atomic bombing :: essays research papers

Nuclear war was brought about through the invention of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was first thought of in 1939. The Manhattan Project was devoted to researching and constructing the bomb (Serendipity: Manhattan Project para.1). Six years and 2 billion dollars later the Manhattan Project produced the first atomic bomb in history (Serendipity: Manhattan Project para.5). The bomb was tested in northern New Mexico on July 16th, 1945. The creators of the bomb watched the first detonation. One creator quoted from the Bhavad Gita saying, â€Å" I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.† The testing of the bomb in New Mexico was the first detonation, however it was not the last (Serendipity: Manhattan Project para.10). The atomic bomb was again set off in Hiroshima on August 4th, 1945. This time the bomb was used in warfare (Serendipity: Detonation para.1). Two aspects of these bombings were the injuries to the people caused by the bomb and the long-term effect the bombing ha d on the culture. There were three main kinds of injuries caused by the bombing: burns, mechanical, and radiation. The burns were due to the flash radiation of heat. The mechanical injuries were caused by debris in the air thrown by falling buildings, etc. the radiation injuries were from the gamma rays produced from the nuclear bomb itself (Avalon: Characteristics of Injuries para.1). Without exact numbers it is hard for experts to determine the actual death rate caused by each injury. Most would say that that majority of the deaths were caused by either radiation or mechanical injuries (Avalon: Characteristics of Injuries para.2). Two different kinds of burn were reported after the bomb, flame burn and flash burn (Avalon: Burns para.1). People that had any sort of protection or shielding around them were protected from flash burns (Avalon: Burns para.4). Japanese experts estimate that burns caused at least 50 percent of the deaths in Hiroshima. They say that most burn victims died instantly (Avalon: Burns para.5). The second form of injury due to the bomb was referred to as mechanical injuries. These injuries were cause by flying objects, falling buildings, crumbling walls, etc. People that were injured from these things experienced fractures, lacerations, concussions, abrasions, etc (Avalon: Burns para.1). The third and most talked about injury caused by the bombing were the radiation affects on the human body. Most people were expected to experience the affect of radiation seconds after the bombing.