large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_118
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
Under ordinary circumstances, they could not be divided into anything smaller, and they were called "atoms" from a Greek word meaning "indivisible". It was not until 1808, however, that this "atomic theory" was really put on a firm foundation. In that year the English chemist John Dalton (1766 1844) published a book in which he discussed atoms in detail. UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES THEY COULD NOT BE DIVIDED INTO ANYTHING SMALLER AND THEY WERE CALLED ATOMS FROM A GREEK WORD MEANING INDIVISIBLE IT WAS NOT UNTIL EIGHTEEN O EIGHT HOWEVER THAT THIS ATOMIC THEORY WAS REALLY PUT ON A FIRM FOUNDATION IN THAT YEAR THE ENGLISH CHEMIST JOHN DALTON SEVENTEEN SIXTY SIX EIGHTEEN FORTY FOUR PUBLISHED A BOOK IN WHICH HE DISCUSSED ADAMS IN DETAIL
 117 The Discovery of Fission 122 The Nuclear Chain Reaction 127 The Nuclear Bomb 131 Nuclear Reactors 141 Nuclear Fusion 147 The Energy of the Sun 147 Thermonuclear Bombs 149 Controlled Fusion 151 Beyond Fusion 159 Antimatter 159 The Unknown 164 Reading List 166 [Illustration: _A total eclipse of the sun._] INTRODUCTION In a way, nuclear energy has been serving man as long as he has existed. It has served all of life; it has flooded the earth for billions of years. The sun, you see, is a vast nuclear engine, and the warmth and light that the sun radiates is the product of nuclear energy. In order for man to learn to produce and control nuclear energy himself, however (something that did not take place until this century), three lines of investigation—atoms, electricity, and energy—had to develop and meet. We will begin with atoms. ATOMIC WEIGHTS As long ago as ancient Greek times, there were men who suspected that all matter consisted of tiny particles which were far too small to see.  SECTION NUMBER ONE OF WORLDS WITHIN WORLDS THE STORY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY BY ISAAC ASIMOV THIS IS A LIBERVOX RECORDING ALL LIBERVOX RECORDINGS ARE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO VOLUNTEER PLEASE VISIT LIBERVOX DOT O R G RECORDING BY BLAINE ADEN MAC COY RIVERSIDE CALIFORNIA INTRODUCTION IN A WAY NUCLEAR ENERGY HAS BEEN SERVING MAN AS LONG AS HE HAS EXISTED IT HAS SERVED ALL OF LIFE IT HAS FLOODED THE EARTH FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS THE SUN YOU SEE IS A VAST NUCLEAR ENGINE AND THE WARMTH AND LIGHT THAT THE SUN RADIATES IS THE PRODUCT OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN ORDER FOR MAN TO LEARN TO PRODUCE AND CONTROL NUCLEAR ENERGY HIMSELF HOWEVER SOMETHING THAT DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THIS CENTURY THREE LINES OF INVESTIGATION ATOMS ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY HAD TO DEVELOP AND MEET WE WILL BEGIN WITH ATOMS ATOMIC WEIGHTS AS LONG AGO AS ANCIENT GREEK TIMES THERE WERE MEN WHO SUSPECTED THAT ALL MATTER CONSISTED OF TINY PARTICLES WHICH WERE FAR TOO SMALL TO SEE
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