Nuclear Fear Research

Hello all.
I am conducting research into how nuclear concerns during the 1950s and 1960s were formed. There were obvious influences from lived experiences, the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945 which demonstrated the devastating potential of these weapons. However, for a generation that grew up after those events, how was the large scale fear of the bomb formed? What experiences led to the general forming of negative opinion of these arms?
I have been observing imagery, political cartoons, Civil Defense Posters, and films. It seems clear through these that the constant depiction of mushroom clouds, mass destruction, and the effects of nuclear fallout, were all something which would have been quite terrifying to witness.
What are your own opinions on this? Were these mass published images terrifying for you?

It is also important to note that this research is from a U.S. perspective, but I am keen to hear your contributions from outside the U.S. also.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis when I was a young teenager. My parents told us we might not be alive in the morning if Russia and the US started firing nuclear weapons at each other!

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

Thanks very much for your reply Willow! Very interesting perspective.

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

I wasn't going to reply to this because it's yet another research question, presumably from a Uni student but anyway, here goes.

Of course the published images and films showing the mushroom clouds were terrifying. How else were people supposed to react? They were shown these in order to frighten.

I remember the tests done on Bikini Atoll and that was very frightening but the sad thing is this. It doesn't matter how scared people are because this won't go away. The technology to deliver the final blow to mankind is already there, and there is nothing that can be done about that!

"Mistakes" have already been made when missiles were launched in error by some crazed Yank who hit the red button several years ago, but the "mistake" was rectified in good time in outer space.

The atomic bombs that were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima were just babies compared to the thermo-nuclear bombs now in existence, but created the most horrendous carnage then, and deformities for generations to come. Atomic bombs released 10,000 tons of TNT, whereas the hydrogen bomb can release around 10 MILLION tons of TNT.

I'm sure that man, in his infinite wisdom, will create an even bigger and better way of bringing an end to this planet, until he learns, by which time it may be too late.

As my old daddy used to say: "Man will always be at war, until he no longer finds any use for it."

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

Well said Mollie darlin'.

Have always (as far back as I can remember) been anti-nuclear. As a youth I attended the first 'Aldermarston' CND march (and have been on others since).

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

I agree with Uncle Joe, you made a very good post Mollie.
The thing that used to frighten me more than anything else was the secrecy surrounding the technology and development of nuclear weaponry and also the cold war and the arms race that went with it at the time. I hope what happened to Japan will always be taught in schools to future generations and if it scares people then that OK with me.
I used to have endless discussions and arguments with my Grandma about nuclear warfare and she just couldn't grasp what it actually could mean. She spoke of the horror of mustard bombs and thought nuclear weponry was something similar, but not as bad.
I did feel angry and concerned about the nuclear developments which were forging ahead during my youth and like Uncle Joe I joined the CND and protested as did many of my contemporaries.
Nuclear technology is now well established. We cannot put it back and ignore it. We cannot and will not do without it and so we will use it and live with it as safely as we can.
I am no longer against nuclear technology, but can only hope that the World's powers (and emerging powers) can act responsibly to safeguard the future. I still think about the risks associated with its use and it contnues to scare me to think that some country will do something which will wreak horror and destruction on us all. I hope the World has enough diplomats to keep communications and relationships open and friendly with other countries and other cultures so we can all benefit from the technology and live peacefully with each other.

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

What concerns me now is safety of the nuclear industry. The accidents at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and most recently Fukushima Daiichi made the news, but there are far more near misses than the public are aware of. Check this link for many examples in just the USA.

I used to work for a company that manufactures nuclear steam generators. In 2002 we learned that corrosion had worn a hole the size of a football through the six-inch thick reactor pressure vessel head at the Davis Besse nuclear plant in Ohio.

This damage had been "missed" in more than one inspection of the vessel. Turns out that "Two former employees and one former contractor were indicted for statements made in multiple documents and one videotape, over several years, for hiding evidence that the reactor pressure vessel was being corroded by boric acid." The mind boggles... how could anyone in the industry justify hiding such evidence?

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shut down the plant for 2 years for maintenance, a $600 million project. Fines were over $28 million. One might expect to see a safe operating record following this critical incident.... right?

In fact, since going back on line in 2004, the plant has had a tritium leak (2008), and cracks in 24 of 69 nozzles for the control rod drive mechanism (2010). One crack was serious enough to leak boric acid - the same fault which was blamed for corrosion to the reactor pressure vessel head 8 years earlier. Inexcusable.

The most recent incident is a 30 foot long hairline crack in the concrete shield building around the reactor vessel discovered during shut-down for maintenance in Oct. 2011.

The USA has 104 nuclear power reactors in 31 states. It's just a matter of time before we see a major nuclear disaster in North America. I believe that's a bigger threat in my lifetime than nuclear war.

Re: Nuclear Fear Research

I completely agree with what you say Annie Jack. Human error and omission is a frightening worry; a risk we now all must live with and there will always be risks from natural disasters to contend with. Now it's here I can't see the World is likely to abandon nuclear power.

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Post 'Fukushima' there is a much more healthy 'respect' for Nuclear power and many of the proposed nuclear power stations have either been put on hold or abandoned altogether.

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Fukushima wasn't built to withstand a tsunami. I wonder how many nuclear facilities are built in earthquake zones?