The Aftermath of the Atomic Age

Atomic Bomb Aftermath

B. As a counter-measure to fears of the Atomic Bomb, the prospect of nuclear energy and associated technologies had the effect of redirecting public anxieties from fear of nuclear annihilation to a bright future of new technological possibilities. What were the public perceptions of the pros and cons of these technologies and what were the possible ramifications for their reshaping of human society?

Following the invention of TNT by Alfred Nobel in 1863, civil engineering was transformed from a pick-and-shovel industry into a highly efficient industry, an outcome that contributed to the successful completion of the Panama Canal in 1914. Based on the impact that TNT had on the industry, it is reasonable to suggest that following the introduction of the atomic bomb in 1945, civil engineers were likewise excited to have an even more powerful tool at their disposal. It is therefore not surprising that one of the most prominent ideas to emerge during the mid-20th century was the notion that atomic bombs could be used to good effects to excavate new canals in order to supplement or even replace existing major canals around the world in an initiative known as “Project Plowshare” in 1957 (Miller 2016).

Although Project Plowshare also investigated other potential applications of atomic explosions for peaceful purposes, the main focus of the research by the scientific community at the time concerned its potential use for excavating new canals, most especially the Panama Canal (Kaufman 2018). The concept of using atomic bombs for these types of peaceful applications was the brainchild of then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower (The Plowshare Program 2022). The name of the project was taken from Isaiah 2:4 which recorded that “they will beat their swords into plowshares” and this notion received significant support from the “father of the atomic bomb,” Edward Teller, who was memorialized in a promotional film produced by the Lawrence Livermore Radiation Lab (currently known as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) claiming that, “We can move with such explosions great amounts of earth, very cheaply” (as cited in Miller 2016: 3). This boast by Teller was supported by the rigorous testing of atomic weapons during the post-World War II period, and ongoing intensive research by the Livermore Laboratory (Miller).