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| Sunday, 13 March 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The deadly force of nuclear weapons
Any weapon of mass destruction whose explosive power derives from a nuclear reaction is known as a nuclear weapon. These weapons are so dangerous that they can damage material and cause injury or kill people, upon detonation or ignition. From the day fission (a reaction in which an atomic nucleus splits in two, releasing powerful energy) was discovered in 1938, people all over the world were interested in controlling this cruel technology by developing weapons of mass destruction. Today the US and several other countries are on a campaign to stop the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Some of the countries that are already into nuclear technology are Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and even our neighbouring country India. Based on the nuclear reactions that provide their destructive energy, and on the details of their design, nuclear weapons can be grouped into different classes. All nuclear weapons so far invented require fission to initiate the explosive release of energy. Weapons that incorporate fusion fuel can do so in various ways, with different intended effects. A variety of names are used for weapons that release energy through nuclear reactions - atomic bombs (A-bombs), hydrogen bombs (H-bombs), nuclear weapons, fission bombs, fusion bombs, thermonuclear weapons (not to mention "physics package" and "device"). The earliest name for such a weapon appears to be "atomic bomb". Nuclear explosions produce both immediate and delayed destructive effects. Immediate effects (blast, thermal radiation, prompt ionizing radiation) cause significant destruction within seconds or minutes of a nuclear detonation. The delayed effects (radioactive fallout and other possible environmental effects) inflict damage over an extended period ranging from hours to centuries, and can cause adverse effects in locations very distant from the site of the detonation. The extent of damage depends on the size of the nuclear weapon, the terrain and the height at which it is detonated. Nuclear weapons detonated at ground level generate more fallout as a result of the large amount of ground material which is illuminated by the explosion and thrown in the air, but the effects of thermal radiation and radioactive waves is less than in an air blast. It has been scientifically established that low-level radiation damages tissues, cells, DNA and other vital molecules of all living beings. Effects of low-level radiation doses cause cell death, genetic mutations, cancers, leukaemia, birth defects, and reproductive, immune and endocrine system disorders. There have been repeated problems with security, safety and environment impact in the nuclear industry. Radioactive contamination does not discriminate between national borders. So nuclear power plants threaten the health and well-being of all surrounding environments. Nuclear power plants produce extremely toxic radioactive wastes that are long-lived and have no safe means of disposal. Producing long-lived radioactive wastes with no solution for their disposal will lead to serious environmental damage and degradation for generations to come. History It was not until July 13, 1942, in the midst of World War II, that the United States undertook the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb. By December 2, a Manhattan Project team headed by Enrico Fermi produced the first artificial fission reaction at the University of Chicago. Three years after its inception, the Manhattan Project achieved its goal of developing an atomic weapon. World War II ended in Europe on May 8, 1945, less than a month after the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, but plans for the development and use of atomic weapons continued. At 5:29 a.m. on July 16, 1945, the United States conducted the world's first nuclear test explosion at Alamogordo, New Mexico. The Nuclear Age was born. Within a month, on August 6, 1945, nuclear weapons were used to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the famous Hiroshima attack casualties (including fatalities) were seen from all three causes -flash, blast and radiation. Source - Nuclear Weapons Website **** Nuclear submarines
These submarines are equipped with nuclear reactors at the heart of the engine, which uses nuclear fuel such as uranium to generate great heat and raise steam in a boiler. It is the steam that powers the turbines that drive the submarine's propellers as well as its electricity generators.A nuclear engine does not need air to work, so the submarine can remain below for as long as its fuel lasts, which can be several months. Nuclear submarines are known as 'submerged killers' because they carry weapons of mass destruction. **** Healing rays Radiation consists of the rays that come from nuclear products and processes. It is usually harmful as explained in this article. But there are instances when they become 'healing rays'. In some cases, controlled radiation is used to treat cancer patients. Cancer is a disease, where certain cells in our body go 'out of order' and grow abnormally. The radiation is able to destroy these abnormal cells. **** Nuclear winter Many scientists believe that if a nuclear war occurs, in the event of a war between nations that have these nuclear weapons, there will be a nuclear winter. What exactly is a nuclear winter? They claim that the great power of the weapons and the immense destruction will cause a vast amount of smoke and dirt to rise into the atmosphere. The winds will then blow this material around the world, high in the air, screening the rays of the Sun from the ground. When there is no sunlight, winter will be experienced possibly all over
the world. Crops will die and farming will be impossible.Let's hope the
nations with nuclear weapons today, wont decide to start a nuclear war,
because, the nuclear weapons of today are a thousand times more powerful
than the first nuclear weapons - the atomic bombs used in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
A much talked about subject today, the manufacture of nuclear weapons
is the most destructive technology ever developed in the world. 
A nuclear submarine uses nuclear power in two ways - it has nuclear
engines and carries nuclear missiles. Armed with nuclear warheads, these
missiles can be launched underwater. The missiles rise to the surface and
fly to their targets, which may be in distant countries. 
