Process Paper

I live in New Mexico where the atomic bombs were created and tested. At first I wanted to research the Manhattan Project, but then I decided to begin my research with the dropping of the bombs, when scientists realized that this unlimited energy source was capable of both destruction and generation of power for entire cities. My dad is an electrical engineer with Albuquerque s electric company, so we often talk about the need for renewable energy versus traditional fossil fuel energy, and their impact on the environment and our wallets. I began conducting my research by visiting the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque. I checked out books from my school and public libraries, and downloaded articles from the internet that talked about the history and development of nuclear energy through current energy uses and future possibilities. On Thanksgiving, my family went to my mom s friend s house where I had the opportunity to interview the host s uncle, Gilbert Garcia, who retired from Los Alamos National Laboratories. He was a technician in the Health Physics department, ensuring the security and safety of employees in highly radioactive environments. I decided to create a website again because I really enjoyed doing it last year. Almost anything on a computer holds my interest. Creating a website is a fun and challenging way to present my topic. I combined information from research, interviews, and pictures to design a visually appealing presentation. I enjoyed creating my website because it provided a fun opportunity to work with new tools and techniques for displaying my information.

My topic, Splitting Atoms Splits Society , fits in well with this year s NHD theme because public reaction to the destructiveness of the atomic bombs led scientists to experiment with nuclear fission in order to reform this amazing new source of energy into what people believed would offer the world a clean, unlimited, and cheap source of power. The revolution of nuclear energy began during World War II, when development and experimentation were expedited as physicists and scientists from the United States and Allied nations cooperated in their efforts to stay ahead of Germany in producing an atomic bomb. The bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to bring about a quick ending to World War II. Worldwide reaction to the total annihilation of these two cities was great. People and scientists throughout the world realized that nuclear energy, if controlled, had great potential for peaceful purposes, such as medical technology, engine fuel, and power stations. In spite of this, much of the world only sees the destructive power of nuclear weapons and the health risks of high levels of radiation, making safe uses of nuclear power controversial. My project focuses on the technological reforms and social reactions of this aspect of the nuclear revolution.