What was the Atomic Age?

The Atomic Age refers to the era immediately following the detonation of the first atomic bomb in 1945, to the early 1960s or so, when enthusiasm over nuclear power took a downturn. The phrase "Atomic Age" encompasses the enthusiasm felt by many after the discovery of atomic power and weaponry. People felt like they were on the brink of a new era of civilization, where everything would be powered by atomic energy, from cars to planes to trains to homes to rocket ships. However, the looming threat of atomic apocalypse throughout the Cold War, along with a couple of nuclear accidents, quickly decreased enthusiasm for nuclear technology. Regardless, many have argued it is returning in the present, in no small part due to the appeal of nuclear power as a primary energy source without emissions. Exposed to nothing but chemical power sources for our entire history, it is to be expected that humanity would have great enthusiasm after the discovery of a new power source. A single kilogram of ...  more