What Are The Negative Effects Of Atomic Power On American Culture

“Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds” (Oppenheimer). These spine-chilling words were uttered by the Manhattan Project scientist known as “the father of the atomic bomb”, J. Robert Oppenheimer after the first successful test of the atomic bomb in 1945. The nuclear bomb’s successful test marked a significant turning point in history, leading to the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, leading to a rise of doubt over the ethical morality of utilizing nuclear weapons. The development and use of atomic power has been significantly influenced by safety concerns and political developments from the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, shaping the international legal and political framework of the use of atomic weaponry and raising ethical

According to a news article by United Press, a major American news agency during this time, the atomic bomb was to be tested on ships, with foreign observers given permission to witness these bomb experiments but with no opportunity to get any information through means such as examining the bomb’s results up close (“ATOMIC BOMB TESTS”). However, the same news agency reported that United States Army sources stated that atomic bomb secrets were being lost due to those connected with the Manhattan Project giving information due to loose talk (“ATOM BOMB SECRETS”). The safety concerns were not a primary consideration during the development of the bomb, as people involved in the development of atomic power were more focused on sharing information without consideration of the possible consequences, showing a lack of fear and serving as a reminder about the need to evaluate atomic power’s effects on American society. According to a United Press article, an atomic bomb test at Bakini Atoll in the Pacific allowed foreign observers to witness US atomic bomb experiments on ships from a safe distance, but there was increased

After the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the scientists involved with the creation of the atomic bombs in the Manhattan Project created the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists”, an organization that had the purpose of spreading information on the dangers of nuclear weaponry to the world (Kutz). This group was founded by the same researchers who produced the atomic bomb, illustrating a change in public opinion regarding nuclear weapons. This immediate response to the catastrophic effects of atomic energy reinforces the argument that the bombings shaped perspectives and prompted a need for shared responsibility in the use of nuclear technology. After Hiroshima was bombed, it eventually became a center of the peace movement for banning nuclear weapons. In 1947, The Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission began conducting medical and biological research in Hiroshima about the possible effects of radiation (“Hiroshima”). Initially, people were unconcerned about the potential harm of