Atomic Power
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| Here is the reality of the birth of atomic power in a squash court at the University of Chicago; preserved on canvas because security concerns forbade photography on the occasion. It wasn't as visually exciting as having vast machines spitting out rays of unimaginable power, but given that the assembled scientists had literally no idea of what exactly was going to happen when they started their prototype reactor, the simple click of the Geiger counter was probably excitement enough, thank you. | ||
 Windscale |
After the war, there was a great drive to convert the new weapons into tools for peace. This is Great Britain's Windscale reactor |
 Windscale interior
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And this is the United States' Brookhaven Atomic Pile. Notice how similar the reality of the Windscale reactor compares to this one on a 1949 Science Fiction magazine cover. It's.... Hang on. This one is a real reactor. The dramatic unveiling of atomic power had a profound effect on many people–especially science fiction fans. It was as if a time warp to the FUTURE had been opened and the world tumbled in. John W. Campbell was especially pleased, since his magazine had been investigated by the FBI when Astounding in 1944 printed Deadline by Clive Cartmill; a pedestrian short story with a description of an atomic bomb that corresponded roughly to the real thing. Mind you, the authorities were investigating crossword puzzles for including D-Day code words, but it's the thought that counts. |
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