The Intricate Beginnings of Nuclear Energy: Creators and Breakthroughs

The Intricate Beginnings of Nuclear Energy: Creators and Breakthroughs

The Intricate Beginnings of Nuclear Energy: Creators and Breakthroughs


Nuclear energy is also utilized to operate American aircraft carriers and submarines. Nevertheless, without military applications and research, it’s possible that we would have never understood how to control nuclear energy and apply it for civilian purposes.

The beginnings of nuclear power

It is not feasible to attribute nuclear power’s invention to a single historical personality, as there was no solitary moment of brilliance that created it. The emergence of nuclear energy was not due to one unique insight, but rather the culmination of years of scientific advancements accomplished by numerous individuals from various nations. Some even contend that its origins trace back to ancient Greek thinkers who speculated about the existence of atoms, the smallest, unseen units of matter. Yet, it was in the 19th and 20th centuries that scientists first unraveled the true nature of atoms. Certain elements possess unstable atoms that emit energy when they undergo radioactive decay.

Towards the end of the 1930s, nuclear fission was discovered. Researchers found that an atom’s nucleus could divide and release an enormous amount of energy. This discovery marked a significant achievement, but it wasn’t sufficient to