Show ITIe 1 1 iw Things I Never Knew Know Till Now About Atoms Thia This gives you an idea of the atoms atom's size If a drop of water were magn magnified to the size of the tho thoI I arth the atoms in it would hardly be the size of oranges Most of f the atom is composed of empty space It is made of an orbit of electrons revolving around the nucleus nucleus nucleus nu nu- nu- nu cleus much as planets revolve about the sun An electron is merely a particle of electricity The atoms atom's nucleus contains all aU its colossal energy It took scientists sei- sei more than 50 60 years of re research research research re- re search to unlock the nucleus so it could give up that power Uranium has made the atomic bomb the most devastating sive Yet the ilie bomb uses only one- one tenth of one per cent of uranium's potential strength Another reason why the United Nations should stick together They possess possess pos pos- sess three-quarters three of the worlds world's uranium supply Few motorists realize that their cars are driven by atomic power Gasoline is rich in hydrogen atoms and they provide most of the power pow pow- er r that drives the car Atomic power is one of of the few great discoveries dis dis- discoveries that was the goal of the longest and most difficult series of researches in history Most momentous momentous momentous mo mo- discoveries were accidents acci- acci dents The invention of fire the discovery of America the discovery discovery disco very v- v ery of oxygen and the X-ray X were all the result of accident In 1905 a young patent office clerk in Switzerland developed a n theory which involved the idea idear r I that thai that under certain conditions matter mat- mat ter Pter could be changed into energy and energy into matter According According According Accord Accord- ing to that theory a very small amount of matter could produce tremendous quantities of energy This has become the basic principle for atomic power Yet science ignored ignored ignored ig ig- ig- ig nored this theory for 15 years The rho young patent office clerks clerk's name Albert Einstein Youve You've probably read that the atomic power in a breath of air could operate a powerful plane for fora a year continuously that the ap in a handful of pf snow could heat a n. large apartment house for a year etc However Prof Einstein be believes believes believes be- be it will probably take many years to channel uranium's energy ent en en- 1 t ergy elgy into peaceful pursuits Einstein Einstein Einstein Ein- Ein stein also points out that other substances might be found and probably will be found to accelerate aced aced- erate crate its commercial use On Dec 10 1941 a day dap before we declared war ag against Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many Princeton University ad scientists scientists issued a report which was buried in gazettes' gazettes inside pages ioda Today the sign significance of this re report report report re- re port cannot be over-estimated over It I revealed that the scientists made I much headway in planning means i O defend America merica against any type of atomic attack Similar re research research research re- re search is now continuing Some Someday Someday day lay the result of this work might make the atom atomic c bomb obsolete The peacetime role of atomic r energy will depend upon upon one consideration con con con- relative relative cost Until a method of producing the energy has b bee been c e n revolutionized and brought down to a low figure itis it itis is likely to provide a source of energy in extremely concentrated form only for highly specialized industrial purposes One scientist scientist scientist has observed Splitting the atom tom is like discovering the other half of th the world world the the biggest half Uranium is used for atomic bombs because it has the largest atom of any of the known elements elements elements ele ele- ele- ele ments and would be easier to split When the atom is cracked the fragments of its nucleus are arc hurled off with an energy of electron volts The machinery which produced the atomic bomb has given the world its greatest destructive force I Very little attention has been given to the fact that such machinery is being used to save life not only destroy it The splitting atom-splitting cyclotron is a n potent medical tool i and is an invaluable aid in m the I fight to lick cancer We have f i pointed out that the nucleus is the thel l source of the atoms atom's power It 1 staggers the imagination to re realize realize real real- l- l ize the nucleus is only one one mil i of a billionth of the size of i the atom I It The energy in just one gram of uranium Is strong enough to lift 1 the he Empire Empie State Building 20 miles i in D in n the air aIr More than five years ago Dr R R. R M. M Langer physics physics research associate at the I i Cal California forma Institute of Technology ogy wrote in a mag that uranium could create a civilization in which man would dwell underground for 1 better living where national boun boun- dales daries would be obsolete because of s fig swift sw t tr tray travel vel el and in which meanT meaning meaning mean mean- T ing of ot the gold standard would be lost because of decreased living costs Q |