Living in the Nuclear Age:

A History of Nuclear Energy

Junior Website Group Project Keith Kasper Matthew Hensley

We choose our topic while thinking about three possibilities: difficulty, benefit, and variety. When first told about this project, we began to brainstorm about a topic we could find information about, supplement the information we already knew, and be a familiar to most people. The main spark came from our science teachers bellwork, for the day before had been a question about the Hiroshima bombing. We thought about nuclear weaponry, but we wanted to show more of nuclear energy. Later that day we e-mailed back and forth and decided to change it to nuclear history. We conducted our research at our local library looking for books about nuclear history. Some of the books we found really helped us and our site progress. For example Nuclear Weapons More Countries, More Threats and Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Fire from the Sky all provided in-depth knowledge about our topic. We spent weeks attempting to find sites with valuable and valid information. We found photographs and letters in the books, so we looked online for pictures of them. We were able to find photographs from the time periods and the letters Einstein wrote to Roosevelt. Most of the pictures and images on the site came from Wikimedia Commons, a site of public domain images. Other images were created by us. We collaborated continuously at school, through e-mail, and over the phone. We selected our presentation category through process of elimination. We instantly ruled out performance and exhibit because working in groups can be difficult because of communication. By reading the rules, we learned that only an individual is allowed to make a paper, which narrowed the choices down to a website or documentary. We have background experience with websites, and had recently made websites for a past project. So, we decided on a website, which would also allow it to be viewed by many online. Our topic relates to the theme because nuclear energy was a Turning Point in History." Before the year 1900, humankind used alternative sources of energy that werent environmentally friendly. Burnable energy like coal, oil, and other fossil fuels were being used, even though they were unhealthy if not contained properly. When the discovery of nuclear power, a dangerous but containable energy, began to be discovered and controlled, we learned that one particle of matter could be converted into an astronomical amount of energy, as explained by the world renowned scientist, Albert Einstein, in his equation E=MC2. Before WWII, wars were fought with guns, swords, and many other weapons used by soldiers. Then, one quarter into the 20th century, scientists discovered radioactivity which led to the discovery of radioactive elements and nuclear fission. Scientists soon learned that when fission occurred on radioactive elements a large wave of gamma rays was produced. After that, it was decided that a bomb filled with Uranium-235 or compressed plutonium, would be dropped over Japan to end WWII. These nuclear abilities enabled the USA to end a war or almost start the biggest war on earth, so nuclear energy certainly contributed to a turning point in history.