Impact of the Manhattan Project
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- Category: Science
- Date Submitted: 09/04/2010 11:53 PM
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The Social Impact of the Manhattan Project
• The social significance of the Manhattan Project can be broken up into four time period which highlight impact the Manhattan project had. These time periods are the pre 1940’s, 1940’s, the subsequent 30 Years and the Present.
• Pre 1940’s
i. The roots of the Manhattan came from two men, Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi. Albert Einstein wrote a letter to the President Roosevelt expressing his concerns about the Nazis possible advances in Nuclear Weaponry. Enrico Fermi’s display of a nuclear fission reaction and the enormous amounts of power it possessed spiked the interest of the army and promptly accelerated their research in the direction of the formation of nuclear weaponry, known as the Manhattan Project. The undertaking of this project was socially beneficial as it would ensure people safety despite the fact that only qualified people knew of it.
• During the 1940’s
i. Only the scientific community knew what was going on until 1945. The scientists were both excited and scared with the enormous energy potential, but also the enormous destructive potential.
ii. After 1945, shock, horror and outcry over the devastation of the bombs and the subsequent radiation sicknesses and happiness as the war were over and their loved ones returned home. This created immediate controversy within the society towards the use of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Research.
• The Subsequent 30 Years
i. Fear was beginning to develop over who had the Bomb and who was developing it. It was the age of politically the cold war, international spies, ‘Nuclear Standoff’, development of the Nuclear Power station; lots of cheaper energy, radioisotopes showing potential to cure many diseases, nuclear submarines for greater military potential. With these progressions in the stages of the Manhattan project came heightened concerns over nuclear accidents and the radioactive fallout from the nuclear tests being performed.
ii. This continued concern...
• The social significance of the Manhattan Project can be broken up into four time period which highlight impact the Manhattan project had. These time periods are the pre 1940’s, 1940’s, the subsequent 30 Years and the Present.
• Pre 1940’s
i. The roots of the Manhattan came from two men, Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi. Albert Einstein wrote a letter to the President Roosevelt expressing his concerns about the Nazis possible advances in Nuclear Weaponry. Enrico Fermi’s display of a nuclear fission reaction and the enormous amounts of power it possessed spiked the interest of the army and promptly accelerated their research in the direction of the formation of nuclear weaponry, known as the Manhattan Project. The undertaking of this project was socially beneficial as it would ensure people safety despite the fact that only qualified people knew of it.
• During the 1940’s
i. Only the scientific community knew what was going on until 1945. The scientists were both excited and scared with the enormous energy potential, but also the enormous destructive potential.
ii. After 1945, shock, horror and outcry over the devastation of the bombs and the subsequent radiation sicknesses and happiness as the war were over and their loved ones returned home. This created immediate controversy within the society towards the use of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Research.
• The Subsequent 30 Years
i. Fear was beginning to develop over who had the Bomb and who was developing it. It was the age of politically the cold war, international spies, ‘Nuclear Standoff’, development of the Nuclear Power station; lots of cheaper energy, radioisotopes showing potential to cure many diseases, nuclear submarines for greater military potential. With these progressions in the stages of the Manhattan project came heightened concerns over nuclear accidents and the radioactive fallout from the nuclear tests being performed.
ii. This continued concern...