From Atoms to Lasers: the Future of Energy Sources

As the world has moved through the ages, it has developed better and better sources of energy to fuel its progressive needs. First man had fire, then water, hot water (steam), coal, oil, and so on and so forth. Then you come to WWII and Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, the genius that provided the world with energy through the itsy bitsy atom. Now, welcome to the 21st century. We have lasers. Many believe that lasers will provide the trigger for controlled fusion. Fusion is the friend the world has long waited for to provide seemingly endless energy. And now we are closer than ever to getting it.

from LightsMakerStudios

The Televised Atom

Professor Burton said something today in class that first struck me as odd, but then I realized how different the world might have been. "Most of our understanding of the atomic age is based in video".

How odd, was my first reaction to this statement. After all don't we read about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? But after some reflection, film is what brings not only these horrific events to life, but also the destructive force created by the bombs in general. Here are a couple of short clips that illustrate my point. How different would it have been to read about these events? Could you picture what actually happened without film?