NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY
WONDERS and DANGERS
of NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY
By Peter Solomon
THE GREATEST CURRENT THREAT TO HUMAN EXISTENCE IS NUCLEAR WAR
The clock is ticking…
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
- 1. Follow or join organizations devoted to Nuclear Security.
- 2. Advocate for policies that strengthen Nuclear Security.
- 3. Support legislation to require at least three votes to launch nukes.
The story of nuclear technology begins in the late 19th century with the discovery of radioactivity. Marie and Pierre Curie shared in that development. They isolated the radioactive element radium that decayed to produce alpha and beta (electrons) particles. The particles can excite fluorescent chemicals and cause radioluminescence. That set off a craze for the luminescent metal among Parisians, who started using it for alarm clock dials, water fountains and even lipstick. Marie Curie also showed that radium could be used to destroy cancerous cells, resulting in its use in body lotions and cough syrups. But radiation also causes cancer. In fact, many of the scientists working on radioactivity died of cancer as a result of their exposure. More than 100 years later, Parisians are still removing radium from buildings.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity provided the basis for understanding how the fusion of hydrogen atoms to form larger atoms creates the energy to light the stars. The stars are the factories for building all of the larger atoms in the universe. In 1933, Leó Szilárd proposed the idea of the nuclear chain reaction, in which the products of a nuclear reaction become the triggers for subsequent reactions. The chain reaction in the nuclear fission process creates the energy for power plants and nuclear weapons.
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the developer of the atom bomb, said this after witnessing its first detonation in 1945: “Now I become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” And nuclear fusion in the hydrogen bomb upped the power of such weapons.
Today, Nine countries, some with adversarial relationships, possess close to 13-thousand nuclear warheads. Just a few dozen such weapons used in war could destroy civilization. Could global warming and competition for diminishing resources cause the chaos that would trigger such a war?
On the other hand, we have the wonderful benefits of nuclear medicine and nuclear fission power generation. And clean, almost limitless generation of power from nuclear fusion is within reach. Nuclear medicine is used to detect, diagnose, evaluate, and treat many diseases, including cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and neurological disorders.
But the use of nuclear weapons remains the most dangerous threat to human civilization on Planet Earth. THE DECISION TO LAUNCH A NUCLEAR WEAPON SHOULD NOT BE IN THE HANDS OF A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL!
Concerned citizens can help improve nuclear sanity by supporting organizations that are devoted to nuclear security:
BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS equips the public, policymakers, and scientists with the information needed to reduce man-made threats to human existence: nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies.
THE NUCLEAR THREAT INITIATIVE (NTI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization focused on reducing nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity.
THE STANLEY CENTER FOR PEACE AND SECURITY is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, private operating foundation seeking to address “global challenges that present a profound threat to human survival and well-being”, namely mitigating climate change, avoiding the use of nuclear weapons, and preventing mass violence and atrocities.
THE STIMSON CENTER is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that analyzes issues related to global peace.
In 2017, astrophysicist Stephen Hawking warned that humans would be extinct on Earth in 100 Years. The clock is ticking.
Please visit and follow https://www.instagram.com/100yearstoextinction/ and https://www.100yearstoextinction.com/ for more information on threats to human existence and to information and links to organizations fighting these threats.
