very serious accidents. So what is the answer? People also site the very destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons. We have spent trillions of dollars to build up an arsenal that could destroy life many times over. Another example of a not very positive use of nuclear energy. So again I ask what do we do? I say we keep using the stuff but find safer ways of doing. We shall not cut corners in safety measurements. Nuclear energy can be safe but we need to find ways to possibly recycle the waste, so we can avoid underground storage with the possibility of a spill. And of course we need to keep looking for improved ways to replace fossil fuels.
The use of nuclear energy has evolved quite a bit. It started out only as a means of destruction, and now look we use it in science, medicine, and for energy. It has both good and bad outcomes, but for the most part it has been beneficial to society in general.
Library Research
Cohen, B. (1983). Before It’s Too Late. New York: Plenum Press.
Call# TK 9145.C576
King, C. (1964). Nuclear Power Systems. New York: The Macmillian Company.
Call# Sci TK 9202.K5
National Research Council. (1992). Global Environmental Change. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.
Call # GF75.G57
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