The atomic bomb and nuclear bombs are lethal weapons that rely on nuclear processes for explosive energy. During World War II, scientists pioneered the development of nuclear weapons technology. Atomic bombs have only been used in battle twice, both times by the United States against Japan at the close of WWII, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
During World War II, the Manhattan Project was the codename for the American-led effort to produce a workable atomic weapon. Much of the Manhattan Project work was done in Los Alamos, New Mexico, under the guidance of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the "father of the atomic bomb." By 1945, Los Alamos scientists had built two unique types of atomic bombs: a uranium-based device known as the “Little Boy," and a plutonium-based weapon known as the "Fat Man".
On August 6th,1945, the United States dropped its first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. The "Little Boy" exploded with around 13 kilotons of force, flattening five square miles of the city and immediately killing 80,000 people. When the Japanese did not surrender, the United States detonated a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days later. On impact, the "Fat Man" killed an estimated 40,000 people. Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced his country's surrender on August 15th, 1945, citing the deadly power of "a new and most merciless bomb," effectively ending World War II.
The fireball from a nuclear explosion reaches its maximum size in 10 seconds, yet the consequences continue for decades and span generations. The frequency of leukemia among survivors increased dramatically five to six years following the attacks. After about a decade, survivors began to experience higher-than-normal rates of thyroid, breast, lung, and other cancers. Pregnant women who were exposed to the bombs had a greater likelihood of miscarriage and infant mortality; their children were more likely to have intellectual problems, slowed growth, and an increased chance of developing cancer. Even now, seven decades later, malignancies connected to radiation exposure continue to rise in all survivors.
However, the work done on these bombs is now being used to treat people with cancer. Many people believe that radiation causes cancer, but few realise that it can also treat it. Gamma knives have been in use all around the world since the late 1960’s. Just as people who are exposed to radiation may develop cancer because the rays damage their cells, the application of this gadget focused on the dangerous tissues ends up selectively eliminating them.
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