History and Future

Scientists first released nuclear in 1942.  The discovery of nuclear energy led to the invention of the atomic bomb. Enrico Fermi invented the first self-sustaining nuclear reactor. It was released in Chicago, Illinois.  Albert Eienstien had ideas for the atomic bomb in the 1940’s, but he mastered these ideas in 1945.  Two atomic bombs were used to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan.

Between the years 1955-1986 there were four nuclear accidents.  In these accidents nuclear radiation was released in varied amounts into the air and water. These accidents happened at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, Liverpool, England, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Nuclear Energy has a bright future ahead, already producing 20% of the world’s energy scientists hope it will produce more, due to the dwindling supply of fossil fuel.  The future form of nuclear energy is nuclear fusion.  Nuclear fusion does not produce nuclear waste; therefore we don’t need to worry about where to put the radioactive waste.  The two fuels that are fused together in nuclear fusion are Tritium and deuterium. Scientists have not yet found an effective way to create nuclear fusion.  To create nuclear fusion the two fuels need to be heated to millions or degrees.  These kinds of temperatures are hard to contain.  Russian scientists are the closest to creating nuclear fusion.  They have been able to hold the two fuels together for .55 milliseconds.  The Russians have constructed a ring with electromagnetic sides to contain the high temperatures. To create an effective nuclear fusion the nuclei in the two fuels must be held together for one complete second.