PROJECT TOPIC:

Atom Bomb and its Implications to Modern Society

NOTE:
You are required to submit a thesis that is at least 1.5 pages to 2 pages long. Please use
Times New Roman 12 or Calibri 12 font to write your essay. Your essay should be single-
line spaced and must be organized in proper paragraphs. Good writers always plan their
thesis and use appropriate headings and sub-headings to guide the reader. Research your
topic well and make sure you present a meaningful treatise on the subject matter.

Distinguish your personal opinions from facts or opinions presented by others. You may
not present others’ ideas as your own but you are encouraged to cite another author as
long as you provide full credit to the author. (Example: In “Japan Disaster: Nuclear
Power Plant”, http://online.wsj.com/public/page/earthquake-tsunami-japan.html, a report
on the after-effects of tsunami noted that serious problems still remain with the
Fukushima Plant.”)

GRADING SCHEME & TIME ALLOTTED TO PROJECT:

Depth of topic area: 50%
Answered all questions: 25%
Good language skills: 25%

THESIS AREA:
Describe the history and science behind the atom bomb. Who created it? Why was it
created? What were the challenges in creating it? Write a brief biography of the scientists
who were part of the Manhattan project.

 Why are Nuclear Bombs such a threat to modern society?

 Trace the history of countries stockpiling during the Cold War years.
 Why is the US so opposed to Iran’s nuclear plans?
 Is it fair for the United States to be a powerhouse when it comes to nuclear energy
while demanding that other enemy nations give it all up?
 What are the other dangers of nuclear energy? Describe examples in recent
history where natural disasters caused inadvertent nuclear disasters (e.g. the
Fukushima disaster). Explore the health and environmental after-effects of these
types of disasters.
The Atom Bomb – the Beginning of Nuclear Age

The atom bomb is one of the most destructive inventions ever to be invented by humans.
One of the greatest scientists of the century, Albert Einstein, along with other
distinguished fellow scientists like Robert Oppenheimer found a way to use uranium-235
to unleash a force of unparalleled power. They thought they could end war if they could
develop a powerful enough ‘gadget’.

It took over six years and over $2Billion to find a way to separate uranium-235 which
was dubbed as “enriched” uranium and put it to use as a weapon of mass destruction.
This enriched uranium is the only isotope of uranium that can sustain a chain reaction. Its
cousin uranium-238, which is identical in chemical make-up, is completely useless when
it comes to triggering a chemical reaction. And one of the chief challenges was to
separate these two isotopes and extract only the enriched uranium.

Distinguished Scientists Create the Deadliest Force known to Humans

The US government funded this research and called it the Manhattan Project. Almost all
of the scientists who worked on this project were distinguished. The leader Oppenheimer
contributed significantly to the science behind the atomic theory and later served as the
Chairman for the Atomic Energy Commission. David Bohm established the founding
principles for quantum theory. Neils Bohr won a Nobel Prize for his work in atomic
structure and quantum theory. Enrico Fermi (another Nobel Prize winner) and Leo
Szilard are credited with creating the first nuclear reactor – and the same principles are
still used in nuclear plants worldwide.

The First WMD

During the inception of this project, no one - including the scientists, had envisioned the
power of this project. The first test trial was conducted in a remote basin in New Mexico.
When they test-trialed the atomic bomb, the scientists were stupefied by the success of
the project and by the dawning awareness of its deadly potential. They immediately
petitioned the government to never ever use it again. But – alas, the damage had been
done. The US government detonated these bombs on two heavily populated areas in
Japan, thereby causing unimaginable loss of human life and suffering, and irrevocably
hurting the environment. This was indeed the first WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction)
that had been used by humans against other fellow beings.

The Nuclear Arms Race

The World War II was followed by a long drawn-out cold war where both sides
stockpiled on uranium-235. Both the United States and Russia invested heavily in
extracting enriched uranium, nuclear reactors, etc. and it resulted in a dangerous rivalry
which became known as the nuclear arms race. Some reports suggested that these
countries had enough nuclear power to completely destroy the planet earth.
Citation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_and_USSR_nuclear_stockpiles.svg

The stockpiling of war heads continued even in the late eighties. Other countries followed
suit. Soon, more funds were spent on developing warheads and less on solving issues
related to humanity – like hunger, disease, poverty and education. In 1946, the United
Nations Atomic Energy Commission was created to oversee the development of nuclear
technology – and to eliminate nuclear weapons altogether.

The End of the Cold War

The fall out of Russia and its eventual breakup into ‘sister’ countries, and the fall of the
Berlin Wall eased cold war tensions. Gorbachev from Russia opened doors to the world
with his Perestroika and Glasnost movements. East Germany began the long integration
process that would unite it with West Germany. The face of the world was changing. But
the nuclear arms race did not stop.

The Beginning of Regional Tensions

Several enemy countries started stockpiling warheads against each other. India and
Pakistan joined the arms race – at the cost of their citizens remaining impoverished and
under-educated. North Korea and South Korea started piling up weapons and technology.
Now, Iran is in the news for secretly stockpiling on enriched uranium.

Threat Posed by Rogue Governments

Countries like Iran and North Korea pose a definite threat to the rest of the world because
they are either dictatorships or pseudo-democracies. These countries have a history of
irresponsible international behavior – and the rest of the world remains unsure on when
and how these unstable countries will unleash their deadly power. The United States and
the rest of the European countries are right in putting tight sanctions on these countries to
ensure they completely abandon their nuclear strategy.

Conclusion

Nuclear energy is immensely potent and could be used to destroy the world or to solve
some of the world’s key energy problems. Even the use of nuclear energy for peaceful
means is fraught with deadly risks. In 2011, Japan suffered through what is now known
as the ‘Triple Disaster’. First the earthquake struck and then the tsunami wiped out large
portions of the land. The third disaster was the least expected – and it was the nuclear
disaster at the Fukushima plant. No matter how safe a nuclear power plant might seem, it
will pose a deadly threat in the event of natural disasters.

I believe that it would be best for us to look for other alternate technologies for energy
production. I would have to agree with Albert Einstein – the world must find a way to
abandon nuclear technology altogether.