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.
After
the war, there was a great drive to convert the new weapons into tools
for peace. This is Calder Hall, the first power-generating
reactor in Great Britain.
And
this is the Brookhaven Atomic Pile. Notice how
similar the reality of the Calder Hall 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.
After
the war, there was a great drive to convert the new weapons into tools
for peace. This is Calder Hall, the first power-generating
reactor in Great Britain. 